Arctic fox - wikipedia Arctic fox For other uses, see Arctic fox ( disambiguation ). Arctic fox Conservation status Least Concern ( IUCN 3.1 ) Scientific classification Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata Class : Mammalia Order : Carnivora Suborder : Caniformia Family : Canidae Genus : Vulpes Species : V. lagopus Binomial name Vulpes lagopus Linnaeus, 1758 Arctic fox range Synonyms Alopex lagopus Linnaeus, 1758 Canis lagopus Linnaeus, 1758 Canis fuliginosus Bechstein, 1799 Canis groenlandicus Bechstein, 1799 Vulpes arctica Oken, 1816 Vulpes hallensis Merriam, 1900 Vulpes pribilofensis Merriam, 1903 Vulpes beringensis Merriam, 1903 The Arctic fox ( Vulpes lagopus ), also known as the white fox, polar fox, or snow fox, is a small fox native to the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and common throughout the Arctic tundra biome. It is well adapted to living in cold environments. It has a deep thick fur which is brown in summer and white in winter. Its body length ranges from 46 to 68 cm ( 18 to 27 in ), with a generally rounded body shape to minimize the escape of body heat. The Arctic fox preys on any small creatures such as : lemmings, voles, ringed seal pups, fish, waterfowl, and seabirds. It also eats carrion, berries, seaweed, and insects and other small invertebrates. Arctic foxes form monogamous pairs during the breeding season and they stay together to raise their young in complex underground dens. Occasionally, other family members may assist in raising their young. Contents 1 Adaptations 2 Reproduction 3 Diet 4 Size 5 Taxonomy 5.1 Subspecies 6 Distribution and habitat 7 Conservation status 8 See also 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External links Adaptations Arctic fox sleeping with its tail wrapped around itself The Arctic fox lives in some of the most frigid extremes on the planet but does not start to shiver until the temperature drops to − 70 ° C ( − 94 ° F ). Among its adaptations for survival in the cold is its dense, multilayered pelage, which provides excellent insulation, a system of countercurrent heat exchange in the circulation within the paws to retain core temperature, and a good supply of body fat. The fox has a low surface area to volume ratio, as evidenced by its generally compact body shape, short muzzle and legs, and short, thick ears. Since less of its surface area is exposed to the Arctic cold, less heat escapes from its body. Its paws have fur on the soles for additional insulation and to help it walk on ice. Its fur changes color with the seasons : in most populations it is white in the winter to blend in with snow, while in the summer it is greyish - brown or darker brown. In some populations, however, it is a steely bluish - gray in the winter and a paler bluish - gray in summer. The fur of the Arctic fox provides the best insulation of any mammal. The Arctic fox has such keen hearing, it can determine exactly where a small animal is moving under the snow. When it has located its prey, it pounces and punches through the snow to catch its victim. Reproduction Arctic foxes do not hibernate and are active all year round. They build up their fat reserves in the autumn, sometimes increasing their body weight by more than 50 %. This provides greater insulation during the winter and a source of energy when food is scarce. They live in large dens in frost - free, slightly raised ground. These are complex systems of tunnels covering as much as 1,000 m ( 1,200 sq yd ) and are often in eskers, long ridges of sedimentary material deposited in formerly glaciated regions. They have multiple entrances and may have been in existence for many decades and used by many generations of foxes. Arctic foxes tend to form monogamous pairs in the breeding season and maintain a territory around the den. Breeding usually takes