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Eleven Reasons Arctic Foxes Are the Coolest
While researching Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth, I discovered countless fascinating animals, but arctic foxes have always been particularly special to me. Part of the reason is personal: I spent six years studying these foxes, along with wolves, during my PhD research. The other reason is much simpler—arctic foxes are truly remarkable animals. Here are some of the things that make them so impressive.
Adrian Knox
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While researching Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth, I discovered countless fascinating animals, but arctic foxes have always been particularly special to me. Part of the reason is personal: I spent six years studying these foxes, along with wolves, during my PhD research. The other reason is much simpler—arctic foxes are truly remarkable animals. Here are some of the things that make them so impressive.
1. Built for the Arctic Cold
Just look at that adorable face. Arctic foxes seem almost perfectly aware of how cute they are. Their noses and ears are noticeably shorter and more compact than those of many other fox species. These reduced features are important adaptations that help minimize heat loss and allow the foxes to retain warmth during the extremely cold Arctic winter.
2. Their Feet Are Covered in Fur
Arctic foxes have fur covering their toe pads as well as the spaces between their toes. This extra layer provides protection from freezing snow and ice. In fact, they are the only members of the canine family known to have completely furry feet.
They also have another unusual distinction. Arctic foxes are the only canids that naturally change the color of their coats according to the season.
3. They Sleep Curled Into a Ball
When arctic foxes sleep, they often curl their bodies tightly into a ball. This position minimizes the amount of their body exposed to the freezing air and leaves mostly their thick, furry areas exposed.
In the wild, the difference between the temperature inside a curled-up arctic fox and the surrounding air can reach as much as 52.5 degrees Celsius. Their ability to conserve body heat is therefore extremely impressive.
4. They Can Tolerate Extreme Cold
In one laboratory experiment, an arctic fox was exposed to a temperature of -80 degrees Celsius for one hour. The fox shivered during the test but was still able to maintain its normal internal body temperature.
This demonstrates just how well adapted the species is to severe cold, although it certainly isn't something anyone should attempt to recreate at home.
5. They Use Reindeer Carcasses for Shelter
Arctic foxes have occasionally been observed keeping themselves warm by making openings inside reindeer carcasses and crawling into them. The behavior is remarkably similar to the famous scene involving Luke Skywalker and a Tauntaun, providing the fox with an unusual but effective source of protection from the cold.
6. Lemmings Are a Major Food Source
Across much of the Arctic, lemmings make up a major part of the arctic fox's diet. However, lemming numbers can fluctuate dramatically. About every four years, give or take, their populations may experience a major decline, forcing foxes to search for alternative sources of food.
One strategy is to follow polar bears and take advantage of the remains left behind after the bears finish feeding. This scavenging behavior is fairly common, although it comes with obvious danger. A hungry polar bear may occasionally decide that the fox itself is worth eating.
7. Mothers Adjust Litter Size
Arctic fox mothers have an extraordinary ability to adjust the number of offspring they produce based on the amount of food available. This adjustment takes place before the pups are born.
When lemmings are abundant and food supplies are favorable, a female arctic fox can produce an exceptionally large litter, with as many as 24 pups.
8. They Can Adjust the Sex of Their Offspring
On Mednyi Island, female arctic fox pups normally inherit their mother's territory, while males generally leave and travel elsewhere to establish territories of their own.
Because of this difference, mothers on the island can adjust the proportion of males and females in their litters depending on the quality of their territory and available food. Females living in areas with abundant resources tend to produce more daughters, while mothers in poorer territories tend to have more sons.
This remarkable reproductive flexibility allows the foxes to adapt their offspring to the conditions they are likely to face.
9. Fox Mothers May Share Dens
Research has shown that under certain circumstances, female arctic foxes may share dens. By doing so, multiple adults can help care for the young, providing additional protection and assistance.
A single mother can also produce a litter containing pups from different fathers. Having multiple fathers increases genetic diversity among the offspring, which may be especially beneficial when environmental conditions are unpredictable.
Greater genetic variation increases the possibility that at least one pup will inherit a combination of characteristics that allows it to cope successfully with the environment around it.
10. They Can Travel Incredible Distances
In 2019, researchers tracked an arctic fox that traveled approximately 3,506 kilometers over just 76 days. Before this discovery, the previous known record was about 2,300 kilometers during a single winter.
Covering such a huge distance is remarkable for any animal, but it is even more impressive when you consider the fox's relatively short legs.
This discovery also has a connection to polar research. One of the scientists involved was Eva Fuglei, who had previously collaborated on arctic fox research during the author's graduate studies and later contributed an expert review of the book.
11. Arctic Foxes Create Their Own Gardens
Arctic foxes can actually influence plant growth around their dens. Like beavers and elephants, they are considered ecosystem engineers because their activities modify the environment in ways that benefit or affect numerous other species.
Food remains and fox droppings accumulate around their dens, enriching the surrounding soil and encouraging unusually dense plant growth. These patches of vegetation can become so lush that researchers are sometimes able to identify fox dens from the air.
These naturally created gardens also provide excellent habitat for lemmings. In Polar, for example, a group of young lemmings is shown sleeping beneath one of these productive patches of vegetation.
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