Both parents of Artic fox take care of their blind pups


There are more kinds of fox and I choose the Artic fox to discuss here. The arctic fox lives farther north than any other fox. They are known as the white fox, polar fox or snow fox. They are well adapted for the cold harsh weather of the artic. This kind of fox has a low surface area to volume ratio as evidenced by its generally rounded body shape, short legs and thick ears. In winter time its thick, bushy coat turns white. This makes it very hard to see the fox. Their thick hair on the pads of their feet protects their feet from freezing and helps them to walk on the ice.

The artic fox can be either gra-blue or white. The blue coloration is not as common as the white. Artic fox feed primarily on small mammals, including lemmings and tundra voles. Artic fox are scavengers and will eat almost anything including what polar bears have left behind when they have feasted. Artic fox also bury their food for later when their is plenty. How do artic fox catch their prey? Fox walk along on top of the snow listening for the small creatures under the snow, when they hear one they jump up and down to break through the snow with their front pawns. Once the snow is broken they can grab their prey. The fox is different from other animals. Both parents take care of their blind pups. Within two weeks the blind pups open their eyes and after three weeks they go outside and begin to explore. To feed a litter of ten, the parents must kill about thirty lemmings a day. The young foxes are taught how to hunt and are independent by fall. The average length of the fox is 85.3 cm with a range of 83 to 110 cm for male and for female 82.1 cm with a range of 71.3 to 85 cm. The tail is 31 cm long in the male and 30 cm long in the female.

0 comments: