Arctic Fox

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammal

Family: Canidae

Order: Carnivora

Genus: Vulpes

Species: Lagopus

History

Existed for 3.6 to 5.1 million years
Closest living relative is the Red Fox

Ancestors

- Vulpes Qiuzhudingi
- Grey Wolf
- Coyotes

Subspecies

Bering Islands Arctic Fox
Greenland Arctic Fox
Iceland Arctic Fox
Pribilof Islands Arctic Fox

Size

Weight: 6 to 10 pounds
Length: 18-27in
Height: 9.8 to 12in.

Physical Description:

Short Legs
Small and Curved Ears
White Fur (in Winter)
Shorter Nose Than Red Foxes

Key Characteristics:

Dense/Thick Fur
Fluffy/Bushy Tail

Life Span:

3 to 4 years in the wild

Difference Between Male and Females:

There are no clear differences between the two at first glance except for a slight difference in size. Female tend to be slightly smaller than males.

Plants and Animals

They have shrubs, Grasses, Mosses in the summer, but in the winter the ground is covered with frost and very few plant. Amimals within their range of habitats include polar bears, mountain goats and yak which are also able to handle the cold climate the arctic fox stays in.

Rainfall

Very dry, with less than 25cm of rainfall per year.

Temperature and Terrain

Generally, they live somewhere the temperature can get as low as -58 degrees Fahrenheit. Their terrain is very frozen in the winter and mostly in open areas thought there are some that live in forests. Habitats are known to be dry with harsh and cold winds.

Location

Arctic Foxes are found in Europe, Asia, and North America. Arctic Foxes are considered invasive in Alaska and they are harmful to the native birds there.

Diet:

They are opportunistic eaters, meaning they will eat anything they can. The especially eat small mammals such as voles, lemmings, and other rodents. They will also eat birds, berries, reptiles, amphibians, and eggs.

When arctic foxes are very young they will usually need 4 meals a day. By the time they a year old they will only need one meal a day.

Arctic Foxes catch their food by walking on the snow and listen for their prey below. Once they've located their prey they will dive down and catch int.

Social Structure

Arctic Foxes are solitary but will sometimes live in small groups. They may live in group as a family for mating as well as protecting the pups in the spring and summer. But during the winter they will only stay in a group if it is necessary for finding food. Both parents take on the role to stay with and help to care for the young. A family groups will be made up of the breeding pair and their young. The may also be a non-breeding juvenile female from the past year to help care for the young. They work together to provide enough food and to protect the young.

Reproduction

Arctic Foxes mate each spring in early March and they will generally mate for life. Before mating arctic foxes are generally have a playful nature with their mate such as chasing each other. Litter for arctic foxes average at seven pups per each litter.

Social Structure

Arctic Foxes are solitary but will sometimes live in small groups. They may live in group as a family for mating as well as protecting the pups in the spring and summer. But during the winter they will only stay in a group if it is necessary for finding food. Both parents take on the role to stay with and help to care for the young. A family groups will be made up of the breeding pair and their young. The may also be a non-breeding juvenile female from the past year to help care for the young. They work together to provide enough food and to protect the young.

Development:

Arctic Foxes are generally born in early April (about 52 days after after mating). The pups will stay safe in the den for 3-4 week before going outside the den. After 12 weeks, the pups must forage for themselves. They reach sexual maturity after 9 to 10 months. They will leave their parents by the time they are a year old.

Reproduction:

Arctic Foxes mate each spring in early March and they will generally mate for life. Before mating arctic foxes are generally have a playful nature with their mate such as chasing each other. Litter for arctic foxes average at seven pups per each litter.

Disease

Rabies is the most common virus among arctic foxes and leads to death once symptoms become visible. Distemper also affects arctic foxes, though, it is not as common as the rabies. However, distemper is still very deadly to arctic foxes.

Sexual Competition

Sexual competition is low for arctic foxes. Arctic Foxes mate for life so there is little competition from year to year except for those who have yet found a mate

Predation

There are many predators to the arctic fox such as polar bears, grizzly bears, golden eagles, and even red foxes with hunt them. Many of them hunt arctic foxes not just for a food source but also to eliminate competition towards other prey

Scarcity of Prey

Scarcity of prey it main cause of death among arctic foxes. Arctic Foxes mainly hunt rodents but global warming has caused the pukak layer to melt leading to flooding events that destroy rodent population.

Inter-Species Competition and Invasive Species

Arctic Foxes have major competition with red foxes. This most likely because of limited food as well as the growing population of red foxes in the arctic fox habitats. This competition has led to an increasing number of arctic foxes being killed by red foxes. Red foxes have been moving into the north as climate change causes it to warm increasing the pressure for competition and making the red fox an invasive species to the arctic tundra.

Intra-Species Competition

Surprisingly, the main competition to the arctic fox in this category is the Snowy Owl. This is because they hunt for the same already limit supply prey: rodents. This has led snowy owl to be more aggressive towards arctic foxes.

Population Status

The arctic fox IUCN rating is in the least concern category overall. Specific populations in Norway, Finland, and Sweden are considered critically endangered for those areas. It is estimated that there are several thousand arctic foxes in the world. Their population has generally been steady but in recent year they have become more vulnerable to their population decreasing.

Human Impact

Humans have impacted Arctic wolves through hunting for their furs, though, this sport has decreased in popularity. Humans have also impacted arctic foxes through climate change as it has led to a limited food supply as well as increased competition and predators. Trends currently do not show climate change to stop all that soon so it is likely that arctic foxes will continue to have their prey decrease at least in the coming years. We are attempting to slow climate change and encourage habits that are good for the environment that will hopefully minimize our impact on climate change and therefore on arctic foxes. Human activity with arctic foxes likely began 42,000 years ago.