Diet
The arctic fox is an opportunistic eater. It will eat just about whatever it comes across. It eats small mammals like lemmings, voles, and ground squirrels; birds; insects; eggs; berries and carrion. In fact, in the winter it often follows polar bears and wolves and eats their leftover kill. If food is really scarce, it will eat the feces of other animals. In the summer the arctic fox will carry extra food to its den and store it under rocks to eat later. The arctic fox sometimes even makes its own freezer by digging a hole in the permafrost and storing its food there. A major source of food for the arctic fox is the lemming. In fact, the arctic fox population often peaks every four years in a cycle that follows lemming population changes.
Life Cycle
The arctic fox mates between February and June. The female builds a new den and gives birth to between six to twelve dark furred kits. Both the female and the male will take care of the young kits. The male will guard the den and bring food to the den for the mother and the kits. The kits are weaned when they are between two to four weeks old and then they will start to leave the den.
Behavior
The arctic fox is
nomadic, it moves from place to place looking for food. In the summer they live in family groups made up of a male, one or two females and the kits. The second female is a leftover kit from the year before, she doesn't breed. She helps care for the young.
Image Credits: Clipart.com unless otherwise noted
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