---
title: "What the sources say about the Arctic Fox | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "51 claims from the Arctic Fox profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/arctic-fox-1.webp"
canonical: "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/arctic-fox/sources/"
---

# What the sources say about the Arctic Fox (*Vulpes lagopus*)

> 51 claims from the Arctic Fox profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Arctic Fox](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/arctic-fox/)

## Arctic Fox. Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=arcticfox.main

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Mainly lemmings and tundra voles in summer, plus nesting seabirds, berries, eggs and scavenged remains, including seals killed by polar bears in winter | In summer, arctic foxes feed primarily on small mammals, including lemmings and tundra voles. Foxes denning near rocky cliffs along the seacoast often depend heavily on nesting seabirds such as auklets, puffins, and murres. ... Arctic foxes are omnivorous, and sometimes eat berries, eggs, and scavenged remains of other animals. Many foxes venture out onto the sea ice during winter to feed on remains of seals killed by polar bears. (note: seabirds are scoped to cliff-denning foxes in the body) |
| The arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) has short legs, a short body, short ears and dense winter fur, which make it look stocky next to its slightly larger relative, the red fox. | Their short legs and body, short ears, and dense winter fur give them a stocky appearance compared to their slightly larger relative, the red fox |
| Fully grown arctic foxes weigh 6 to 10 pounds (2.7 to 4.5 kg) and average 43 inches (109 cm) long, including a tail of about 15 inches (38 cm). | Fully grown arctic foxes weigh from 6 to 10 pounds. They average 43 inches (109 cm) in length including the tail, which is about 15 inches (38 cm) long. (note: 2.7 to 4.5 kg converted from 6 to 10 lb (2.72 to 4.54 kg); AnAge lists an adult weight of 5,200 g from older compilations; ADFG is the current anchor) |
| In summer they feed mainly on lemmings and tundra voles, and foxes denning near seaside cliffs often depend heavily on nesting seabirds such as puffins. | In summer, arctic foxes feed primarily on small mammals, including lemmings and tundra voles. Foxes denning near rocky cliffs along the seacoast often depend heavily on nesting seabirds such as auklets, puffins, and murres. |
| They sometimes eat berries, eggs and scavenged remains, too. | Arctic foxes are omnivorous, and sometimes eat berries, eggs, and scavenged remains of other animals. |
| Arctic foxes molt twice a year. | Arctic foxes molt twice each year. |
| White foxes start shedding their long winter fur in early April, and by late June the face, legs and upper body wear short brown summer fur. | The white foxes begin to shed their long winter fur in early April. By late June the face, legs, and upper parts of the body are covered with short, brown summer fur. |
| The switch back runs through September and October, and by November the white winter coat is complete. | The change to winter pelage occurs in September and October. By November the luxurious white winter coat is complete. |
| In winter, many arctic foxes venture onto the sea ice to feed on the remains of seals killed by polar bears. | Many foxes venture out onto the sea ice during winter to feed on remains of seals killed by polar bears. |
| In winter, dense fur sheathes the arctic fox's paws, which sets it apart from other canids. That is where its scientific name comes from: lagopus means "rabbit-footed." | The arctic fox's paws are sheathed in dense fur during the winter, unlike other canids, giving it the name "lagopus" (which means "rabbit footed"). |
| Rabbit-Footed by Name | giving it the name "lagopus" (which means "rabbit footed") |
| tags: carnivore | In summer, arctic foxes feed primarily on small mammals, including lemmings and tundra voles. |
| tags: burrower | They extend from six to 12 feet underground. Enlarged ground squirrel burrows with several entrances are often used as dens. |

## Vulpes lagopus (Arctic fox). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Vulpes_lagopus/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Treeless Arctic tundra, usually in coastal areas, across Eurasia, North America, Greenland and Iceland | Arctic foxes are found in the treeless tundra extending through the arctic regions of Eurasia, North America, Greenland, and Iceland. ... Arctic foxes are found mainly in arctic and alpine tundra, usually in coastal areas. (note: ADW is 2007 but is the only range source in the pack; ADFG's range line is Alaska only) |
| They live in the treeless tundra of Eurasia, North America, Greenland and Iceland, usually in coastal areas. | Arctic foxes are found in the treeless tundra extending through the arctic regions of Eurasia, North America, Greenland, and Iceland. ... Arctic foxes are found mainly in arctic and alpine tundra, usually in coastal areas. |
| tags: arctic-tundra | Arctic foxes are found in the treeless tundra extending through the arctic regions of Eurasia, North America, Greenland, and Iceland. |
| tags: alpine | Arctic foxes are found mainly in arctic and alpine tundra, usually in coastal areas. |