place in April and May, and the gestation period is about 52 days. Litters tend to average five to eight kits, but exceptionally contain as many as 25 ( the largest litter size in the order Carnivora ). Both the mother and father help to raise the young which emerge from the den when 3 to 4 weeks old and are weaned by 9 weeks of age. Diet Arctic foxes generally eat any small animal they can find, including lemmings, voles, other rodents, hares, birds, eggs, fish, and carrion. They scavenge on carcasses left by larger predators such as wolves and polar bears, and in times of scarcity even eat their feces. In areas where they are present, lemmings are their most common prey, and a family of foxes can eat dozens of lemmings each day. In some locations in northern Canada, a high seasonal abundance of migrating birds that breed in the area may provide an important food source. On the coast of Iceland and other islands, their diet consists predominantly of birds. During April and May, the Arctic fox also preys on ringed seal pups when the young animals are confined to a snow den and are relatively helpless. They also consume berries and seaweed, so they may be considered omnivores. This fox is a significant bird - egg predator, consuming eggs of all except the largest tundra bird species. When food is overabundant, the Arctic fox buries ( caches ) the surplus as a reserve. Size The average head - and - body length of the male is 55 cm ( 22 in ), with a range of 46 to 68 cm ( 18 to 27 in ), while the female averages 52 cm ( 20 in ) with a range of 41 to 55 cm ( 16 to 22 in ). In some regions, no difference in size is seen between males and females. The tail is about 30 cm ( 12 in ) long in both sexes. The height at the shoulder is 25 to 30 cm ( 9.8 to 11.8 in ). On average males weigh 3.5 kg ( 7.7 lb ), with a range of 3.2 to 9.4 kg ( 7.1 to 20.7 lb ), while females average 2.9 kg ( 6.4 lb ), with a range of 1.4 to 3.2 kg ( 3.1 to 7.1 lb ). Taxonomy Vulpes lagopus is a ' true fox ' belonging to the genus Vulpes of the fox tribe Vulpini. It is classified under the subfamily Caninae of the canid family Canidae. Although it has previously been assigned to its own monotypic genus Alopex, recent genetic evidence now places it in the genus Vulpes along with the majority of other foxes. Arctic fox Kit fox Swift fox Corsac fox Rüppell 's fox Red fox Cape fox Blanford 's fox Fennec fox Raccoon dog Bat - eared fox It was originally described by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae in 1758 as Canis lagopus. The type specimen was recovered from Lapland, Sweden. The generic name vulpes is Latin for `` fox ''. The specific name lagopus is derived from Ancient Greek λαγώς ( lagōs, `` hare '' ) and πούς ( pous, `` foot '' ), referring to the hair on its feet similar to those found in cold - climate species of hares. Subspecies Besides the nominate subspecies, V. l. lagopus, four other subspecies of this fox are described : Bering Islands Arctic fox, V. l. beringensis Iceland Arctic fox, V. l. fuliginosus Pribilof Islands Arctic fox, V. l. pribilofensis Greenland Arctic fox, V. l. foragorapusis Distribution and habitat The Arctic fox 's seasonal furs, summer ( top ), `` blue '' ( middle ), and winter ( bottom ) The Arctic fox has a circumpolar distribution and occurs in Arctic tundra habitats in northern Europe, northern Asia, and North America. Its range includes Greenland, Iceland, Fennoscandia, Svalbard, Jan Mayen and other islands in the Barents Sea, northern Russia, islands in the Bering Sea, Alaska, and Canada as far south as Hudson Bay. In the late 19th century, it was introduced into the Aleutian Islands southwest of Alaska. It mostly inhabits tundra and pack ice, but is also present in boreal forests in Canada and the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. They are