Alaska’s vast wilderness is home to foxes that are an integral part of its diverse northern ecosystems. These canids navigate habitats ranging from frozen coastlines to dense interior forests, demonstrating remarkable adaptability. Their presence influences local prey populations and participates in the natural cycles of the food web. The state supports two primary fox species, each exhibiting specialized traits that allow them to thrive in separate, yet sometimes overlapping, territories.
Identifying Alaska’s Two Main Fox Species
The two main species of fox found across Alaska are the Arctic Fox and the Red Fox, distinguishable primarily by size and coat morphology. The Arctic Fox, Vulpes lagopus, is the smaller of the two, typically weighing between six and ten pounds with a compact, rounded body shape. Its physical features—including a short muzzle, short legs, and small, rounded ears—are adaptations that minimize surface area exposure to the intense cold.
The most dramatic characteristic of the Arctic Fox is its seasonal color phase change, a natural camouflage that occurs twice a year. The “white” phase is common in northern populations, featuring a thick white coat in winter that is shed for a thinner, brown or gray coat in the summer. A less common “blue” phase, often found on the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands, retains a dark charcoal color year-round, only becoming slightly lighter in the winter.
In contrast, the Red Fox, Vulpes vulpes, is the larger species, weighing between six and fifteen pounds and possessing a more slender frame. This species is recognized across all its color variations by a signature white tip on its bushy tail. While the classic reddish-orange coat is the most prevalent, the species also exhibits several color morphs known as phases, which can occur even within the same litter.
These variations include the “cross” phase, which has a dark band of fur across the shoulders and down the back, creating a cross-like pattern. The “silver” and “black” phases are darker morphs, with the silver phase often displaying guard hairs tipped with white, giving the fur a frosted appearance.
Geographic Distribution and Habitat
The Red Fox occupies the widest range of any fox in Alaska, thriving in the boreal forests of the Interior, mountainous regions, and even near human settlements like Anchorage and Fairbanks. Its adaptability allows it to inhabit varied environments, from broken country and lowland marshes to the edges of the Arctic tundra. This species is most abundant south of the Arctic Circle but has expanded its territory northward in recent years.
The Arctic Fox, however, is strongly tied to the high-latitude, treeless environment of the Arctic tundra. This species is found along the northern coast, on islands in the Bering Sea, and throughout the North Slope. Its survival is intrinsically linked to these coastal and marine environments, where it often ventures onto sea ice during winter to hunt or scavenge.
The distribution of the two species can overlap where the northern forests meet the tundra, but the Red Fox is typically the dominant competitor. The Arctic Fox relies on open, snow-covered plains in winter and utilizes complex burrows dug into low mounds of the tundra for den sites. Red Foxes utilize a variety of den sites, including burrows dug into the soil in forests, on slopes, or in flat terrain, reflecting their less specialized habitat needs.
Specialized Survival and Hunting Strategies
The Arctic Fox possesses one of the highest insulation values of any mammal. This small canid maintains a low surface-area-to-volume ratio, with its compact body shape and thick fur minimizing heat loss from its extremities. The species also employs a physiological defense against the intense cold through a countercurrent heat exchange system in its paws.
This circulatory system allows warm arterial blood flowing toward the paws to warm the colder venous blood returning to the body core, preventing excessive heat loss while keeping the paws just above freezing. The Arctic Fox’s diet relies heavily on small, cyclical prey like lemmings and voles, but it is also an opportunistic feeder. It follows larger predators, such as polar bears, to scavenge marine mammal kills, and it caches excess food under rocks or in permafrost for later consumption.
The Red Fox, while also insulated, employs more behavioral strategies for hunting in deep snow, most famously the “mousing” pounce. This technique involves the fox listening intently for the movement of rodents beneath the snow, then leaping high into the air to plunge its front paws and head down to capture the unseen prey. This specialized hunting action is key to accessing its primary food source of small mammals, including voles, mice, and hares.
The Red Fox has a broader, more omnivorous diet than its Arctic counterpart. Beyond small mammals, its diet includes bird eggs, berries, and other plant matter, particularly during the summer and fall months. This generalist approach to feeding contributes significantly to its ability to inhabit a much wider range of environments across the Alaskan landscape.