## AnAge entry for Vulpes lagopus. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15, 2023.

https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Vulpes_lagopus

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In captivity, arctic foxes have lived as long as 16.3 years. | Maximum longevity 16.3 years (captivity) (note: replaces ADFG's '16 years (captivity average)', which matches AnAge's maximum and cannot be an average) |

## Tietgen et al. (2021). Fur colour in the Arctic fox: genetic architecture and consequences for fitness. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.1452

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| a coat color set by one gene | we identified the MC1R gene as the sole causal gene underlying Arctic fox Vulpes lagopus fur colour (note: 'one gene' for 'sole causal gene') |
| Blue foxes stay dark brown or charcoal all year, just slightly lighter in winter. | The blue morph is uniformly dark brown or charcoal year-round, with a slightly lighter coloration during winter. |
| White foxes make up over 90% of the world's arctic foxes. | The white colour morph makes up over 90% of the global Arctic fox population |
| A 2021 study of Scandinavian arctic foxes | Arctic fox data used in this study originate from population monitoring [ 41 ] and the captive breeding programme (note: the preceding paragraph names the Scandinavian peninsula population and its captive breeding programme; the study years are 2007-2019) |
| named one gene, MC1R, as the only cause of the difference. | we identified the MC1R gene as the sole causal gene underlying Arctic fox Vulpes lagopus fur colour |
| Its white version is recessive and its blue version dominant: 878 of 882 foxes with two white copies were white, and 230 of 243 with at least one blue copy were blue. | the C allele represented a recessive white fur colour allele, and T a dominant blue fur colour allele (878 of 882 CC individuals were white, 221 of 234 TC individuals were blue and nine of nine TT individuals were blue (note: 230 of 243 = TC 221/234 plus TT 9/9) |
| White foxes make up over 90% of the world's arctic foxes | The white colour morph makes up over 90% of the global Arctic fox population |
| the blue morph stays dark brown or charcoal all year, just slightly lighter in winter | The blue morph is uniformly dark brown or charcoal year-round, with a slightly lighter coloration during winter. |
| One gene, MC1R, sets the color | we identified the MC1R gene as the sole causal gene underlying Arctic fox Vulpes lagopus fur colour |
| in a 2021 study, 878 of 882 foxes with two copies of its recessive white version were white, and 230 of 243 with at least one copy of its dominant blue version were blue. | the C allele represented a recessive white fur colour allele, and T a dominant blue fur colour allele (878 of 882 CC individuals were white, 221 of 234 TC individuals were blue and nine of nine TT individuals were blue (note: 230 of 243 = TC 221/234 plus TT 9/9) |

## Henshaw, Underwood & Casey (1972). Peripheral Thermoregulation: Foot Temperature in Two Arctic Canines. Science.

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.175.4025.988

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Feet kept just above the point where living tissue freezes | Arctic foxes and gray wolves maintain their foot temperature just above the tissue freezing point (about -1 degrees C)when standing on extremely cold snow, or when the foot is immersed in a -35 degrees C bath in the laboratory. |
| Feet held just above the point where living tissue freezes | Arctic foxes and gray wolves maintain their foot temperature just above the tissue freezing point (about -1 degrees C)when standing on extremely cold snow, or when the foot is immersed in a -35 degrees C bath in the laboratory. |
| A 1972 study found that arctic foxes keep their feet just above the point where living tissue freezes, about -1°C, whether standing on extremely cold snow or with a foot dunked in a -35°C bath in the lab. | Arctic foxes and gray wolves maintain their foot temperature just above the tissue freezing point (about -1 degrees C)when standing on extremely cold snow, or when the foot is immersed in a -35 degrees C bath in the laboratory. |
| Warm blood shunted through a network of blood vessels in the skin of the foot pad carried more than 99% of the heat the pad surface lost. | Selective shunting of blood-borne body heat through a cutaneous vascular plexus in the foot pad accounted for more than 99 percent of measured heat loss from the pad surface. |
| Keeping that heat exchange in the skin touching the cold ground, rather than throughout the pad, gives maximum energy efficiency, the researchers wrote. | Maximum energetic efficiency is achieved because the unit of heat exchange is located in the pad surface which contacts the cold substrate rather than throughout the pad. |
| A 1972 study found arctic foxes keep their feet just above the point where living tissue freezes, about -1°C, whether standing on extremely cold snow or with a foot in a -35°C lab bath. | Arctic foxes and gray wolves maintain their foot temperature just above the tissue freezing point (about -1 degrees C)when standing on extremely cold snow, or when the foot is immersed in a -35 degrees C bath in the laboratory. |
| Warm blood shunted through a network of blood vessels in the skin of the foot pad carried more than 99% of the heat the pad surface lost. | Selective shunting of blood-borne body heat through a cutaneous vascular plexus in the foot pad accounted for more than 99 percent of measured heat loss from the pad surface. |
| tags: cold-tolerant | Selective shunting of blood-borne body heat through a cutaneous vascular plexus in the foot pad accounted for more than 99 percent of measured heat loss from the pad surface. |