found at elevations up to 3,000 m ( 9,800 ft ) above sea level and have been seen on sea ice close to the North Pole. The Arctic fox is the only land mammal native to Iceland. It came to the isolated North Atlantic island at the end of the last ice age, walking over the frozen sea. The Arctic Fox Center in Súðavík contains an exhibition on the Arctic fox and conducts studies on the influence of tourism on the population. Its range during the last ice age was much more extensive than it is now, and fossil remains of the Arctic fox have been found over much of northern Europe and Siberia. Arctic fox in winter pelage, Iceland Arctic fox Conservation status Skull The conservation status of the species is in general good and several hundred thousand individuals are estimated to remain in total. The IUCN has assessed it as being of `` least concern ''. However, the Scandinavian mainland population is acutely endangered, despite being legally protected from hunting and persecution for several decades. The estimate of the adult population in all of Norway, Sweden, and Finland is fewer than 200 individuals. As a result, the populations of arctic fox have been carefully studied and inventoried in places such as the Vindelfjällens Nature Reserve ( Sweden ), which has the arctic fox as its symbol. The abundance of the Arctic fox tends to fluctuate in a cycle along with the population of lemmings and voles ( a 3 - to 4 - year cycle ). The populations are especially vulnerable during the years when the prey population crashes, and uncontrolled trapping has almost eradicated two subpopulations. The pelts of Arctic foxes with a slate - blue coloration -- an expression of a recessive gene -- were especially valuable. They were transported to various previously fox - free Aleutian Islands during the 1920s. The program was successful in terms of increasing the population of blue foxes, but their predation of Aleutian Canada geese conflicted with the goal of preserving that species. The Arctic fox is losing ground to the larger red fox. This has been attributed to climate change -- the camouflage value of its lighter coat decreases with less snow cover. Red foxes dominate where their ranges begin to overlap by killing Arctic foxes and their kits. An alternate explanation of the red fox 's gains involves the gray wolf. Historically, it has kept red fox numbers down, but as the wolf has been hunted to near extinction in much of its former range, the red fox population has grown larger, and it has taken over the niche of top predator. In areas of northern Europe, programs are in place that allow the hunting of red foxes in the Arctic fox 's previous range. As with many other game species, the best sources of historical and large - scale population data are hunting bag records and questionnaires. Several potential sources of error occur in such data collections. In addition, numbers vary widely between years due to the large population fluctuations. However, the total population of the Arctic fox must be in the order of several hundred thousand animals. The world population of Arctic foxes is thus not endangered, but two Arctic fox subpopulations are. One is on Medny Island ( Commander Islands, Russia ), which was reduced by some 85 -- 90 %, to around 90 animals, as a result of mange caused by an ear tick introduced by dogs in the 1970s. The population is currently under treatment with antiparasitic drugs, but the result is still uncertain. The other threatened population is the one in Fennoscandia ( Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Kola Peninsula ). This population decreased drastically around the start of the 20th century as a result of extreme fur prices, which caused severe hunting also during population lows. The population has remained at a low density for more than 90 years, with additional