The Arctic Fox

By Rebekah K, Grade 3
Project due, January 23, 2011

The Arctic Fox is a cute ball of white fluff. They are the size of a cat. They have short ears and legs; they have fur on the bottom of their feet, to keep their feet warm when they walk in the snow. Their fur coats are white in the winter months; this helps them blend in with the snow to protect them from their enemies. Brown – grey in the summer months, so then they look like the rocks and plants that grow in the tundra. The fox has a big bushy tail that they use for balance just like a cat. They also use their long bushy tail to keep them warm when they are sleeping. They have cute little faces, with a black nose and pretty brown eyes. They are one of my favorite animals.

The Arctic fox lives in some of the coldest places on earth. In Canada they live in the Northwest Territories. Most foxes dig burrows under the ground or in dens. Some of the dens are over 300 years old. Each new generation of foxes will live there. Most of these dens have over a hundred doorways to get in them. If a fox doesn’t have a den they will burrow deep in the snow for shelter or find a cliff ledge.

The Arctic Fox will eat rodents, birds, seal pups, fish, and bird eggs. They will eat vegetables, berries and seaweed if they find them. The fox will follow a polar bear and eat its scraps, left over from supper. The Arctic Fox is a smart hunter they are good to catch things under deep snow. They listen for a mouse through the snow then pounce on it to catch it. They also hunt snow hare for food. They are really fast runners too.

The Arctic Fox has a few enemies in the Arctic they are wolves and polar bears and eagles. The biggest threat of all to the fox is humans. People trap and kill these sweet little animals for their fur. Hunters sell their pelts for lots of money. In Canada and the Arctic tundra they are a protected animal. Although they are not near extinction there are not very many in Canada and the Arctic so the government protects them from hunters.

The reason why I picked the Arctic Fox is because they are one of my favorite animals. I think they are really cute, if I could own one I would call him snowy. When I think of an Arctic Fox I think of snowflakes. I also think they are very smart and interesting. They can jump and skate on the ice. They can hear things that I can’t and even swim in the cold water. They are so neat. So picking this special animal for my project was my chance to teach my friends about them. I hope you like it!