Arctic Fox

Arctic Fox

Small, round body with thick fur and a cute fluffy tail—everything about an Arctic fox helps it survive its cold, harsh habitat. Even the bottom of its paws have hair to give the fox good traction as it races across icy ground. But for an Arctic fox the tail, also called a "brush," is extra useful, since the fox curls it around the face like a scarf when the frigid winds blow.

An Arctic fox’s fur changes colors with the seasons of the year. In winter, it is white so that it blends in with the snow. During the spring, the fox sheds its winter coat, revealing gray fur underneath. Some Arctic foxes have coats that are always very pale, while others that live along rocky shorelines might have more brown in their summer coat.  

Arctic foxes have a great sense of smell and excellent hearing. Their small, pointy ears can hear their prey moving around in underground tunnels. When an Arctic fox hears its next meal scurrying under the snow, it leaps into the air and pounces, breaking through the layer of snow right onto the prey underneath.

Area: 

 Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, northern Europe, and Russia

Habitat: 

 Tundra

Food:  

Lemmings, voles, squirrels, small birds, eggs, berries, and fish

Size:  

18- to 26-inch long body; tail is about 13 inches long

Babies:  

A litter of 6 to 12 pups are born in a den.

(source:googe/http://adminkids.sandiegozoo.org)