ARCTIC FOX

(ALOPEX LAGOPUS)

The arctic fox lives farther north than any other fox. They are well adapted for the cold harsh weather of the Arctic. The arctic fox can hunt lemming that they can't see beneath the snow, but if the arctic fox can't kill enough to eat, it will settle for leftoverfrom other animals.

*This photo is from:www.elegancegallery.com/catalog/images/ArticFox2a.jpg

adaptions of the artic fox

ADAPTIONS OF THE ARCTIC FOX

THE COLOR

Arctic fox can be either gray-blue or white. The blue coloration is not as common as the white. Young of each color may occur in the same litter.



As summer begins, the arctic fox sheds its white coat for a brown one, perfect cover for summer. The change back to a winter coat occurs in September and October. By November the white winter coat is complete. Foxes of the blue coloring remain dark or charcoal colored all year but become a little lighter in winter.

HOW THE ARCTIC FOX FIND FOOD IN THE WINTER

The arctic fox's adaptation to its subzero habitat include a compact body with short legs, short ears, dense fur, and thickly haired foot pads, which insulate against the cold and provide traction on ice.

Arctic fox sometimes will enlarge ground squirrel burrows with several entrances and use the burrows for dens.

Arctic fox walk along on top of the snow listening for the small creatures under the snow. When they hear one they jump up and down to break through the snow with their front paws. Once the snow is broken they can grab their prey.

*This photo is from:http://www.anwr.org/gallery/images/08-Arctic%20Fox.jpg

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE ARTIC FOX AND HUMANS

The arctic fox only apear in the humans city for find food in the rubbis. the humans always hund he artic fox because he has a very beautifulsking, but now he is a DANGEROUS SPACE .

*This photo is from:http://www.tworiverspark.ca/wildlife/site/AdminTools/Images_Manager/upload/1082489522.jpg

*This video is from:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeLjkZz9uZM

HABITAT

Range: Northern and western Alaska and Canada Northern Canada south to northern Northwest Territories, northeast Alberta, northern Manitoba, northern Quebec, Russia, and Greenland; a few records indicate presence farther south.

*This photo is from:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Distribution_arctic_fox.jpg

Diet: Arctic fox feed primarily on , including lemmings and tundra voles. Fox denning near rocky cliffs along the seacoast often depend heavily on nesting seabirds such as auklets, puffins, and murres.

*This photo is from:http://myalouna.free.fr/FD/Blog/Lemmings/lemmings.gif

PUPS


The female may have 4 to 11 pups. The average litter is 6 or 7 pups. She can have two litters a year. The babies are born in a den or burrow in late spring. A baby fox is the size of a kitten. Both parents take care of the blind cubs. At two weeks the cubs open their eyes. At three weeks they go outside and begin to explore.


To feed a litter of ten the parents must kill about thirty lemmings a day. When their family is almost grown, the parents feed them over a hundred lemmings a day! The young foxes are taught how to hunt and are independent by fall. The young males leave the family and form their own groups. The young females stay with the family group.

*This photo is from:http://www.migrationresearch.org/images/arctic%20fox%20pups.jpg