![]() During the colder seasons, an arctic fox uses its thick, bushy tail as a blanket to protect it from the cold and, like a cat, its tails also helps provide balance when it runs and hunts. They are active all year round, and do not hibernate as some other arctic animals do. BehaviorÄue to how widespread and sporadic their food may be, Arctic foxes are always on the move. Despite this, they do suffer from diseases like sarcoptic mange, and from hunters both for their fur (especially for foxes with rare gray-blue winter coats), and those pushing bird conservation efforts on some of the Aleutian Islands off the Alaskan coast. Numbering at several hundred thousand globally, arctic foxes are considered as a species of "Least Concern" under the most recent International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN's) Red List of Threatened Species. They typically live in burrows, and may hide in tunnels and makeshift shelters during blizzards. They have been seen as far north as the sea ice approaching the North Pole. Their diaspora spans from Alaska and Canada, all the way across the northern climes of Greenland, Scandinavia, and Russia. The arctic fox is spread out across the arctic tundra. Otherwise, they rely on their keen senses of hearing and smell to ambush animals beneath the snow. An arctic fox, with the intention of scavenging, may follow other nearby predators and wait for them to leave after a successful hunt. As an omnivore, they have also been seen to eat berries, seaweed, and other vegetation. Lemmings make up a large part of their diets, but Arctic foxes will also eat birds and their eggs, baby ringed seals, and whatever carcasses larger predators have left behind. ![]() Given its harsh living environment, the arctic fox both hunts and scavenges for whatever it can find. Female foxes, meanwhile, range between 28 and 35 inches (71 and 85 centimeters) in length, and only weigh between 3 and 7 pounds (1.4 and 3.2 kilograms). Male foxes can grow to reach 33 to 43 inches (83 to 110 centimeters) in length, and weights between 7 and 21 pounds (3.2 and 9.4 kilograms). Arctic foxes vary in size depending upon their respective genders. As a member of the Family Canidae, the arctic fox belongs in the same family as dogs and wolves, though it is much smaller than its distant relatives. During the warmer seasons, however, their fur turns into a coat of various shades of browns and grays, allowing them to blend in with the surrounding rocky tundra after the snow has melted. Physical DescriptionĪround the size of a large domestic cat, the arctic fox is best known for its distinctively white winter coat, which renders the animals practically invisible amidst their snowy surroundings. Arctic Fox Facts: Animals of the Arctic The white winter coat of the Arctic Fox allows it to easily blend in to the snow-covered landscapes that surround it.
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