Details on the Arctic Fox

 

The arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), also known as the white fox, polar fox, or snow fox, is a small fox native to the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and common throughout the Arctic tundra biome. It is well adapted to living in cold environments. It has a deep thick fur which is brown in summer and white in winter. Its body length ranges from 46 to 68 cm (18 to 27 in), with a generally rounded body shape to minimize the escape of body heat.

 

They prey on any small animals they can find, including lemmings, voles, ringed seal pups, fish, and seabirds. They will also eat carrion, berries, and seaweed. They form monogamous pairs during the breeding season and usually stay together in family groups of multiple generations in complex underground dens.

 

Physical Characteristics

 

The Arctic Fox has many physical characteristics that allow it to live and survive in its environment. A dense, fluffy fur coat protects it from the cold, and small rounded ears control sound location and heat loss. A good supply of body fat and a system of countercurrent heat exchange maintain a core temperature. Footpads on Arctic Foxes' paws are covered in fur to prevent frostbite, and provide traction when walking on ice.

 

Males average about 7 lbs, and females average about 6 lbs. They range between about 6 and 10 lbs. Arctic Foxes are about 30-40" long, with a tail length of about 10-13,” and are about 9-11" high. Coloration includes blue-gray and white fur during the winter, which then darkens during the summer. However, the white coat is more common than the blue-gray. During the winter, the Arctic Fox's white fur helps it blend in with its snowy surroundings, and its fur darkens during the summer to maintain camouflage with its environment during different times of the year.

 

Biome & Habitat

 

Arctic Foxes are native to the cold Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. They have a circumpolar range, meaning they can be found throughout the entire Arctic. They live in places such as the outer edges of Greenland, Russia, Canada, Alaska, Iceland, and other locations. The
 

Arctic Fox is, in fact, the only land mammal native to Iceland. The combined populations in Finland, Norway, and Sweden are an estimate of about a mere 120 adult individuals.

The Arctic Foxes' adaptations allow them to live in such an extreme environment. They live in treeless terrain, with temperatures ranging between -76 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit yearly. Their coats change with the seasons to blend in with white surroundings in winter and darker surroundings in the summer.  They often live in a den dug into the side of a hill, cliff, or riverbank. Although the Arctic Fox's surroundings change throughout the year, it adapts to meet its current needs.   

 

Diet & Behavior

 

Diet

 

Surprisingly, Arctic Foxes are omnivores. They feed on lemmings, voles, Arctic Hares, birds and their eggs, and carrion. A family of Arctic Foxes can eat dozens of lemmings every day! Fish under the surface of ice are also part of their diet. During April and May, they feed on the Ringed Seal pups that are helpless and confined to their dens. Any extra food they may have is buried and saved for when it is needed, and when meat is not available to them, Arctic Foxes may also eat fruit and berries. When food is scarce, Arctic Foxes may even eat the leftovers of other animals' meals. The Arctic Fox's diet is varied.
 

Arctic Foxes locate their prey under the snow, and then capture, kill, and consume it. They walk along the snow, listening with their sensitive hearing. Once an Arctic Fox locates a small animal, it will either dig it up or jump on the snow in order to break through so that it can access the prey hidden beneath.  

 

Behavior

 

Arctic Foxes are nomadic within a home range, moving from place to place in search of food. A male's home range is larger than a female's. Arctic Foxes do not hibernate, so they are able to produce up to two litters a year. A litter consists of up to as many as 5 kits. The mating and birthing season is between September and May. They have a gestation period of approximately 49-57 days.  In the summer, they live in family groups made up of a male, one or two females, and the kits. The second female is a leftover kit from the previous season and does not mate, but helps to raise the young. Arctic Foxes bark to communicate with each other. Studies show that they can distinguish the difference between the barks of members and non-members of their family group. They have a life span of 12 years.

 

Relationships & Conservation

 

Symbiotic/Human Relationships

 

Besides the dependence on others of their kind for mating, Arctic Foxes have a few symbiotic relationships. Arctic Foxes may sometimes feed on the leftovers of other animals' meals, including polar bears. They may sometimes be killed by polar bears, so at times, different sides of the relationship benefit. Without the prey they consume, Arctic Foxes must find another organism to feed on. They feed on lemmings, voles, and other critters, which could be considered a symbiotic relationship, although the prey does not benefit from its side of the bargain.
 

Although Arctic Foxes are not afraid of humans, and may even approach, they are greatly in demand in the fur trade. Arctic Foxes also kill famers' sheep and livestock, so both groups negatively affect each other. It is unfortunate that while humans are pleased by the "fun" of hunting Arctic Foxes, these mammals only kill the farmers' sheep in an effort to survive. I hope that the generally negative relationship between humans and Arctic Foxes can become one of peaceful coexistence.  

 

Conservation

 

Arctic Foxes, as mentioned before, are hunted for their furs. Unfortunately, their populations have been majorly affected by the killings, because Arctic Foxes slow reproduction. Population numbers fluctuate, but authorities claim the total number to be around several thousand. Therefore, the Arctic Fox's endangerment level is "At  Concern.”

 

Up to 50% of the total population has in some areas been harvested on a sustainable basis. The yearly harvest for North America in 1919–1984 was on average 40 000, with around 85 000 during peaks. The fur trading Hudson Bay Company in Canada registered around 2 000–12 000 and up to 25 000 arctic fox pelts per year during 1850–1915. Macpherson (1969) later stated that the Canadian production was to 10 000–68 000 pelts per year. The yield from Alaska was around 3 900 pelts per year, with a peak of 87 000 in 1985.

 

The population decreased drastically around the turn of the century as a result of extreme fur prices which caused severe hunting also during population lows. The population has remained at a low density for more than 40 years, with additional reductions during the last decade. The total population estimate for 1997 is c. 60 adults in Sweden, 11 adults in Finland and 50 in Norway and a couple thousand in North America. From Kola, there are indications of a similar situation, suggesting a population of c. 20 adults.

 

In addition to being prime targets of the fur trade, some Arctic fox populations have also fallen victim to diseases spread from domestic dogs from the growth of human populations infringing on their natural habitat.

 

Also, the Arctic fox is losing ground to the larger red fox. As their name suggests, Arctic foxes are specially adapted to thrive in the cold winters and thick snows of the far north.

 

Where conditions are less extreme, however, this highly specialized species is generally out-competed by its cousin, the more adaptable red fox.

 

As climate change takes its toll and the snow-line continues to recede further and further north, the range of the Arctic fox shrinks, too, giving way to the northward advance of the red fox.

 

Some methods are used in an effort to keep the Arctic Fox population at an even level. Captive breeding and a control program are used to manage the population of Arctic Foxes. Although their population number is a concern at this time, it is a goal to stabilize and their to ensure their continued survival.

 

Because of the above mentioned, the A.F.H.F was created. With the volunteers we currently have, and the funds raised by this site and our fundraisers, we are attempting to secure a established haven within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where they have a roaming territory, and where they are safe from any outside human interference i.e. hunters and domestic dogs.  Also the funds are used to assist Wilderness to fight legislation to open the A.N.W.R to oil drillers and developers.