Animal Arctic fox: photo and description

Let's talk about one of the aborigines of the snow-covered tundra - fox. This is a very interesting predator. We will tell you where he lives, how he looks and what he eats.

Habitat and appearance

The distant Russian Polar region is rich in amazing, colorful inhabitants. One of the most interesting - an extremely smart animal, arctic fox. Living in the harsh conditions of the tundra, where the column of the thermometer sometimes falls to -50º C, this representative of the extensive family of dogs is the only one who exhibits a unique property, seasonal dimorphism (that is, color change). This feature is inherent in some species of rabbits. The summer version of the "clothes" of the polar fox is dark, sometimes brown fur, which on the belly becomes grayish. But the winter camouflage of the cunning northern beast is a snow-white shiny coat with a silky long nap and a thick undercoat. Against the background of freshly fallen snow, fox can be found only by the nose. Among the peoples of the Far North , the hunter, who tracks down arctic foxes precisely on this black spot, is considered to be the sharpest, skilful and dexterous.

Decoration of the tundra, animal fox is a unique color - gray with blue, coffee-sand and silver. Such individuals are called "blue" for fine winter fur. On the mainland, the number of such specimens is small. But individual islands can boast of the predominance of precisely the offspring.

Reproduction

Many people think that arctic fox is a herd animal, but this is not entirely true. The form of existence of the population is small flocks. Like the close relatives of wolves, arctic foxes are monogamous. The family of polar foxes consists of parents, grown-up one-year-old females and brood of the current year. But from each rule there are exceptions, here and on the Commander Islands, in isolation from the Great Earth, arctic foxes do not form strong pairs.

Each family has its own housing - burrows that intelligent foxes have near the water in stable soils. Spring heat returns the nomads to their homeland for reproduction. In the event that the old housing is already occupied by another pair, the animals are satisfied with the natural shelters - the crevices of the rocks.

Cultivation of offspring

Nest for the future litter arctic fox lining soft moss and dry grass. Pregnancy lasts up to 57 days, and the number of pups (usually 7-12 puppies) depends on the weight of the mother and the fodder base in the hunting grounds of the couple.

The male becomes the only earner of the family in the first two months of the newborn's life, and the female takes full care of the young ones until the end of the autumn, training them to hunt and helping them adapt to the difficult existence in the icy expanses of the Arctic. Not all kids will survive the cold and the constant shortage of food. Only the most intelligent, hardy and healthy can return springtime to their native places.

Food

The fluffy animal inhabits distant tundra and forest tundra. Huge territory of its range is Greenland, the Arctic and subarctic zone of Russia, Canada and Alaska.

White fox is an animal that constantly migrates in search of food. Not possessing sharp sight, the beast relies more on excellent scent and sensitive hearing. The usual diet of polar fox is a polar mouse lemmings, stolen bird eggs, deftly caught hares and a frozen carrion. Often goes in the footsteps of a polar bear and feeds on the remains of a "master's table" intelligent persistent animal. Arctic fox does not neglect vegetarian food either - its menu features berries, juicy herbs, algae and fresh fish. These animals almost all day are very mobile: even without getting food, they spend a lot of time with each other and run around.

Hunting

Arctic fox is an animal of the tundra, perfectly adapted to extreme conditions. A fluffy predator hunts in the moonlight, at dawn or in the quiet sunset of the day. And on a long polar night, the search for prey is helped by the northern lights.

In windy noisy weather or very frosty days, arctic foxes are wisely burrowed deeper into the snow mink, sweeping the entrance from the chaotic winds and cold. To weather the riot of the northern elements helps the stockiness of the beast - the constant hiding of the remains of food sometimes saves him from starving to death under the shelter.

Arctic Foxes are extremely friendly and trustful. Often, animals run into populated areas for the purpose of selfish gain, sometimes they even take food from the hands of a person. The duration of their laborious life is an average of about 8 years, and the population size directly depends on the amount of the main source of food - lemmings.

Conclusion

Now you know what an interesting beautiful animal is. Arctic fox is not only a beautiful collar or a luxurious fur coat on the shoulders of women of fashion. This valuable fur animal is one of those who fills the expanses of the Far North with life, being a representative of a very fragile ecological system and occupying a certain niche in it. We hope that the information obtained during the reading will awaken in you an interest in other inhabitants of our country.