The Arctic fox is known for its changing fur color
White fox is another name for the Arctic fox, or "Alopex lagopus." The term "white fox" is commonly used when referring to the animal's appearance during the winter, as its winter coat is white. Arctic (or white) foxes live in cold tundra and coastal regions, mainly in Alaska, Northern Canada and the Arctic Circle. They weigh between 6 and 10 pounds and live between 14 and 18 years.
Anatomical Adaptations to Their Environment
Arctic (or white) foxes have several anatomical adaptations that help them thrive in temperatures as low as -58 degrees Fahrenheit, according to National Geographic. The soles of their feet are thickly padded with fur. They have short ears and muzzles, helping to preserve heat. Thick, busy tails and coats provide not only warmth, but also camouflage; they change from brown in the summer to white in the winter.
Behavioral Adaptations to their Environment
Arctic foxes have adopted several behaviors that help them survive the harsh Arctic tundra. They do not hibernate; they instead live in burrows 6 to 12 feet underground, in small groups.
Hunting Style
Arctic foxes are both predators and scavengers. They will hunt small rodents, marine invertebrates, birds and fish. They will also eat eggs, fruit and vegetables, when available, and subsist mainly on the scraps left by polar bears in the winter. In the summer, these little white foxes collect surpluses, and store the extra food in their dens.
Mating and Reproduction
Arctic foxes reach maturity as early as 10 months of age. According to experts at Sea World, gestation lasts between 49 and 57 days, usually giving life to a litter of 5 to 8 pups, though as many as 25 have been documented in a single birthing. Females typically produce 2 litters a year.
Arctic foxes are monogamous, mate for life and live in small families--two females, a male and pups, if any. One of the females is a nonbreeding juvenile, born from the year before, who has stayed behind to help raise the next litter. Both the adult male and female are active in raising the pups, as well.
Conservation
Arctic foxes are hunted for their fur, and killed or driven away for their habit of preying on domestic sheep. When rodent and lemming populations are high, Arctic fox populations also tend to be high. Hunting pressure has decreased in recent years.
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