Scientific Name: Vulpes lagopus
Population: Estimated at 700,000–1 million worldwide
Regions: Arctic tundra and coastal areas of the Northern Hemisphere
Destinations: Jan Mayen, Iceland, Canada, Svalbard, Greenland, Norway
Average Length: Adult: Male: ~60 cm (2 ft) body length, plus ~30 cm (1 ft) tail, Female: ~55 cm (1.8 ft) body length, plus ~30 cm (1 ft) tail; Newborn: ~20 cm (0.65 ft)
Average Weight: Adult: Male: ~3.5–5 kg (7.7–11 lbs), with some reaching up to 9 kg (19.8 lbs)., Female: ~2.5–4 kg (5.5–8.8 lbs); Newborn: ~50–100 g (1.7–3.5 oz)
Diet Habits: Winter: Relies on scavenging remains from polar bear kills, primarily seal blubber; Summer: Hunts lemmings, rodents, birds, eggs, and fish; stores surplus food for winter
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Vulpes
Species: Vulpes lagopus
English: Arctic Fox
Danish: Polarræv
Chinese: 北极狐 (Běijí hú)
Swedish: Fjällräv
Finnish: Napakettu
Norwegian: Fjellrev
Polish: Lis polarny
Japanese: ホッキョクギツネ (Hokkyokugitsune)
Spanish: Zorro ártico
French: Renard arctique
Arctic foxes, also known as snow foxes, polar foxes, or blue arctic foxes, can change their fur colour twice a year to protect themselves from predators. During the frigid winter months, their fur colors turn pristine white, providing camouflage against the snow-covered landscape. As summer approaches, the fox sheds its winter coat and dons a mottled brown or grey fur, blending seamlessly with the rocky tundra. Their ability to change color is a crucial survival strategy, helping these animals evade predators like polar bears, wolves, golden eagles, and humans. Humans have hunted these foxes for centuries for their luxurious fur, particularly the rare blue-grey variety.
Despite its incredible adaptability, the blue fox size is relatively small, perfectly proportioned for its hostile environment. Measuring around 60 cm in body length and weighing 2.5 to 5 kg, it's significantly smaller than its red fox relative. Its short snout, rounded ears, and compact body minimise heat loss, making it well-suited for the frigid Arctic region's climate. Their tail, which is about 33 cm long, helps maintain balance and is also used as a blanket to warm them during sleep.
While these arctic animals are often solitary hunters, they form strong family bonds during the breeding season. They are monogamous animals, often forming lifelong pairs. The male arctic fox, called a ‘dog’, forms a pair bond with a female, known as a ‘vixen’. These foxes give birth to litters of ‘kits’ who reach maturity after nine to ten months.
The Arctic fox's lifespan is relatively short, with an average life expectancy of around 3-4 years in the wild. However, some may live up to 10 years.
The blue arctic fox's diet varies depending on food availability, seasonal changes, and social interactions. In winter, they adapt their hunting methods to survive food scarcity as opportunistic feeders by scavenging, whereas in summer, they hunt a variety of prey, including lemmings, birds, and fish.
The primary dangers to snow arctic foxes are scarcity of prey, climate change, habitat destruction, and human activities.
An arctic fox is a consumer. It relies on other organisms for food, making it a part of the consumer level in the food chain.
No, arctic foxes are native to the Arctic region and do not inhabit Antarctica.
Fact #1: The Arctic fox appears in two distinct colour morphs: white and blue.
Fact #2: Arctic fox, in summer, has a diet concentrated on mice, lemmings and arctic hares.
Fact #3: The Arctic fox summer coat is typically dark and greyish-brown.
Fact #4: All foxes are carriers of recessive or sleeping rabies virus that may come into acute outbreak if the fox, for example, is weakened due to lack of food.
Fact #5: Access to reindeer carcasses is the main factor driving the population dynamics of Arctic foxes in Svalbard.
Fact #6: The white fox has probably undergone the same evolutionary development as the polar bear, which is a white variant of the American brown bear.
Fact #7: The Arctic fox furry coat is the thickest of any Arctic mammal, keeping them warm in temperatures as low as -50°C (-58°F).
Fact #8: The arctic fox sounds include high-pitched barks, chirps, and even noises reminiscent of giggles.
Fact #9: Key arctic fox characteristics include short ears, a fluffy tail, and fur-covered paws, all helping them survive in the cold.
Fact #10: Within the arctic fox food web, these animals act as both predators, targeting small creatures, and scavengers, consuming remnants left by larger predators such as polar bears.
Join us on an Arctic adventure with Albatros Expeditions and witness the wonders of Arctic wildlife!
