Little Known Facts About Arctic Foxes

(Source: list25)

The Arctic fox is definitely less familiar to us than a regular red fox, but in fact, arctic foxes are incredible animals that are often overlooked. You might wonder what arctic foxes eat or what adaptations they need to survive in one of the most extreme and coldest places on Earth. In fact, there are many more interesting facts about these little canine predators worth learning. Ready to expand your knowledge on the arctic fox? Check out these some Little Known Facts About Arctic Foxes.
 

Officially called the arctic fox, this animal also has several nicknames such as white fox, polar fox, or snow fox.
 

Living in extremely cold regions, the arctic fox has a unique system of heat exchange that will not let it start shivering until the temperature drops to an astounding −70 °C (−94 °F).
 

People usually think arctic foxes are just white, but in summer when the snow melts away, their fur turns dark to blend in with the environment.
 
Their ability to change colors can be even more advanced – studies have shown that arctic foxes living in areas where the snow is not purely white, produce fur of the same, grayish color as the snow.
 
Arctic foxes live in underground dens which can be centuries old, used by numerous generations of foxes. These tunnel systems are often very large, covering as many as 1,000 sq. miles (1,200 sq yd) and having up to 150 entrances.
 
The young have to grow up and build fat reserves very fast because summer is short in the polar region. Unfortunately, many cubs fail to do that and the first winter is often fatal for them.
 
Arctic foxes are omnivorous, eating almost anything they can find – from rodents, birds or fish to berries, seaweed and carcasses left by larger predators. In case of extreme scarcity, they have been even known to eat their own feces.
 
When hunting, the arctic fox has to break through thick layers of snow. In order to do that, she jumps high in the air and dives headfirst into snow.
 
When food is not available, the arctic fox is able to reduce its metabolic rate by half while remaining still active, thereby saving energy.
 
The Arctic fox is usually hunted by polar bears, but in Canada, there was a recorded case of a strong friendship between these two animals. They played together, and the giant bear even shared his food with his little fox friend.
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