## Prestrud (1991). Adaptation by the Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopus) to the Polar Winter.

https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic1529

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| a body that needs no extra energy to stay warm even at -40°C | The lower critical temperature is below -40 degrees C, and consequently increased metabolic rate to maintain homeothermy is not needed under natural temperature conditions. (note: LCT below -40 means no raised metabolism at -40) |
| That short, rounded shape, short muzzle included, helps it lose less heat. | Short muzzle, ears and legs, a short, rounded body and probably a counter-current vascular heat exchange in the legs contribute to reduce heat loss. |
| The rest of the fox leans on its fur. | The arctic fox ( Alopex lagopus ) adapts to the low polar winter temperatures as a result of the excellent insulative properties of its fur. |
| A 1991 review called it the best insulating fur of any mammal. | Among mammals, the arctic fox has the best insulative fur of all. (note: dated in the sentence: a 1991 ranking) |
| The fox's lower critical temperature, the point below which a body must burn extra energy to stay warm, is under -40°C, so it doesn't need that extra burn in the temperatures it meets in the wild. | The lower critical temperature is below -40 degrees C, and consequently increased metabolic rate to maintain homeothermy is not needed under natural temperature conditions. |
| a fox whose fur insulates so well that its body needs no extra energy to stay warm even at -40°C | The lower critical temperature is below -40 degrees C, and consequently increased metabolic rate to maintain homeothermy is not needed under |

## Lai, Bêty & Berteaux (2015). Spatio–temporal hotspots of satellite–tracked arctic foxes reveal a large detection range in a mammalian predator. Movement Ecology.

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-015-0065-2

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| satellite-tracked treks of up to 40 kilometers to hotspots on the sea ice | by detecting hotspots of fox activity on the sea ice. ... Foxes often traveled more than 10 km, and up to 40 km, to reach hotspots |
| Satellite tracking of foxes on Canada's Bylot Island showed how far they will go. | Summary of the winter tracking records of 26 arctic foxes from Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada. |
| They often traveled more than 10 kilometers, and up to 40, to reach hotspots on the sea ice where they were likely scavenging marine mammal carcasses. | these solitary foragers occasionally used the sea ice where they sometimes formed spatio–temporal hotspots, likely scavenging on marine mammal carcasses. We detected 35 movements by 13 individuals forming five hotspots. Foxes often traveled more than 10 km, and up to 40 km, to reach hotspots |
| Each hotspot lasted one to two weeks and drew up to 12 foxes | to reach hotspots, which lasted one–two weeks and could gather up to 12 individuals. |
| with as many as nine there on the same day | Four to 12 foxes visited a given hotspot, with a maximum of nine foxes present on the same day at Hotspot–1 |
| After 30 of the 35 visits, the fox was back inside its home range the next day. | In 30 times out of 35 (85.7 %), foxes were back inside their home range the day after leaving a hotspot |
| Satellite-tracked foxes on Canada's Bylot Island often traveled more than 10 kilometers, and up to 40, to reach hotspots on the sea ice where they were likely scavenging marine mammal carcasses. | these solitary foragers occasionally used the sea ice where they sometimes formed spatio–temporal hotspots, likely scavenging on marine mammal carcasses. ... Foxes often traveled more than 10 km, and up to 40 km, to reach hotspots |
| Each hotspot lasted one to two weeks and drew up to 12 foxes. | Foxes often traveled more than 10 km, and up to 40 km, to reach hotspots, which lasted one–two weeks and could gather up to 12 individuals. |

## Angerbjörn & Norén (2025). Vulpes lagopus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T899A223595394.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2025-1.rlts.t899a223595394.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Least Concern | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). (note: read through GBIF's copy of the Red List, iucnredlist.org refuses scripts; 2025 publication of the 2023 assessment) |