reductions during the last decade. The total population estimate for 1997 is around 60 adults in Sweden, 11 adults in Finland, and 50 in Norway. From Kola, there are indications of a similar situation, suggesting a population of around 20 adults. The Fennoscandian population thus numbers around 140 breeding adults. Even after local lemming peaks, the Arctic fox population tends to collapse back to levels dangerously close to nonviability. The Arctic fox is classed as a `` prohibited new organism '' under New Zealand 's Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, preventing it from being imported into the country. See also Arctic rabies virus References ^ Jump up to : Angerbjörn, A. ; Hersteinsson, P. ; Tannerfeldt, M. 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Jump up ^ Merriam 1902, pp. 171 -- 172. ^ Jump up to : Wozencraft, W.C. ( 2005 ). `` Order Carnivora ''. In Wilson, D.E. ; Reeder, D.M. Mammal Species of the World : A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference ( 3rd ed. ). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 532 -- 628. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8018 - 8221 - 0. OCLC 62265494. ^ Jump up to : Alopex lagopus at the Smithsonian Jump up ^ Claudio Sillero - Zubiri, Michael Hoffmann and David W. Macdonald ( eds. ) ( 2004 ). Canids : Foxes, Wolves, Jackals and Dogs. IUCN / SSC Canid Specialist Group. Jump up ^ `` Adaptations by the arctic fox to the polar winter '' ( PDF ). Arctic, vol. 44 no. 2. Retrieved 2015 - 10 - 08. Jump up ^ Arctic Fox Alopex lagopus Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine... Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador ^ Jump up to : Angerbjörn, A. ; Berteaux, D. ; Ims, R. ( 12 November 2012 ). `` Arctic fox ( Vulpes lagopus ) ''. Arctic report card : Update for 2012. 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Simon & Schuster / Touchstone Books, ISBN 978 - 0 - 671 - 42805 - 1 Jump up ^ Bininda - Emonds, ORP ; JL Gittleman ; A Purvis ( 1999 ). `` Building large trees by combining phylogenetic information : a complete phylogeny of the extant Carnivora ( Mammalia ) ''. Biol. Rev. 74 ( 2 ) : 143 -- 175. CiteSeerX 10.1. 1.328. 7194. doi : 10.1017 / S0006323199005307. PMID 10396181. Retrieved 30 July 2008. Jump up ^ Lindblad - Toh, K. ; Wade, C.M. ; Mikkelsen, T.S. ; Karlsson, E.K. ; Jaffe, D.B. ; Kamal, M. ; Clamp, M. ; Chang, J.L. ; Kulbokas, E.J. ; Zody, M.C. ; Mauceli, E. ; Xie, X. ; Breen, M. ; Wayne, R.K. ; Ostrander, E.A. ; Ponting, C.P. ; Galibert, F. ; Smith, D.R. ; Dejong, P.J. ; Kirkness, E. ; Alvarez, P. ; Biagi, T. ; Brockman, W. ; Butler, J. ; Chin, C.W. ; Cook, A. ; Cuff, J. ; Daly, M.J. ; Decaprio, D. ; et al. ( 2005 ). `` Genome sequence, comparative analysis and haplotype structure of the domestic dog ''. Nature. 438 ( 7069 ) : 803 -- 819. Bibcode : 2005Natur. 438... 803L. doi : 10.1038 / nature04338. PMID 16341006. ^ Jump up to : Audet, Alexander M. ; Robbins, C. Brian ; Larivière, Serge ( 2002 ). `` Alopex lagopus '' ( PDF ). Mammalian Species. 713 ( 713 ) : 1 -- 10. doi : 10.1644 / 1545 - 1410 ( 2002 ) 713 < 0001 : AL > 2.0.CO ; 2. Jump up ^ Larivière, Serge ( 2002 ). `` Vulpes zerda '' ( PDF ). Mammalian Species. 714 ( 714 ) : 1 -- 5. doi : 10.1644 / 1545 - 1410 ( 2002 ) 714 < 0001 : VZ > 2.0.CO ; 2. Jump up ^ George A. Feldhamer ; Bruce C. Thompson ; Joseph A. Chapman ( 2003 ). Wild Mammals of North America : Biology, Management, and Conservation. JHU Press. pp. 511 -- 540. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8018 - 7416 - 1. Jump up ^ `` Wildlife ''. Iceland Worldwide. iww.is. 2000. Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2010. Jump up ^ `` The Arctic Fox Center ''. Retrieved 19 May 2011. Jump up ^ Bolen, Eric G. ( 1998 ). Ecology of North America. John Wiley and Sons. p. 42. ISBN 978 - 0 - 471 - 13156 - 4. Jump up ^ Hannah, Lee ( 2010 ). Climate Change Biology. Academic Press. p. 63. ISBN 978 - 0 - 12 - 374182 - 0. Jump up ^ Macdonald, David Whyte ; Sillero - Zubiri, Claudio ( 2004 ). The biology and conservation of wild canids. Oxford University Press. p. 10. ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 851556 - 2. Jump up ^ Garrott, R.A. ; Eberhardt, L.E. ( 1987 ). `` Arctic fox ''. In Novak, M. ; et al. Wild furbearer management and conservation in North America. pp. 395 -- 406. ISBN 0774393653. ^ Jump up to : Tannerfeldt, M. ( 1997 ). Population fluctuations and life history consequences in the Arctic fox. Stockholm, Sweden : Dissertation, Stockholm University. Jump up ^ Goltsman, M. ; Kruchenkova, E.P. ; MacDonald, D.W. ( 1996 ). `` The Mednyi Arctic foxes : treating a population imperilled by disease ''. Oryx. 30 ( 4 ) : 251 -- 258. doi : 10.1017 / S0030605300021748. Jump up ^ Lönnberg, E. ( 1927 ). Fjällrävsstammen i Sverige 1926. Uppsala, Sweden : Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Jump up ^ Angerbjörn, A. ; et al. ( 1995 ). `` Dynamics of the Arctic fox population in Sweden ''. Annales Zoologici Fennici. 32 : 55 -- 68. Jump up ^ `` Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 2003 -- Schedule 2 Prohibited new organisms ''. New Zealand Government. Retrieved 26 January 2012. Further reading Nowak, Ronald M. ( 2005 ). Walker 's Carnivores of the World. Baltimore : Johns Hopkins Press. ISBN 0 - 8018 - 8032 - 7. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alopex lagopus. Wikispecies has information related to : Vulpes lagopus State of the Environment Norway : Arctic fox Smithsonian Institution -- North American Mammals : Vulpes lagopus Photo Gallery by islandsmyndir.is Extant Carnivora species Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata Class : Mammalia Infraclass : Eutheria Superorder : Laurasiatheria Suborder Feliformia Nandiniidae Nandinia African palm civet ( N. binotata ) Herpestidae ( Mongooses ) Atilax Marsh mongoose ( A. paludinosus ) Bdeogale Bushy - tailed mongoose ( B. crassicauda ) Jackson 's mongoose ( B. jacksoni ) Black - footed mongoose ( B. nigripes ) Crossarchus Alexander 's kusimanse ( C. alexandri ) Angolan kusimanse ( C. ansorgei ) Common kusimanse ( C. obscurus ) Flat - headed kusimanse ( C. platycephalus ) Cynictis Yellow mongoose ( C. penicillata ) Dologale Pousargues 's mongoose ( D. dybowskii ) Galerella Angolan slender mongoose ( G. flavescens ) Black mongoose ( G. nigrata ) Somalian slender mongoose ( G. ochracea ) Cape gray mongoose ( G. pulverulenta ) Slender mongoose ( G. sanguinea ) Helogale Ethiopian dwarf mongoose ( H. hirtula ) Common dwarf mongoose ( H. parvula ) Herpestes Short - tailed mongoose ( H. brachyurus ) Indian gray mongoose ( H. edwardsii ) Indian brown mongoose ( H. fuscus ) Egyptian mongoose ( H. ichneumon ) Small Asian mongoose ( H. javanicus ) Long - nosed mongoose ( H. naso ) Collared mongoose ( H. semitorquatus ) Ruddy mongoose ( H. smithii ) Crab - eating mongoose ( H. urva ) Stripe - necked mongoose ( H. vitticollis ) Ichneumia White - tailed mongoose ( I. albicauda ) Liberiictus Liberian mongoose ( L. kuhni ) Mungos Gambian mongoose ( M. gambianus ) Banded mongoose ( M. mungo ) Paracynictis Selous ' mongoose ( P. selousi ) Rhynchogale Meller 's mongoose ( R. melleri ) Suricata Meerkat ( S. suricatta ) Hyaenidae ( Hyenas ) Crocuta Spotted hyena ( C. crocuta ) Hyaena Brown hyena ( H. brunnea ) Striped hyena ( H. hyaena ) Proteles Aardwolf ( P. cristatus ) Felidae Large family listed below Viverridae Large family listed below Eupleridae Small family listed below Family Felidae Felinae Acinonyx Cheetah ( A. jubatus ) Caracal Caracal ( C. caracal ) African golden cat ( C. aurata ) Catopuma Bay cat ( C. badia ) Asian golden cat ( C. temminckii ) Felis Wildcat ( F. silvestris ) Jungle cat ( F. chaus ) Black - footed cat ( F. nigripes ) Sand cat ( F. margarita ) Chinese mountain cat ( F. bieti ) Domestic cat ( F. catus ) Leopardus Pantanal cat ( L. braccatus ) Colocolo ( L. colocolo ) Geoffroy 's cat ( L. geoffroyi ) Kodkod ( L. guigna ) Southern tigrina ( L. guttulus ) Andean mountain cat ( L. jacobita ) Pampas cat ( L. pajeros ) Ocelot ( L. pardalis ) Oncilla ( L. tigrinus ) Margay ( L. wiedii ) Leptailurus Serval ( L. serval ) Lynx Canadian lynx ( L. canadensis ) Eurasian lynx ( L. lynx ) Iberian lynx ( L. pardinus ) Bobcat ( L. rufus ) Otocolobus Pallas 's cat ( O. manul ) Pardofelis Marbled cat ( P. marmorata ) Prionailurus Fishing cat ( P. viverrinus ) Leopard cat ( P. bengalensis ) Sundaland leopard cat ( P. javanensis ) Flat - headed cat ( P. planiceps ) Rusty - spotted cat ( P. rubiginosus ) Puma Cougar ( P. concolor ) Jaguarundi ( P. yagouaroundi ) Pantherinae Panthera Lion ( P. leo ) Jaguar ( P. onca ) Leopard ( P. pardus ) Tiger ( P. tigris ) Snow leopard ( P. uncia ) Neofelis Clouded leopard ( N. nebulosa ) Sunda clouded leopard ( N. diardi ) Family Viverridae ( includes Civets ) Paradoxurinae Arctictis Binturong ( A. binturong ) Arctogalidia Small - toothed palm civet ( A. trivirgata ) Macrogalidia Sulawesi palm civet ( M. musschenbroekii ) Paguma Masked palm civet ( P. larvata ) Paradoxurus Golden wet - zone palm civet ( P. aureus ) Asian palm civet ( P. hermaphroditus ) Jerdon 's palm civet ( P. jerdoni ) Golden palm civet ( P. zeylonensis ) Hemigalinae Chrotogale Owston 's palm civet ( C. owstoni ) Cynogale Otter civet ( C. bennettii ) Diplogale Hose 's palm civet ( D. hosei ) Hemigalus Banded palm civet ( H. derbyanus ) Prionodontinae ( Asiatic linsangs ) Prionodon Banded linsang ( P. linsang ) Spotted linsang ( P. pardicolor ) Viverrinae Civettictis African civet ( C. civetta ) Genetta ( Genets ) Abyssinian genet ( G. abyssinica ) Angolan genet ( G. angolensis ) Bourlon 's genet ( G. bourloni ) Crested servaline genet ( G. cristata ) Common genet ( G. genetta ) Johnston 's genet ( G. johnstoni ) Rusty - spotted genet ( G. maculata ) Pardine genet ( G. pardina ) Aquatic genet ( G. piscivora ) King genet ( G. poensis ) Servaline genet ( G. servalina ) Haussa genet ( G. thierryi ) Cape genet ( G. tigrina ) Giant forest genet ( G. victoriae ) Poiana African linsang ( P. richardsonii ) Leighton 's linsang ( P. leightoni ) Viverra Malabar large - spotted civet ( V. civettina ) Large - spotted civet ( V. megaspila ) Malayan civet ( V. tangalunga ) Large Indian civet ( V. zibetha ) Viverricula Small Indian civet ( V. indica ) Family Eupleridae Euplerinae Cryptoprocta Fossa ( C. ferox ) Eupleres Eastern falanouc ( E. goudotii ) Western falanouc ( E. major ) Fossa Malagasy civet ( F. fossana ) Galidiinae Galidia Ring - tailed mongoose ( G. elegans ) Galidictis Broad - striped Malagasy mongoose ( G. fasciata ) Grandidier 's mongoose ( G. grandidieri ) Mungotictis Narrow - striped mongoose ( M. decemlineata ) Salanoia Brown - tailed mongoose ( S. concolor ) Durrell 's vontsira ( S. durrelli ) Suborder Caniformia ( cont. below ) Ursidae ( Bears ) Ailuropoda Giant panda ( A. melanoleuca ) Helarctos Sun bear ( H. malayanus ) Melursus Sloth bear ( M. ursinus ) Tremarctos Spectacled bear ( T. ornatus ) Ursus American black bear ( U. americanus ) Brown bear ( U. arctos ) Polar bear ( U. maritimus ) Asian black bear ( U. thibetanus ) Mephitidae Conepatus ( Hog - nosed skunks ) Molina 's hog - nosed skunk ( C. chinga ) Humboldt 's hog - nosed skunk ( C. humboldtii ) American hog - nosed skunk ( C. leuconotus ) Striped hog - nosed skunk ( C. semistriatus ) Mephitis Hooded skunk ( M. macroura ) Striped skunk ( M. mephitis ) Mydaus Sunda stink badger ( M. javanensis ) Palawan stink badger ( M. marchei ) Spilogale ( Spotted skunks ) Southern spotted skunk ( S. angustifrons ) Western spotted skunk ( S. gracilis ) Eastern spotted skunk ( S. putorius ) Pygmy spotted skunk ( S. pygmaea ) Procyonidae Bassaricyon ( Olingos ) Eastern lowland olingo ( B. alleni ) Northern olingo ( B. gabbii ) Western lowland olingo ( B. medius ) Olinguito ( B. neblina ) Bassariscus Ring - tailed cat ( B. astutus ) Cacomistle ( B. sumichrasti ) Nasua ( Coatis inclusive ) White - nosed coati ( N. narica ) South American coati ( N. nasua ) Nasuella ( Coatis inclusive ) Western mountain coati ( N. olivacea ) Eastern mountain coati ( N. meridensis ) Potos Kinkajou ( P. flavus ) Procyon Crab - eating raccoon ( P. cancrivorus ) Raccoon ( P. lotor ) Cozumel raccoon ( P. pygmaeus ) Ailuridae Ailurus Red panda ( A. fulgens ) Suborder Caniformia ( cont. above ) Otariidae ( Eared seals ) ( includes fur seals and sea lions ) ( Pinniped inclusive ) Arctocephalus South American fur seal ( A. australis ) Australasian fur seal ( A. forsteri ) Galápagos fur seal ( A. galapagoensis ) Antarctic fur seal ( A. gazella ) Juan Fernández fur seal ( A. philippii ) Brown fur seal ( A. pusillus ) Guadalupe fur seal ( A. townsendi ) Subantarctic fur seal ( A. tropicalis ) Callorhinus Northern fur seal ( C. ursinus ) Eumetopias Steller sea lion ( E. jubatus ) Neophoca Australian sea lion ( N. cinerea ) Otaria South American sea lion ( O. flavescens ) Phocarctos New Zealand sea lion ( P. hookeri ) Zalophus California sea lion ( Z. californianus ) Galápagos sea lion ( Z. wollebaeki ) Odobenidae ( Pinniped inclusive ) Odobenus Walrus ( O. rosmarus ) Phocidae ( Earless seals ) ( Pinniped inclusive ) Cystophora Hooded seal ( C. cristata ) Erignathus Bearded seal ( E. barbatus ) Halichoerus Gray seal ( H. grypus ) Histriophoca Ribbon seal ( H. fasciata ) Hydrurga Leopard seal ( H. leptonyx ) Leptonychotes Weddell seal ( L. weddellii ) Lobodon Crabeater seal ( L. carcinophagus ) Mirounga ( Elephant seals ) Northern elephant seal ( M. angustirostris ) Southern elephant seal ( M. leonina ) Monachus Mediterranean monk seal ( M. monachus ) Hawaiian monk seal ( M. schauinslandi ) Ommatophoca Ross seal ( O. rossi ) Pagophilus Harp seal ( P. groenlandicus ) Phoca Spotted seal ( P. largha ) Harbor seal ( P. vitulina ) Pusa Caspian seal ( P. caspica ) Ringed seal ( P. hispida ) Baikal seal ( P. sibirica ) Canidae Large family listed below Mustelidae Large family listed below Family Canidae ( includes dogs ) Atelocynus Short - eared dog ( A. microtis ) Canis Side - striped jackal ( C. adustus ) African golden wolf ( C. anthus ) Golden jackal ( C. aureus ) Coyote ( C. latrans ) Gray wolf ( C. lupus ) Black - backed jackal ( C. mesomelas ) Red wolf ( C. rufus ) Ethiopian wolf ( C. simensis ) Cerdocyon Crab - eating fox ( C. thous ) Chrysocyon Maned wolf ( C. brachyurus ) Cuon Dhole ( C. alpinus ) Lycalopex Culpeo ( L. culpaeus ) Darwin 's fox ( L. fulvipes ) South American gray fox ( L. griseus ) Pampas fox ( L. gymnocercus ) Sechuran fox ( L. sechurae ) Hoary fox ( L. vetulus ) Lycaon African wild dog ( L. pictus ) Nyctereutes Raccoon dog ( N. procyonoides ) Otocyon Bat - eared fox ( O. megalotis ) Speothos Bush dog ( S. venaticus ) Urocyon Gray fox ( U. cinereoargenteus ) Island fox ( U. littoralis ) Vulpes ( Foxes ) Bengal fox ( V. bengalensis ) Blanford 's fox ( V. cana ) Cape fox ( V. chama ) Corsac fox ( V. corsac ) Tibetan sand fox ( V. ferrilata ) Arctic fox ( V. lagopus ) Kit fox ( V. macrotis ) Pale fox ( V. pallida ) Rüppell 's fox ( V. rueppelli ) Swift fox ( V. velox ) Red fox ( V. vulpes ) Fennec fox ( V. zerda ) Family Mustelidae Lutrinae ( Otters ) Aonyx African clawless otter ( A. capensis ) Oriental small - clawed otter ( A. cinerea ) Enhydra Sea otter ( E. lutris ) Hydrictis Spotted - necked otter ( H. maculicollis ) Lontra North American river otter ( L. canadensis ) Marine otter ( L. felina ) Neotropical otter ( L. longicaudis ) Southern river otter ( L. provocax ) Lutra Eurasian otter ( L. lutra ) Hairy - nosed otter ( L. sumatrana ) Lutrogale Smooth - coated otter ( L. perspicillata ) Pteronura Giant otter ( P. brasiliensis ) Mustelinae ( including badgers ) Arctonyx Hog badger ( A. collaris ) Eira Tayra ( E. barbara ) Galictis Lesser grison ( G. cuja ) Greater grison ( G. vittata ) Gulo Wolverine ( G. gulo ) Ictonyx Saharan striped polecat ( I. libyca ) Striped polecat ( I. striatus ) Lyncodon Patagonian weasel ( L. patagonicus ) Martes ( Martens ) American marten ( M. americana ) Yellow - throated marten ( M. flavigula ) Beech marten ( M. foina ) Nilgiri marten ( M. gwatkinsii ) European pine marten ( M. martes ) Japanese marten ( M. melampus ) Fisher ( M. pennanti ) Sable ( M. zibellina ) Meles Japanese badger ( M. anakuma ) Asian badger ( M. leucurus ) European badger ( M. meles ) Mellivora Honey badger ( M. capensis ) Melogale ( Ferret - badgers ) Bornean ferret - badger ( M. everetti ) Chinese ferret - badger ( M. moschata ) Javan ferret - badger ( M. orientalis ) Burmese ferret - badger ( M. personata ) Mustela ( Weasels and Ferrets ) Amazon weasel ( M. africana ) Mountain weasel ( M. altaica ) Stoat ( M. erminea ) Steppe polecat ( M. eversmannii ) Colombian weasel ( M. felipei ) Long - tailed weasel ( M. frenata ) Japanese weasel ( M. itatsi ) Yellow - bellied weasel ( M. kathiah ) European mink ( M. lutreola ) Indonesian mountain weasel ( M. lutreolina ) Black - footed ferret ( M. nigripes ) Least weasel ( M. nivalis ) Malayan weasel ( M. nudipes ) European polecat ( M. putorius ) Siberian weasel ( M. sibirica ) Back - striped weasel ( M. strigidorsa ) Egyptian weasel ( M. subpalmata ) Neovison ( Minks ) American mink ( N. vison ) Poecilogale African striped weasel ( P. albinucha ) Taxidea American badger ( T. taxus ) Vormela Marbled polecat ( V. peregusna ) Taxon identifiers Wd : Q82738 ADW : Vulpes_lagopus EoL : 1053894 GBIF : 5219303 iNaturalist : 233598 ITIS : 622025 IUCN : 899 MSW : 14000873 NCBI : 494514 ARKive : arctic - fox / vulpes - lagopus WoRMS : 404130 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Arctic_fox&oldid=800900278 '' Categories : IUCN Red List least concern species Arctic land animals Holarctic fauna Mammals described in 1758 Mammals of Europe Mammals of Greenland Mammals of Iceland Mammals of North America Mammals of Russia Mammals of the Arctic Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Vulpes Hidden categories : CS1 Latin - language sources ( la ) Webarchive template wayback links Wikipedia indefinitely move - protected pages Use dmy dates from June 2012 Articles with ' species ' microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from December 2011 Talk View source Contents About Wikipedia Wikispecies Afrikaans Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه Башҡортса Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български བོད ་ ཡིག Brezhoneg Català Cebuano Čeština Dansk Davvisámegiella Deutsch Diné bizaad Eesti Ελληνικά Эрзянь Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Føroyskt Français Gaeilge Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Interlingua Iñupiak Íslenska Italiano עברית Kalaallisut ქართული Kaszëbsczi Қазақша Коми Кыргызча Лезги Latina Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Magyar മലയാളം Bahasa Melayu Монгол Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk پنجابی پښتو Перем Коми Polski Português Română Русский Саха тыла Scots Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska தமிழ் ไทย Türkçe Українська اردو Vepsän kel ' Tiếng Việt Winaray 粵語 Zazaki 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 16 September 2017, at 11 : 39. 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Question: what is the scientific name for artic fox
Answer: Vulpes lagopus