Greetings friends and welcome to this week’s post about the Arctic Fox. This native of the Arctic Circle is found in Canada, Greenland, Russia, Norway, Scandinavia and Iceland. The arctic fox is known for its super thick fur which obviously keeps it warm in the frozen tundras that it inhabits. It even has fur under its paws to buffer the snow and ice that it regularly has to traverse.
The Arctic Fox has other adaptations that allow it to thrive in harsh icy environments. For instance, the Arctic Fox’s coat will change with the seasons. Turning white in the winter months and growing darker in the summer for camouflage. The forward facing ears allow the Arctic Fox to pinpoint prey burrowed beneath the snow. When they find that meal, they pounce on the snow crashing a den with a head first dive.
From head to tail the Arctic Fox on average is 2 to 3 feet in length and can weigh up to 17 pounds. Arctic Foxes are monogamous and one couple will mate for life. The gestation period for the females is 50-60 days and females will give birth to 5-7 whelps. A litter can be as high as 25 whelps though.
An Arctic Fox’s territory can is about 9 square miles. What I find to be the most interesting thing about them is that they have underground burrows with up to 100 entrances. These burrows are used for multiple generations and can be hundreds of years old.
Next time you’re in Timbavati Wildlife Park check out our Arctic Foxes!
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