Alopex lagopus
German :Eisfuchs
French :Isatis
Adapted to Arctic conditions this little predator has a gray or blue coat in the summer. In winter it grows a warm, thick white pelt. Heavily furred foot pads help it travel on snow and ice while hunting. Adult fox weigh 6 to 10 pounds, are, on average, 43 inches long from nose to tail tip with the tail being approximately 15 inches in length. In early April they start shedding their winter coat. The change back to winter coat starts in September and by November is complete. There is a blue phase of the Arctic fox that remains dark throughout the year.
Gender differences:
The sexes are similar in appearance.
Habitat:
Wide distribution in the circumpolar Arctic.
Diet:
In summertime they prey on small mammals such as lemmings and tundra voles. Those that den near rocky seacliffs often take advantage of nesting seabirds like auklets and puffins. Being omniverous they will also eat berries, eggs and carrion. In the winter they travel on the sea ice and scavenge the remains of polar bear kills.
Reproduction:
Arctic fox are sexually mature at 9 to 10 months. Breeding season is March to April with a gestation period of 52 days. An average litter is 7 pups but up to 15 have been recorded. Both parents participate in the rearing of the young. Pups are usually fully weaned by 6 weeks and begin to hunt at around 3 months of age. The family unit will stay together throughout the summer then in the fall drifts apart. When food is scarce, fewer pups are successfully reared to maturity, many dying within their first year.
Other:
Arctic fox range long distances over the sea ice. One fox, tagged on the coast of Russia was caught a year later near Wainwright, Alaska.
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