A well adapted predator, the arctic fox has a gray, or blue coat in the summer and a thick, warm white coat in the winter. Its foot pads are also densely furred so that the animal can travel on the snow and ice hunting for prey. The arctic fox feeds on lemmings, voles, squirrels, birds, bird eggs, berries, fish and carrion. In the winter the fox will follow polar bears hoping to eat the bear’s leftovers. The arctic fox has to be very sly or it will become the polar bear’s lunch! Luckily its white coat makes it hard for the polar bear to spot. The arctic fox burrows into the ground or snow for protection from the arctic cold. It will create a store of food over the summer months and freeze it in the permafrost. Pups are born in dens every spring. The female fox has a litter of 6-12 and the family will stay together through the summer. The male fox brings food for the family and guards the den.
