ARCTIC FOX

Alopex lagopus

Class: Mammalian

Order: Carnivora

Family: Carnidae

Distribution: Arctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America,in winter as far south as Quebec, Norway and Sweden.

Habitat: Tundra and pack ice, coastal areas and islands.

Physical Characteristics: Similar to Red Fox but smaller, short ears and muzzle, long air nearly doubles length in winter. Average size 3 feet long (l foot which is brush-like tail), average weight 6 lbs (female) and 7-8 lbs (male). Summer coat is grayish-yellow , winter coat is white with a few black hairs on the tip of the tail. The "Blue Fox" (a variety which occurs on coasts and islands where there's less snow) has a grey to steel-blue coat.

Longevity: Average 8 to 10 years, up to 14 in captivity.

Special Adaptations: Reduced limb size, short snout, small round ears, and dense coat combine to allow them to withstand tempatures to -70. Furred foot pads provide added insulation and traction on ice and snow. Food hoarding in summer helps them through the lean winters. An acute olfactory sense allows them to smell lemming nest under several centimeters of snow .

Habits: Diurnal and usually solitary except during breeding season. Migration depends on food availability. Russian populations migrate every fall, while those in North America only migrate during severe winters. Males travel farther than females, up to 10 miles a day. Territorial while feeding and during mating season. Vocalizations include yelps,barks and purrs. They will occasionally scream during fights (usually over food) but they never howl.

Reproduction: Gestation 52 days, young are born in May or June.

averaging 5-8 a litter but when lemmings are at their peak of abundance, litters can number as large as 20. Male parent stays with family and helps feed young. Dens which range from small burrows to large conspicuous structures with as many as 100 entrances are reused and expanded year after year. Mating occurs again when young are a few weeks old. Second litter is born in July or August.

Population Status: Increases and decreases in proportion to lemming population and may fluctuate by 10% in any given year. Soviet population is estimated to be 200,000 with 83,000 pelts taken annually. Predators include wolves, Red Foxes, wolverines, birds of prey, domestic dogs and of course, man.

Diet: Lemmings, voles, hares, fish, birds, eggs, berries and carrion. In winter, some follow polar bears or wolves and feed on leftovers; while others linger near reindeer and musk oxen, feeding on them if they die. Populations on islands containing military bases often survive entirely on scraps.

Notes of Interest: Lagopus means "hare footed". The female is called a vixen, young are pups or kits. They swim between islands and across rivers. Absolutely no fear of humans, they'll even build dens in an open building.