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"Arctic fox"
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Arctic fox
\"Filled with information perfectly suited to the abilities and interests of its primary-grade audience, this colorful, fact-filled book gives readers a chance not only to learn all about Artic foxes and how their bodies are adapted to the extreme cold, but also to develop their powers of observation and critical thinking.\"--Provided by publisher.
Book
Widespread Exposure to Mosquitoborne California Serogroup Viruses in Caribou, Arctic Fox, Red Fox, and Polar Bears, Canada
Northern Canada is warming at 3 times the global rate. Thus, changing diversity and distribution of vectors and pathogens is an increasing health concern. California serogroup (CSG) viruses are mosquitoborne arboviruses; wildlife reservoirs in northern ecosystems have not been identified. We detected CSG virus antibodies in 63% (95% CI 58%-67%) of caribou (n = 517), 4% (95% CI 2%-7%) of Arctic foxes (n = 297), 12% (95% CI 6%-21%) of red foxes (n = 77), and 28% (95% CI 24%-33%) of polar bears (n = 377). Sex, age, and summer temperatures were positively associated with polar bear exposure; location, year, and ecotype were associated with caribou exposure. Exposure was highest in boreal caribou and increased from baseline in polar bears after warmer summers. CSG virus exposure of wildlife is linked to climate change in northern Canada and sustained surveillance could be used to measure human health risks.
Journal Article
The arctic fox's journey
\"During the winter, the arctic fox begins an incredible journey. She heads north through the tundra, toward the top of the world. No larger than a house cat, she faces treacherous obstacles, frightening predators, and bitter cold along the way. It seems impossible that she could persist against the elements on her almost 2,000-mile journey--but she does. Read and find out about the arctic fox's quest for survival\"--Provided by publisher.
Book
Garbage consumption by Arctic terrestrial predators in one of the most pristine land areas on Earth
Garbage may cause substantial environmental perturbations, in part because of its consumption by wildlife. Such consumption may have direct health implications for animals and may also influence trophic relationships. Even in pristine Arctic ecosystems, wildlife feeding in marine environments consume garbage in the form of plastic debris transported by ocean currents. We show that Arctic wildlife in pristine terrestrial environments may also ingest garbage or food items derived from abandoned camp sites. We found the remains of a chocolate wrapper and a milk powder bag in two Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) scats and a piece of cloth in an Arctic wolf (Canis lupus arctos) scat collected near Nares Strait, northern Greenland, one of the most pristine terrestrial wilderness regions on Earth. Found on Washington Land and associated with long-abandoned camp sites, these three scats were among 657 Arctic fox scats and 92 wolf scats collected as part of a larger study. Our study demonstrates that these two highly opportunistic predators managed to consume garbage despite the almost complete lack of human activity in this High-Arctic region. Our results highlight that abandoned anthropogenic material in the High Arctic may function as a source of garbage for local terrestrial wildlife over extended time periods, and that garbage consumption may become a potential issue if human activity in remote Arctic regions increases.
Journal Article
Daddy Honk Honk!
\"With a little help from his friends on the tundra, an arctic fox learns how to be a good daddy to a noisy gosling\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Effects of resource availability and interspecific interactions on Arctic and red foxes' winter use of ungulate carrion in the Fennoscandian low-Arctic tundra
In the Arctic tundra, predators face recurrent periods of food scarcity and often turn to ungulate carcasses as an alternative food source. As important and localized resource patches, carrion promotes co-occurrence of different individuals, and its use by predators is likely to be affected by interspecific competition. We studied how interspecific competition and resource availability impact winter use of carrion by Arctic and red foxes in low Arctic Fennoscandia. We predicted that the presence of red foxes limits Arctic foxes' use of carrion, and that competition depends on the availability of other resources. We monitored Arctic and red fox presence at supp lied carrion using camera traps. From 2006 to 2021, between 16 and 20 cameras were active for 2 months in late winter (288 camera-winters). Using a multi-species dynamic occupancy model at a week-to-week scale, we evaluated the use of carrion by foxes while accounting for the presence of competitors, rodent availability, and supplemental feeding provided to Arctic foxes. Competition affected carrion use by increasing both species' probability to leave occupied carcasses between consecutive weeks. This increase was similar for the two species, suggesting symmetrical avoidance. Increased rodent abundance was associated with a higher probability of colonizing carrion sites for both species. For Arctic foxes, however, this increase was only observed at carcasses unoccupied by red foxes, showing greater avoidance when alternative preys are available. Supplementary feeding increased Arctic foxes' carrion use, regardless of red fox presence. Contrary to expectations, we did not find strong signs of asymmetric competition for carrion in winter, which suggests that interactions for resources at a short time scale are not necessarily aligned with interactions at the scale of the population. In addition, we found that competition for carcasses depends on the availability of other resources, suggesting that interactions between predators depend on the ecological context.
