The Life of Animals | Arctic fox | The arctic fox lives in some of the most frigid extremes on the planet. 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. The arctic fox has keen hearing Such That it can precisely locate the position of prey under the snow. Foxes growing niche to form monogamous pairs in the breeding season. 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. The conservation status of the species is good, except for the Scandinavian mainland population. 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. The Arctic Fox Center in Súðavík contains an exhibition on the arctic fox and conducts studies on the influence of tourism on the population he Abundance of the arctic fox species tends to fluctuate in a cycle along with the population of lemmings and voles (a 3-to-4-year cycle). Because the fox reproduces very Quickly and Often dies young, population levels are not impacted by trapping Seriously. The arctic fox has, nonetheless, been eradicated from many areas where Humans are settled.
The pelts of arctic foxes with a slate blue coloration an expression of a recessive gene ESPECIALLY Valuable were the resource persons. The arctic fox is losing ground to the larger red fox. Red foxes Dominate where Their ranges begin to overlap by killing arctic foxes and Their kits An alternate explanation of the red fox's gains involves the gray wolf: Historically, it has Kept the 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. The world population is thus not endangered, but two Arctic Fox subpopulations are. Threatened the other population is the one in Fennoscandia (Norway, Sweden, Finland and Kola Peninsula). This drastically Decreased population around the start of the 20th century as a result of extreme fur prices, the which Caused severe hunting also During population lows. The total population estimate for 1997 is around 60 adults in Sweden, 11 adults in Finland and 50 in Norway. 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
