The Arctic fox is a small species of canid that lives in the Arctic regions and Alpine tundra of Canada, the USA, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. In the winter, most Arctic foxes have a thick, white coat that insulates them from extreme temperatures. In summer, their coat is brown or dark grey, pale on the underside and is much thinner. A small percentage of the population stays brown in both winter and summer, known as blue morphs. The Arctic fox has broad rounded ears, small amber eyes and a small black nose. They stand 25 to 30cm tall at the shoulder and have a tail length of 25 to 35cm. Males have a head-body length of 46 to 68cm and weigh between 3.2 and 9.4kg, at an average of 3.5kg. Females are slightly smaller, with a head-body length of 41 to 55cm and weigh between 1.4 and 3.2kg, averaging 2.9kg.
Latin Name
Vulpes lagopus
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Animal Facts
The Arctic fox is the only native land mammal found in Iceland.
Arctic fox paw pads are completely covered in fur, giving them their Latin species name ‘lagopus’, meaning ‘rabbit foot’.
Arctic foxes and lemmings have interlinked cyclical population density, meaning the abundance of both species is highly dependent on the other.
The Arctic fox may build up its body fat by 50% in the autumn in order to survive the Arctic winter.
The Arctic fox must deal with a temperature difference of up to 100°C between its internal body temperature and the environmental temperature.
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