Journal Article
Plastic and other anthropogenic debris in Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) faeces from Iceland
Anthropogenic debris, including plastic pollution, is a growing concern in the Arctic and negatively impacts both marine and coastal organisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential for using Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) faeces as a monitoring tool for plastic pollution in the Arctic environment. Arctic fox faeces were collected in different regions of Iceland and analysed for anthropogenic debris presence larger than 300 µm, and diet composition. In total, 235 faecal samples from 1999, 2017, 2018 and 2020 were analysed. The overall frequency of occurrence of plastic and other anthropogenic material was 5.11% and was found in samples across all regions and years. There were no statistical differences in anthropogenic debris ingested, depending on year or region. There were no obvious differences in diet composition between samples that contained anthropogenic debris and samples without. The suitability of Arctic fox faeces as a method to monitor plastic and anthropogenic debris levels in the Arctic environment remains debatable: Whilst the vast distribution range of the Arctic fox and the non-invasive collection methodology of faecal samples could be utilised as a good monitoring tool, the overall low uptake and unclear source of plastic and anthropogenic debris (marine or terrestrial) makes the interpretation of the data difficult. Nevertheless, debris ingestion by Arctic foxes remains a concern and warrants further studies.
Journal Article
Emergent rainy winter warm spells may promote boreal predator expansion into the arctic
Climate change has been characterized as the most serious threat to Arctic biodiversity. In addition to gradual changes such as climate warming, extreme weather events, such as melting temperatures in winter and rain on snow, can have profound consequences for ecosystems. Rain-on-snow events lead to the formation of ice layers in the snow pack, which can restrict access to forage plants and cause crashes of herbivore populations. These direct impacts can have cascading effects on other ecosystem components, often mediated by trophic interactions. Here we document how heavy rain in early winter, leading to the formation of a thick layer of ice, was associated with dramatic mortality of domestic reindeer on Yamal Peninsula, Russia. In the subsequent summer, breeding of two boreal generalist predators, red fox and Hooded Crow, was recorded for the first time in a monitoring area in the Low Arctic tundra of this region. We suggest that the resource pulse created by the abnormally high reindeer mortality and abundance of carrion may have facilitated these breeding events north of the known breeding range of the two species. Our observations provide an example of how specific emergent weather events may indirectly pave the way for more abrupt, although possibly temporary, species range changes.
Journal Article
Wood mouse in Iceland
Mesocestoides canislagopodis is a common parasite of the arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) in Iceland. In the past, household dogs (Canis familiaris) and cats (Felis catus) were also reported in Iceland to be infected. Recently, scolices of a non-maturing Mesocestoides sp. were detected in the intestines of the gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), and tetrathyridia were isolated in the body cavity of rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) and subsequently described. All stages were confirmed, using both morphological and molecular methods, to belong to the same species, M. canislagopodis. In the present study, post-mortem examination of wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus), sampled in autumn 2014 on a farm in Northeast Iceland, revealed the presence of tetrathyridia in the peritoneal cavity and in the liver. Most tetrathyridia in the peritoneal cavity were free, but some were encapsulated in a thin connective tissue stroma and loosely attached to the inner organs. They appear as whitish, heart-shaped, flattened, unsegmented bodies with a slightly pointed posterior end. In the liver, tetrathyridia were seen as pale-tanned nodules embedded in the parenchyma. Comparative molecular analysis, both at the generic level (D1 domain LSU ribosomal DNA), and at the specific level (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) and 12S mitochondrial DNA), revealed that the tetrathyridia belonged to M. canislagopodis. A. sylvaticus represents a new second intermediate host record in Iceland, and the first description of a rodent as intermediate host for this species, thus participating in the life cycle of the parasite.
Journal Article