Fox Comparison

The Arctic Fox lives in some of the most frigid extremes on the planet. Among its adaptations for cold survival are its deep, thick fur,[4] a system of countercurrent heat exchange in the circulation of paws to retain core temperature, and a good supply of body fat. The fox has a low surface area to volume ratio, as evidenced by its generally rounded body shape, short muzzle and legs, and short, thick ears. Since less of its surface area is exposed to the Arctic cold, less heat escapes the body. Its furry paws allow it to walk on ice in search of food. The Arctic Fox has such keen hearing that it can precisely locate the position of prey under the snow. When it finds prey, it pounces and punches through the snow to catch its victim. Its fur changes color with the seasons: in the winter it is white to blend in with snow, while in the summer months it changes to brown.[5]

[edit] Reproduction The Arctic Fox tends to be active in early September to early May. The gestation period is 53 days. Litters tend to average 5-8 pups but may be as many as 25.[6] Both the mother and the father help to raise their young. The females leave the family and form their own groups and the males stay with the family. Foxes tend to form monogamous pairs in the breeding season. Litters of between 5 and 8 kits are born in the early summer. The parents raise the young in a large den. Dens can be complex underground networks, housing many generations of foxes. Young from a previous year's litter may stay with the parents to help rear younger siblings.[6] The kits are initially brownish; as they become older they turn white. They can walk on ice without freezing because they have thick hair on their paws.

[edit] Diet The Arctic Fox will generally eat any meat it can find, including lemmings, Arctic Hare, eggs, and carrion. Lemmings are the most common prey. A family of foxes can eat dozens of lemmings each day. During April and May the Arctic Fox also preys on Ringed Seal pups when the young animals are confined to a snow den and are relatively helpless. Fish beneath the ice are also part of its diet. If there is an overabundance of food hunted, the Arctic Fox will bury what the family cannot eat. When its normal prey is scarce, the Arctic Fox scavenges the leftovers of larger predators, such as the polar bear, even though the bears' prey includes the Arctic Fox itself.

[edit] Size The average length is 85.3 cm (33.6 in), with a range of 83 to 110 cm (33 to 43 in), in the male and 82.1 cm (32.3 in), with a range of 71.3 to 85 cm (28.1 to 33.5 in), in the female.[7] The tail is 31 cm (12.2 in) long in the male and 30 cm (11.8 in) long in the female. It is 25–30 cm (9.8–

Classified - Internal use

11.8 in) high at the shoulder.[citation needed] On average males weigh 3.5 kg (7.7 lb), with a range of 3.2 to 9.4 kg (7.1 to 21 lb), while females average 2.9 kg (6.4 lb), with a range of 1.4 to 3.2 kg (3.1 to 7.1 lb).[7]

[edit] Subspecies Besides the nominate, there are four subspecies of this fox: • • • •

Bering Islands Arctic Fox, Alopex lagopus beringensis Iceland Arctic Fox, Alopex lagopus fuliginosus Pribilof Islands Arctic Fox, Alopex lagopus pribilofensis Greenland Arctic Fox, Alopex Lagopus foragorapusis

Arctic fox at Svalbard, Norway.

The Arctic fox's seasonal furs, summer (top) to winter (bottom)

[edit] Population and distribution The Arctic Fox has a circumpolar range, meaning that it is found throughout the entire Arctic, including the outer edges of Greenland, Russia, Canada, Alaska, and Svalbard, as well as in Subarctic and alpine areas, such as Iceland and mainland alpine Scandinavia. The conservation status of the species is good, except for the Scandinavian mainland population. It is acutely Classified - Internal use

