The Arctic fox thrives in the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It adapts to harsh conditions, including temperatures as low as -50°C, allowing it to survive where other animals struggle. Its diet and methods for acquiring food are central to its continued existence in this challenging landscape. This small predator’s survival hinges on its diverse feeding habits and strategies to find sustenance throughout the year.
Primary Prey
The Arctic fox’s primary diet consists of small mammals, particularly lemmings and tundra voles. Where lemmings are abundant, they form a significant portion of the fox’s food intake, with a single family potentially consuming dozens daily during peak seasons. These small rodents are a reliable food source in inland tundra habitats.
Arctic foxes also prey on ground-nesting birds and their eggs, particularly near rocky coastal cliffs. Avian prey includes auklets, puffins, murres, and waterfowl like geese. Bird eggs are consumed throughout the year and provide an important energy source.
Seasonal Adaptations and Opportunistic Diet
The Arctic fox adapts its diet to the seasonal availability of prey. During the summer, when small mammals and ground-nesting birds are accessible, these form the bulk of their intake. As winter approaches and terrestrial prey becomes scarce, their diet shifts to include marine resources.
Foxes venture onto sea ice to scavenge on the remains of seals killed by larger predators like polar bears. This opportunistic scavenging is a survival strategy during leaner times, with a single polar bear kill potentially sustaining a fox for several days. Their diet also includes fish, marine invertebrates, and berries and insects when other food sources are limited.
Hunting Techniques and Food Caching
Arctic foxes employ various techniques to secure their meals, showcasing their adaptability. They use acute hearing to detect small prey, such as lemmings, moving beneath layers of snow. Once prey is located, the fox uses a “snow diving” or “mousing” technique, leaping into the air and plunging headfirst into the snow to capture its target.
Beyond active hunting, Arctic foxes are also scavengers. They often follow larger predators, including wolves and polar bears, to feed on their leftovers. This behavior provides access to larger carcasses they could not acquire on their own. When food is plentiful, Arctic foxes cache excess food by burying it among boulders or in their dens for later use. This “larder hoarding” behavior, where multiple prey items are stored in one location, is a strategy for surviving periods of food scarcity.