Mammals Archives - Page 16 of 22

The arctic fox (Vulpes Lagopus), also called snow fox, is a carnivore that belongs to the same family as wolves and domestic dogs. The animal lives in the arctic region hence the name Arctic fox. So because of its habitat, this animal can live in extreme climates. While you can spot it in some areas, it can rarely be seen in others. For this reason, some people have categorized it under endangered species. But contrary to what people believe, the IUCN rates this animal as "least concern," meaning it is not among endangered species. But in some areas, arctic foxes are in small populations and face the impact of climate change like loss of habitat and attacks from predators. Today, we look at the population size of this animal and whether it's endangered. Read on to learn more. Is the Arctic Fox Endangered? According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), arctic foxes are "least concern." Therefore, they are not endangered. Before IUCN classifies an animal species, they first analyze its population and evaluate whether it is threatened or not. So generally, the arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) is not considered endangered. Most places that have this animal have it in abundance. Arctic foxes in islands and high altitudes are safe as their habitat is least affected by climate changes. But, arctic foxes in other areas like Fennoscandia are in danger. These animals are considered critically endangered, endangered, and extinct in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. But there are some efforts to try and revive them in Finland. In fact, some arctic foxes have been spotted in the country for the first time since 1996 in the mountain areas. But note that these weren't bred in Finland. Arctic Worldwide Population According to the World Wildlife Fund, there are thousands of arctic foxes in different parts of the world. The number is said to range from 330,000 and 930,000, and most of the population is in Canada and Alaska. Fennoscandia has the lowest rate of the rest of the world. Sweden only had only 30 arctic foxes in 1980. But now, the numbers have increased thanks to conservation efforts. However, the arctic foxes population has been falling in recent years. Even places with high numbers of these animals, like Iceland, have experienced a significant reduction since 2010. The common types of arctic foxes are the white morph and rare blue morphs, mainly found in the coastal regions. The white morph arctic fox is the highest in number, occupying approximately 99% of all available arctic foxes. In the Kola Peninsula, arctic foxes occupy an intermediate position, connecting with the foxes on the Scandinavian Peninsula and other areas in eastern Russia. Factors Contributing to Arctic Foxes Endangerment The main reason why arctic foxes are endangered is because of climate change. This contributes to habitat loss, increased predators, and melting sea ice. Let's discuss these factors in-depth. Loss of Habitat Habitat loss is the primary impact of climate change on arctic foxes. When temperatures get warm, new plants grow and thrive in the tundra where these animals live. Note that arctic foxes move to this region since their habitats are turned into forests, making them unsuitable for them. Lack of Prey Abundance Arctic foxes found inland mostly feed on voles, lemmings, and other small rodents. But those found in coastal areas feed on marine invertebrates like fish and sea birds. They also eat bird eggs, insects, and amphibians. However, recently there has been a reduction in the animals they prey on. For instance, the lemmings' population has never been stable, and because of the fluctuations, arctic foxes don't get a reliable food supply. The shortage has forced them to adapt to the changing reproduction cycle of lemmings. Therefore, more arctic foxes can be spotted when their cycle is at its peak. Sadly, this is rarely the case as peak lemmings haven't been that many. The situation has been worse in some areas like the Norwegian alpine, which is said to be due to climate change, and it's also predicted to affect other regions. Instead of hibernating, lemmings cover themselves with snow burrows during the cold season. Since arctic foxes also don't hibernate in winter, they hunt and catch lemmings and other food sources like the carcasses that polar bears leave behind. However, the snow burrows tend to collapse, and ice crust forms during mild weather. It makes the food sources inaccessible, which also affects the rodent's peak cycle. Less prey means fewer inland arctic foxes. Vulnerability to Predators Since arctic foxes live in arctic islands, they've adapted to the harsh weather conditions of this place. During extreme weather, their fur will change to help them thrive in their surroundings. In summer, when the sun is extremely hot, their fur changes to brown/gray to blend with the rocky surroundings, while in winter, the animals will have a white coat to camouflage against the snow. Plus, as they have a smaller body, it minimizes the surface area exposed