endangered there, despite decades of legal protection from hunting and persecution. The total population estimate in all of Norway, Sweden and Finland is a mere 120 adult individuals. The Arctic Fox is the only native land mammal to Iceland. It came to the isolated North Atlantic island at the end of the last ice age, walking over the frozen sea. The abundance of the Arctic Fox species tends to fluctuate in a cycle along with the population of lemmings. Because the fox reproduces very quickly and often dies young, population levels are not seriously impacted by trapping. The Arctic Fox has, nonetheless, been eradicated from many areas where humans are settled. The Arctic Fox is losing ground to the larger Red Fox. Historically, the Gray Wolf has kept Red Fox numbers down, but as the wolf has been hunted to near extinction in much of its former range, the Red Fox population has grown larger, and it has taken over the niche of top predator. In areas of northern Europe there are programs in place that allow hunting of the Red Fox in the Arctic Fox's previous range. As with many other game species, the best sources of historical and large scale population data are hunting bag records and questionnaires. There are several potential sources of error in such data collections.[8] In addition, numbers vary widely between years due to the large population fluctuations. However, the total population of the Arctic Fox must be in the order of several hundred thousand animals.[9] The world population is thus not endangered, but two Arctic Fox subpopulations are. One is on Medny Island (Commander Islands, Russia), which was reduced by some 85-90%, to around 90 animals, as a result of mange caused by an ear tick introduced by dogs in the 1970s.[10] The population is currently under treatment with antiparasitic drugs, but the result is still uncertain. The other threatened population is the one in Fennoscandia (Norway, Sweden, Finland and Kola Peninsula). This population decreased drastically around the start of the 20th century as a result of extreme fur prices which caused severe hunting also during population lows.[11] The population has remained at a low density for more than 90 years, with additional reductions during the last decade.[12] The total population estimate for 1997 is around 60 adults in Sweden, 11 adults in Finland and 50 in Norway. From Kola, there are indications of a similar situation, suggesting a population of around 20 adults. The Fennoscandian population thus numbers a total of 140 breeding adults. Even after local lemming peaks, the Arctic Fox population tends to collapse back to levels dangerously close to non-viability.[9

Classified - Internal use

Least Concern The Indian Fox is endemic to the Indian subcontinent. Although widespread, it occurs at low densities throughout its range, and populations can undergo major fluctuations due to prey availability. Due to loss of short grassland-scrub habitat to intensive agriculture, industry and development projects the Indian Fox population is on the decline. However, the decline is unlikely to be sufficient to warrant the listing of the species in a threatened category and therefore is currently assessed as Least Concern. Habitat and Ecology: The Indian Fox prefers semi-arid, flat to undulating terrain, scrub and grassland habitats where it is easy to hunt and dig dens. It avoids dense forests, steep terrain, tall grasslands and true deserts. The species is relatively abundant in the biogeographic zones 3, 4 and 6 of India, in which rainfall is low, and the vegetation is typically scrub, thorn or dry deciduous forests, or short grasslands (Rodgers et al. 2000). In the Indian peninsula, the species is restricted to the plains and open scrub forest. Major Threats: Although the Indian Fox is widespread, it occurs at low densities throughout its range, and populations can undergo major fluctuations due to prey availability. It is also quite sensitive to human modifications of its habitat. With expanding human populations and continued development of grasslands and "wastelands" for agricultural and industrial uses, the habitat of the Indian Fox is continuously being depleted. The combination of above factors along with disease and/or natural mortality could potentially cause local extinctions. In certain states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, the Indian Fox habitat is widespread with minimal threats, while in other states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu the specialized habitats of the Indian Fox are under serious threat. There are no known commercial uses for the Indian Fox, although there is limited localized trade for skin, tail, teeth and claws (for medicinal and charm purposes). There is no trade or potential for trade of the Indian Fox. Indian Fox (Vulpes bengalenis), a common fox of the Indian plains, is very small and more slender compared to the Red Fox. It inhabits the foothills of the Himalayas, semi-arid regions, open grasslands and forests.

The animal has reddish-brown fur and a black-tipped tail. High speed and nimble turning ability are its main defense. Diet consists of insects, reptiles, small mammals, eggs and fruit. Body length is around 50 cm, tail length is 25 to 30 cm, standing height is 26 to 28 cm and weight is around 3 to 4 kg. Gestation period is of 50 to 55 days and gives birth to 3 to 6 cubs. Indian Fox can be seen in the Desert National Park, Rajasthan

Classified - Internal use