The Arctic Fox

Did you know that The Arctic fox can live up three to six years, and in captivity they can live a whopping fourteen years. Arctic Foxes are beautiful creatures that are only three feet from top to bottom and weigh between six and twelve pounds. These adorable animals Change the color of their fur coats depending on the season, according to biologicaldiversity.org, ”In the winter these foxes boast a long white coat that sheds to short, dark gray to bluish - brown fur in the summer.”  For as cute and adorable these creatures are when it comes to hunting they don’t hold back, These cute foxes are opportunistic feeders, eating almost any animal whether it is breathing or not. Arctic Foxes mostly depend on populations of rodents, especially when it comes to lemmings, voles, and other tiny mammals. They will also accept insects, eggs, berries, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. All of this information and more is on biologicaldiversity.org .

Isn’t amazing that scientists have discovered EIGHT different species of the Arctic Fox, that’s a lot of foxes! (wwf.org.uk). Arctic foxes live in two main place’s, the Arctic Tundra and the Alpine Tundra, inside of dens (biologicaldiversity.org). Arctic Foxes for the most part live in groups for raising young and or hunting, but they don’t particularly need to stay within a group (Ypte.org.uk). Speaking of living within, the mothers of the Arctic Fox only really live with them until they are able to find food for themselves, so about 4-5 months (defenders.org). Another interesting fact about the Arctic Fox is that they are able to smell  a seal den up to a mile away (kids.nationalgeographic.com). 

How many are there left? The Arctic Fox population isn’t small at all, in fact there are about SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND! That's a lot of foxes (worldpopulationreview.com). Arctic Foxes have a lot of threat’s, beginning with predators. According to pdza.org,’’Their predators include Polar Bears, Wolves, Golden eagles, Grizzly Bears,...”

Next, global warming, you see Arctic Foxes eat lemmings and rodents, which is their main food course, which means when global warming comes the lemmings and the other rodents have a lower survival rate, which means the Arctic Foxes won’t have anything to eat and if you don’t have anything to eat well… you DIE!  According to homework.study.com,”If the arctic fox became extinct, the prey of the arctic fox may start to overpopulate the area.” 

How does it make you feel? How would it make you feel if these adorable little babies went extinct?