![]() Experts estimate that, sadly, only 140 breeding adults exist in Fennoscandia. Mostly, these areas were vastly over-hunted in the early 20th century and just haven’t been able to repopulate effectively. In Fennoscandia (which encompasses Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula) and the islands of the Bering Sea (Mednyi Island, Russia and the Pribilof Islands of Alaska), populations are at critically low levels and appear to be declining further. They are found at high elevations (up to 9,800 ft above sea level), as well as down on the pack ice close to the North Pole.Īlthough the IUCN doesn’t have the Arctic fox categorized as an endangered species, there are a few exceptions where populations are direly low. The Arctic fox resides primarily in the tundra, but they’ve also been found in Canadian boreal forests and the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. In contrast, the Arctic fox only dissipates heat from about 22% of its body surface. To illustrate this fact further, scientists have found that 33% of red foxes’ total body surface area dissipates heat readily. These features are particularly susceptible to extreme temperatures, and by keeping them short and furry, the fox has an easier time maintaining blood flow and, therefore, a consistent, comfortable temperature. They also have a particularly short muzzle, short rounded ears, and fur-covered soles of their feet. They curl up their body into a little round ball - to minimize their surface area exposure to the cold - and use that fluffy tail to cover their head against extremities. They also have extra fluffy fur on their tail compared to other fox breeds, which they use like a personal heated blanket to keep warm in winter. In the summer, vulpes lagopus adopts a brown or gray summer coat, which helps provide cover among the tundra’s rocks and plants. Then, when the seasons change, their coat coloration does, too. Their fur offers effective concealment in winter, allowing the animal to blend in with the snow and ice that are ubiquitous in the frozen tundra. Characteristics of Arctic FoxĪrctic foxes are known for their beautiful white (sometimes blueish-gray) coats that maximize fluffiness to a state of perfection. That’s when they survive food scarcity by either hoarding food (studies have found that they will cache bird eggs for months at a time to consume gradually) or storing body fat subcutaneously. They also eat wild berries and seaweed, especially when they’re trying to bulk up for the winter. In most other places, the Arctic fox eats a lot of birds and bird eggs.ĭuring the Spring season, the Arctic fox is known to hunt ringed seal pups while they are young and helplessly confined to a snow den. In areas where they exist, lemmings are their favorite food, with foxes guzzling them down by the dozen. And, when they get really desperate, an Arctic fox will even eat their feces. They also like to scavenge on carcasses left by larger predators like wolves and polar bears. Their primary food sources include eggs, fish, carrion, lemmings, voles, other rodents, hares, insects, and birds. ![]() It ain’t easy surviving in the tundra, so they can’t really be picky eaters. Arctic Fox Growth and ReproductionĪrctic foxes will generally eat any small animal or vegetation they can find. This is important because even their summer fur is remarkably thick. In addition to their adaptations for the cold, they utilize their noses for evaporative cooling in warmer weather to prevent the brain from overheating, similar to dogs. They are also adorably round, which helps minimize the amount of their body getting exposed to the harsh climate. Their extra-fluffy fur- even on the bottoms of their feet- helps keep them warm in the coldest winter. The physiology of the Arctic fox makes them a species uniquely able to survive in extreme temperatures. (What we wouldn’t give for a bright dark blue fox!) These” blue” foxes live in coastal areas along rocky shores and cliffsides, where their coat blends in better. The blue morph, disappointingly, is more brownish-gray year-round than blue. ![]() In the summer (around July), when the snows have melted, their coasts turn into a mottled brown to blend with the tundra grasses. The Arctic fox comes in two colors: white “morph” and blue “morph.” The white morphs tend to live inland, where there is more snow cover, and their pristine coats help them blend in with their surroundings.
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