English Name:

-Ice-Fox
-2 color Mutants, one called Blue fox / Polish blue, the other white fox

other Names

German:
-Eisfuchs (Blaufuchs, Arktischer Fuchs, Steinfuchs)
-2 color Mutants called Blaufuchs and Weißfuchs
Russian:
-[Pesetz] (sorry, I know how to write russian, but I do'nt've a russian font so I'd to write the spelling.)
-Krestovatiki, Nedopesiki
France:
-Renard arctique

Group

-

Lathin Name:

-Alopex lagopus

-Alopex lagopus lagopus

appearance:

-length without tail: 46,5 - 73 cm
-tail-length: 25 - 52 cm
-weight: 2 - 8m8 Kg (haviest in december)'
-lagopus is the only fox which ear-tips are rounded
-Whelps: weight at birth: 60-85 g and a body length (excluding the tail) of 11-13 cm (tail only: 4,2-6,0 cm)
-winterpelt: white(White Fox, a cream-colored shade is possible) or blue(Blue Fox, from sand-yellow, gray, bright coffee-brown to a dark ash-gray with a blue shade, bright- or dark cinnamon-colored with a glimmer of silver because of white leading-hair-tips, same color on whole body)
-summerpelt: neck and back smoke-gray with fox-reddish tones flanks a brighter peritoneum(belyfur) more white legs and brines brownish gray tail on top brownish buttom in pale redfoxlike shades head brownish gray like ear-outsides ear-insides white
-dark stripes across back and shoulders in summer if it's a cross-fox (no cross-foxes from Blue Foxes)
-cubs are cross-foxes when leaving the den
-whinterfur double lenght of summerfur (45.8 mm leading-hair, 37.9 mm wool) also thicker
-wool estimates 97% of haires (very fluffy and warm)

Geographic Range:

-Palearctic, Nearctic: treeless tundra extending through the arctic regions of Eurasia, North America, Greenland, and Iceland.
-Summer: treeless tundra of: Eurasia, Greenland, North America and polar, arctic isles (including Iceland and the Aleuts)
-Winter: from tree-tundra at south to icefields of the Polar-see
-(2/3 of the population are traveling when the winter comes)

Habitat:

-mainly in arctic and alpine tundra, usually in coastal areas. arctic isles, on free Ice

Behaviour:

Activity: Day,- twilightactive.
- communal and nomadic life, often small bands to scavenge the countryside for food. do not hibernate construct homes called dens,often in cliffs at least 1.6 km apart family social group This group consists of 1 adult male,the litter and two vixens--1 of the vixens a (nonbreeding) animal born the prev. year that stays to help care for the next litter. generally makes its den in a low mound 1-4 meters high in the open tundra, or in a pile of rocks at the base of a cliff. 4-8 entrances and a system of tunnels covering about 30 m^2. Some have been used for centuries by generations of foxes.
-monogamous, usually mate for life.(eyceptionionally polygam or polyandrit)
-The male parent stays with the cubs, helping to feed them. He mates a few weeks after the first litter is born.
-traveling up to 2000 Km to reach their "summer-habitat", following the polar-bears
-a "few" non-traveling animals existing too
-if they killed a goose they are cariing it on theirself
-every 4-6 years there are mass-travelings (f.a. on Nawaja Semlja) where hundrets of ice-foxes are traveling together
-OFTEN barking or growling

Reproduction

-mating mainly: March.-Jul. (Feb.-May.) (longer if less food availiable)
-births Apr.-Jun. for the first litter,(Apr.-Jun.) and Jul./Aug. for the second litter.
-average gestation period 49-57days. normal: 52 (51-52)
-number of young per litter varies with availability of food(esp.lemmings) usual litter size: 5-12 (max known 25)(1-22 Ø3-5)
*if less food is aviable they may die inside the mothers body for that the mother survive and the others have a chance for being born (only 3-5)
*after 1 or two years with a big litter size the litter of this vixen shrinks rapidly or there may be no birth. (causes "problems" in fur-farms)
-weaned at about 2-4 weeks (up to 2,5 month, but eat nearly only solid food after 1,5 month)
-first time seen outside: 3-4 weeks( June/July)
-emerge from the den.(8-10) (august-october, varies with availiability of food)(dog foxes a bit earlier)
-reach sexual maturity in <10 months (1-2 years)
-life span 6-10 years (in human care up to 20 years)

Food Habits:

-after the 9.-18.day the cubs are able to eat solid food (as soon as they open their eyes)
-eating practically any animal, alive or dead. prefers small mammals insects, berries, carrion, stool of animals or human beings.
-winter(>Dec): marine mammals, invertebrates, sea birds, fish, and seals. more inland and in the
-changes the fur in Feb-Jun(losing winter-fur) Apr-Aug(getting new summer-fur) and Aug-Sep(loosing summer-fur) Oct-Dec(getting winter-fur)
-Ice-foxes in Greenland are allways white (short summer)
-summer: lemmings During the summer months:
-mainly: geese
-125 different animals and 25 plants proved
-collects food and carries it to its dens, where it is stored under stones for later use.

Specialities :

-more sociable, exspecially at foodabundant places. only timewise or in Foodabundant Areas ortstreu.

others :

-Fur has the highest quality in Dec-Feb (very long and dense)
-fur-quaity is influenced by low temperatures and a high humidity during the moult in October and good food in fall but not in summer
-Blue fox has the most expensive pelt
-blue color is dominant
-In summer there may be cross-foxes apearing >>see Vulpes vulpes

Links

The Arctic Fox by Arctic Circle.

The Arctic Fox by ADF&G Wildlife

The Arctic Fox by the Animal Diversity WEB by University of Michigan.

Alpex lagopus - The University of Michigan - Museum of Zoology - Animal Diversity Web.