Arctic fox

Arctic fox
a thickly furred, short-eared fox, Alopex lagopus, of the arctic regions, brownish gray in summer and white in winter.
Also, arctic fox. Also called white fox.
[1765-75]

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Northern fox (Alopex lagopus) found throughout the Arctic, usually on tundra or mountains near the sea.

Its short, rounded ears and short muzzle reduce its body area exposed to heat loss, and it has fur-covered soles. It is 20–24 in. (50–60 cm) long (excluding the 12-in., or 30-cm, tail) and weighs 7–17 lbs (3–8 kg). It has two colour phases. Individuals in the white phase are grayish brown in summer and white in winter; those in the blue phase (blue foxes of the fur trade) are grayish in summer and gray-blue in winter. The Arctic fox dwells in burrows and feeds on any available animal or vegetable material.

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mammal
also called  White Fox, or Polar Fox 
 (species Alopex lagopus), northern fox of the family Canidae, found throughout the Arctic, usually on tundra or mountains near the sea. In adaptation to the climate, it has short, rounded ears, a short muzzle, and fur-covered soles. Its length is about 50–60 cm (20–24 inches), exclusive of the 30-centimetre tail; and its weight is about 3–8 kg (6.6–17 pounds). coloration depends on whether the animal is of the “white” or the “blue” colour phase. Individuals of the white phase are grayish brown in summer and white in winter (see photograph—>), while those of the blue phase (blue foxes of the fur trade) are grayish in summer and gray-blue in winter.

      The Arctic fox is a burrow dweller and may be active at any time of day. It feeds on whatever animal or vegetable material is available and often follows polar bears to feed on the remains of their kills. It usually breeds once yearly, a litter of up to 14 dark-furred pups being born between April and June; gestation is about 52 days.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • arctic fox — n. any of a widespread species (Alopex lagopus) of foxes of the Arctic region, having fur almost pure white in winter and smoky gray in summer: see BLUE FOX …   English World dictionary

  • Arctic fox — For other uses, see Arctic fox (disambiguation). Arctic fox[1] Conservation status …   Wikipedia

  • Arctic Fox — Taxobox name = Arctic FoxMSW3 Wozencraft | pages = |id=14000873 ] status = LC status system = iucn2.3 status ref = IUCN2007 | assessors = Angerbjörn, A., Hersteinsson , P. Tannerfeldt, M. | year = 2004 | title = Alopex lagopus | id = 899 |… …   Wikipedia

  • Arctic fox — poliarinė lapė statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Alopex lagopus angl. Arctic fox; blue fox; polar fox; white fox vok. Blaufuchs; Eisfuchs; Polarfuchs; Steinfuchs; Weißfuchs rus. обыкновенный песец;… …   Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

  • arctic fox — noun Alopex lagopus, a fox like carnivore of the family Canidae living in the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia. Syn: polar fox, snow fox, white fox See Also: blue fox …   Wiktionary

  • Arctic fox — noun thickly furred fox of Arctic regions; brownish in summer and white in winter • Syn: ↑white fox, ↑Alopex lagopus • Hypernyms: ↑fox • Hyponyms: ↑blue fox • Member Holonyms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • arctic fox — arc′tic fox′ n. mam a thickly furred short eared fox, Alopex lagopus, of the arctic regions that is brownish gray in summer and white in winter …   From formal English to slang

  • arctic fox — noun Date: 1772 a small migratory Holarctic fox (Alopex lagopus) especially of coastal arctic and alpine tundra …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • arctic fox — /aktɪk ˈfɒks/ (say ahktik foks) noun a small fox, Alopex lagopus, of treeless tundra areas of the Northern Hemisphere, having a long bushy tail and a white coat in winter, except for a small percentage which have a blue coat. See blue fox …  

  • Operation Arctic Fox — Part of Operation Silver Fox …   Wikipedia

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