to the cold. Additionally, their short legs and ears help them retain heat. However, this changing weather pattern and coat can cause predators to spot them easily. Thus, they will attack and prey on them, reducing their population. The main threat is the presence of the red fox that kills them and their kits. Some places like Finland have various programs intended to reduce the number of red foxes in arctic foxes' territory. Other predators include golden eagles, wolves, wolverines, and ears. Melting Sea Ice Usually, arctic foxes don't migrate during winter. Instead, they take short trips to the nearby sea ice to look for carcasses left by polar bears. However, when the sea levels start melting, polar bears become fewer, which means arctic foxes will have less food. Even for the arctic foxes that migrate, melting ice is still a problem. These animals depend on moving ice to transport from one place to another, looking for food. But melting ice makes movement harder, thus reducing the animals' accessibility to the areas that have food. But it can also be a good thing as the melting ice hinders red foxes from traveling to where the arctic foxes are. Thus, they can't prey on them. What Other Threats Do They Face? Aside from climate change, several other things also endanger the survival of the arctic fox. For instance, many people hunted this animal for the fur trade since their thick fur has a high-quality pelt. There are still people, especially the native populations, that stay close to them, hunting them for their fur. As a result, it has dramatically affected the population of this animal. But we should mention that the fur trade has significantly decreased, which means the animals are not being overexploited as before. Additionally, arctic foxes bred in captivity are affected by disease and genetic pollution. In southwest Norway, arctic foxes breed with escaped farm foxes. This is a problem since arctic foxes have a breeding cycle that matches peak cycles of lemmings, enabling them to survive. But researchers also think that outbreeding these animals with farm foxes can affect them negatively. It can cause a loss of alignment, which threatens the genetic pollution of the species. The best action against this is controversial as it will mean culling arctic foxes bred from farm foxes. Also, the shaggy lame syndrome in Pribilof Islands is a major threat to arctic foxes in this region. Are Arctic Foxes Important? The better question would be, should we worry about arctic foxes' endangerment? And the answer is an absolute yes. Arctic foxes, like other animals, are important to the ecosystem. As they feed on small mammals like lemmings, they help control their population. Note that lemmings can be as many as 3000 lemmings/100,000 square miles during peak cycles. However, they can be about one lemming/100,000 square miles at other times. Since lemmings are arctic foxes' main prey, these animals help control their high numbers. Additionally, arctic foxes also help increase the soil nutrients. Several studies concluded that the soil around arctic foxes' dens had more nutrients, which enhanced the plant's growth in these areas. Can We Help Save the Arctic Fox? Several actions are being taken to save arctic foxes from extinction, and we can all contribute towards this step. For instance, Fennoscandia areas have introduced red fox hunting, supplementary feeding, and captivating breeding programs to help save these animals. Let's discuss these programs in-depth. #1. Red Fox Hunting Red foxes are a major threat to arctic foxes. If there are many in number, it means higher threats to the arctic fox. Finland and Sweden have a program known as Save the Endangered Fennoscandian Alopex that was started in 2000. Through this program, rangers were granted permission by the national authorities to hunt and curl red foxes during winter. #2. Supplementary Feeding Red fox (Vulpes Vulpes ) hunting goes hand in hand with supplementary feeding. This program involves providing arctic foxes in dens with commercial dog food to address food scarcity. Arctic foxes were reported to increase in numbers in areas that practiced this. But also a huge contributor was the abundance of lemmings during the conservation period. #3. Captive Breeding Programs These programs have been designed to boost the number of wild arctic foxes. In the early 2000s, 385 pups were introduced during the breeding season to wild arctic foxes in the first half of this decade. They were introduced in the late winter into artificially made dens and have helped increase the population of arctic foxes in North America and other parts of the world. However, note that the above are only short-term solutions. The best way to ensure that arctic foxes don't become extinct is to stop climate change that causes rising temperature levels. This way, the red foxes won't attack the arctic foxes in their territories, and the lemmings will continue to have peak reproductive cycles. When predators aren't attacking and have plenty of food, arctic foxes can survive. Also, see: Foxes of North America - Krebs Creek