Polar fox | Facts & Information

Origin

Also known as the White Fox or snow fox, the Arctic fox is a small mammal native to the cold regions of the northern hemisphere.

Feeding the Polar Fox

The Fox's food consisted of lemmings (Lemmus lemmus) or other polar rodents (Lemmus sibiricus, Microtus oeconomus, myodes rufocanus). He also consumes fruits, eggs and chicks of birds, as well as animal corpses, being a companion of polar bears.

In general, the White Fox feeds on any kind of meat, including lemmings, fish, carrion or bird eggs. Lemmings are the preferred food, a family of white foxes can consume several dozen of such rodent mammals daily.

The Polar Fox is omnivorous. It feeds on polar rabbits, fish, mice, squirrels and berries, especially during the summer. In winter, he eats the remains left by wolves or polar bears (if he can not hunt). They dig holes in the ground where they store food. Specimens that live in the coastal area consume the eggs of seabirds or even chicks.

The sense of hearing is very developed in the Arctic fox, which helps it to quickly locate prey, even that hidden under the snow.

Appearance Polar Fox

The animal is adapted to the cold climate, having a thick fur and the sole of the paws being covered with fur. The length of the Foxes is between 65 and 110 cm, the tail measuring up to 30 cm, having a height of ca. 30 cm. and a weight of about 5 kg.

Females are almost as large as males. The color of the Foxes differs by season, in summer having black coat color on the back and legs being brown, while in winter, the color of white, white-gray camouflage. Polar Foxes have short snouts and ears, thick fur allows Foxes to survive in low temperatures reaching-80grc.

Polar Foxes usually live in the northern hemisphere, north of the Arctic Circle (Scandinavia, Spitzbergen island, Iceland, Northern Russia, Northern Canada, Alaska and Greenland). Their habitat being the tundra regions, they can also be seen on the ice of the Arctic Ocean, it is assumed that in search of food, foxes can travel distances of over 2000 km.

The round body, short snout and legs and rounded and compact ears are all a form of adaptation to environmental conditions. The fur on its paws allows it to step on frozen surfaces without problems, in search of food. His hearing is so well developed that he can locate prey under the snow.

There are certain specimens that have blue fur in winter, darkening in summer. It sheds at least twice a year. This helps her to camouflage herself in the constantly changing environment.

Behavior Polar Fox

Living in such a harsh environment, the White Fox has had to adapt to the extreme temperatures in these regions; so its fur is very thick, its fluid transfer mechanism and limb circulation are very good, and the body retains a fat reserve sufficient to maintain optimal body temperature.

They can walk without problems on the ice, thanks to the fur that covers their feet. It uses certain sounds to communicate with other foxes. They can range from loud howls (if the distance is large) to sharp sounds (when to warn the puppies in case of danger).

He also has some enemies, such as polar bears and Wolves. Wolves and polar Owls mostly attack fox cubs. Grizzly bears are also another threat to this species.

Breeding polar Fox

The mating season begins in September and lasts until the end of May. The gestation period is 53 days, females giving birth to an average number of 5-8 Cubs, and in exceptional cases even 25.

Both parents are involved in raising them and building the nest. It is presented in the form of underground networks, which can host several generations of foxes. After a period of time, females usually leave the family and form their own group, while males remain in the family.

White foxes form monogamous pairs. At birth, the Cubs have a body covered with a brown fur that turns white as they age.