Arctic Fox: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Wolves and Foxes · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. An Arctic fox can smell a polar-bear carcass from up to 40 km away.
2. Its nose can even find frozen lemmings buried under 46 to 77 cm of snow.
3. Even on frozen ground, its paws stay above freezing, thanks to a heat-saving blood flow system in the foot pads.
4. In the cold months its winter coat grows twice as long as its summer coat.
5. One Arctic fox litter can hold up to 25 pups. No other carnivore has bigger litters.

The quiz

1. From how far can an Arctic fox smell a polar-bear carcass?

• Up to 4 km
• Up to 40 km (correct)
• Up to 400 km
• Up to 400 m

It can locate a polar-bear carcass from up to 40 km away.

2. What can its nose find under the snow?

• Buried bones of whales
• Frozen berries only
• Sleeping owls
• Frozen lemmings (correct)

Its nose can find frozen lemmings under 46 to 77 cm of snow.

3. What keeps its paws above freezing on ice?

• A heat-saving blood flow system in the foot pads (correct)
• Thick boots of fat
• Walking only on rocks
• A layer of snow glued to the feet

Blood flow in the foot pads works as a heat-saving system.

4. How long is the winter coat compared to the summer coat?

• Half as long
• The same length
• Twice as long (correct)
• Ten times as long

In winter its coat grows twice as long as in summer.

5. How many pups can one litter hold, at most?

• Five
• Twenty-five (correct)
• Eight
• Twelve

Litters can reach as many as twenty-five pups.

More about the Arctic Fox

Same week

All lessons

Nature documentaries