SIKU Wildlife

Tiriganiarjuk • Arctic Fox

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Tiriganiarjuk • Arctic Fox

Tiriganiarjuk • Arctic Fox

Classification

English Name

Arctic Fox

Scientific Name

Vulpes lagopus (sometimes classified as Alopex Lagopus, but is deemed invalid under this classification)

Common names

  • Blue fox
  • Ice fox
  • Polar fox
  • White fox
  • Snow fox

Inuktitut Name

  • Inuktut Common: Tiriganiarjuk - ᑎᕆᒐᓐᓂᐊᖅ
  • Kittigakyuit dialect: Tereganiaq = white fox, Kiasirutilik= cross fox, Aukpilaktaq = red fox, Maraq = silver fox, Qianngaqtaq = blue fox; if you cannot recognize the species from a distance they are called Pisuktit= walkers, (Source: Nerliq Goose)

Subspecies

  • Vulpes lagopus beringensis
  • Vulpes lagopus fulginosus
  • Vulpes lagopus lagopus
  • Vulpes lagopus pribilofensis

Basic Info

Category

Terrestrial Mammal

Characteristics

Size

  • Length: 46-60 cm
  • Tail length: ~30cm
  • Height: 25-30 cm
  • Weight: 2.5-9kg

Appearance:

  • Short, rounded ears
  • Short muzzle
  • Fur covered soles
  • White colour phase- greyish/brown in summer and white in winter
  • Blue colour phase- greyish in summer and gray/blue in winter (normally less common, especially in Canada)

Other

  • Lifespan: 5-7 years
  • Age of Sexual Maturity: 10 months-1 year

Diet

Prey

Rodents (lemmings, ground squirrels, voles), ringed seal pups, waterfowl, seabirds (ptarmigan, grouse, puffins, ducks, goose), small marine animals, fish, reindeer, berries, eggs, seaweed, insects, and scavenges carcasses.

Predators

Most larger carnivores, such as eagles, polar bears, wolves, wolverines, and are hunted by humans.

Natural History

Overview

The Arctic fox is said to raise its pups in dens consisting of tunnels with up to 100 entrances that may be as old as 300 years. It is part of the Canid family, which is related to other foxes, dogs, and wolves. Of all of the canids in Canada, the Arctic fox is the smallest being closer, in size, to a large domestic cat. Its fluffy tail takes up to 1/3 of their total body length being around 30 cm long on average.

This animal species lives in very extreme cold weather conditions and are known to have a wide range of physical and behavioural adaptations because of these harsh conditions. It is common for the population to fluctuate drastically over about a 4-year span as the foxes adapt to the abundance of lemmings, one of their most common prey. During low-points of lemming populations, the Arctic fox will give up its hunting routine and travel hundreds of kilometers to search for food sources. Because of these large displacements in groups, they are deemed as migrations although they are unpredictable in nature.

Through the winter, the Arctic fox is known to have a heavy coat and as temperatures rise, they shed their coat into a thinner one. During this time the fox will change colour, some having a white heavy coat and a two-tone brown thinner coat, while others may have a pale blue/grey winter coat and a dark blue/grey summer coat.

Geographic Range

Circumpolar, Arctic tundra biomes. Breeds above the tree line of the Arctic tundra of North America and Eurasia. Also breeds on the alpine tundra in Fennoscandia from northern Greenland to the Southern tip of the Hudson Bay, Canada. They inhabit the Arctic and Bering sea islands.

Global Population Estimate

Hundreds of thousands

Population Status

Least concern

  • Threats: Hunting and trapping, disease.

Habitat

Grassland. Complex underground dens with tunnels that can range up to 1000 m2 and entrances that face south toward the sun for warmth. These dens are thought to be in existence for many decades and continuously used by many generations of foxes.

Behavior

Calls

The Arctic fox is most heard during breeding season when they communicate with a barking yowl that can travel great distances. Aside from their mating bark, they may yelp when faced with danger to warn their pups and when disputing territory with other foxes, they may give out a high-pitched whine.

Due to the extreme winter temperatures, the Arctic fox needs to endure, it has adapted coping mechanisms such as building up fat reserves (up to 50% of its body weight) in the autumn and curling up tightly, tucking their head and legs under themselves to sleep. They will also grow a thicker hide in the winter and shed this coat in the summer months and will grow fur over their feet providing the best insulation of all mammals. Another behavior that they adapt due to their climate is hunting. They have a varying range of prey in order to keep up with changing populations and landscapes and are able to change their hunting habits to keep up with these fluctuations in prey availability, learning how to hunt various animals in order for them and their pups to survive. To aid in hunting, the Arctic fox has adapted a very keen sense of smell that allows them to sniff out frozen lemmings up to 77 cm under snow. They will also hoard food to prepare for the winter months and for feeding their pups.

At the end of winter, Arctic foxes begin to pair up for mating season. Courtship involves chasing, play-fighting and long periods of playful interaction. Pregnancy lasts around 2 months and the pair remains together in a den, which is normally located the top or side of ridges, or in river bands with sandy, dry, soil. The male and female will then, both, clean out a portion of the den and dig out some new entrances.

The mates will wield, on average, 11 pups, the largest record for any wild mammal in the world. After birth, the male fox will spend the denning period hunting while the female nurses the litter; the male fox being of the best food provider of all other canids. The female will later begin to share the workload of hunting until the pups are old enough to leave the den (2-4 weeks).

Indigenous Knowledge and Use

Inuit uses

Wiki abilities

Selected Notes & Case Studies

Attribution

References

Links