| Welcome to Carnivora. We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| Red Fox & Arctic Fox interactions | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Feb 17 2013, 11:37 AM (2,006 Views) | |
| Canis Warrior | Feb 17 2013, 11:37 AM Post #1 |
|
Canidae expert
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Red and Arctic foxes clash in Russia By Ella Davies Earth News reporter The subordinate Arctic fox only barked at the intrusion Russia's Arctic foxes are under threat from an expanding population of red foxes, according to scientists. For the first time, a red fox has been observed intruding on an Arctic fox breeding den in Russia's far north. The Arctic fox abandoned its den to the dominant intruder, leaving pups to fend for themselves. Researchers say this is evidence that red foxes are expelling Arctic foxes as a warming climate allows them to survive much further north. Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) live in mountainous tundra habitats around the north polar region. ARCTIC FOX FACTS Arctic foxes feed mostly on lemmings which are abundant in the summer In the winter they also eat ptarmigan and reindeer Watch an arctic fox scavenging polar bear leftovers Previous studies have identified the foxes retreating from the southern edge of their range. Scientists say that this is because red fox populations are expanding and, where the two overlap, red foxes dominate their smaller Arctic cousins. Although direct observations of this competition had been made in Sweden, researchers from Russia and Norway wanted to find out whether Arctic foxes further north were under the same pressure. Their findings were published in the journal Polar Biology. "We were surprised to meet a red fox in our study area on the Russian Arctic tundra because this species is very rare in such northern territories," explained researcher Anna Rodnikova. She and her team observed a red fox approaching an Arctic fox breeding den on the Yamal Peninsula, in north-western Siberia, during their summer study. The Arctic fox was not at the den but when it returned it did so hesitantly, stopping 50m away and barking when it saw the red fox. Although the red fox looked in poor condition, it was clearly the dominant one during this encounter. After these initial defensive barks, the Arctic fox withdrew from the competition and did not return to the den. Climate warming allows red foxes to survive in severe northern conditions Researcher Anna Rodnikova University of Moscow "It was strange to see that the [Arctic fox] mother was so afraid of the red fox that it didn't try to protect the pups, which probably were inside the den," said Ms Rodnikova. But the scientists said that it was unlikely that the red fox killed the pups and they found no evidence of their remains. The team wrote in the paper: "The arctic fox pups were most likely hiding in the burrow system while the red fox was present and abandoned the den area after the encounter. Researchers suggest that this encounter is strong evidence that red foxes are responsible for the arctic foxes' retreat. Their study was part of a project using predators as indicators of changes in the Arctic. Although their numbers are in the healthy hundreds of thousands, Arctic foxes are still considered an important indicator of climate change. SOURCES Visit the journal Polar Biology to learn more about how arctic and red foxes interact "We don't think that climate warming makes conditions directly more difficult for Arctic foxes," said Ms Rodnikova. "Most likely climate warming allows red foxes to survive in severe northern conditions, so [they] have an opportunity to expand their range to the North where they dominate over Arctic foxes." Red foxes are 25% larger than Arctic foxes but lack their adaptations to severely cold habitats including their superbly insulating fur coat and fur-covered feet pads. Red fox kills arctic fox at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska September 29, 2011 by retrieverman These images come from a journal article that documents a red fox killing an arctic fox at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, where both foxes are relatively common– and happen to share space. However, one of the rules about wild dogs is that a larger wild dog species will kill a smaller wild dog species that shares the same habitat. It happens with coyotes and wolves, golden jackals and wolves, and African wild dogs and black-backed jackals. Black-backed jackals dominate side-striped jackals, but in general, the larger species tends beat up on the smaller one. The arctic fox puts up a bit of a fight. But the red fox soon subdues it. And the red fox carries its victim off to be eaten. Red foxes dominate other fox-sized canids in their range– with one notable exception. Red foxes avoid Urocyon gray foxes. As the son of a son of an old fox trapper and caller, I was always told that a gray fox could be caught on a trap that had been marked with red urine, but you would never catch a red on trap marked with gray urine. If one were calling foxes to the gun, both species could be brought in on red calls, but only grays will come to gray calls. When a gray fox was put in a run with several urine producing foxes, it instantly attacked all of its red kennel-mates and had to be removed before it killed them. Red foxes don’t do to gray foxes, which aren’t actually foxes, what they do to arctic foxes. Red foxes and gray foxes are about the same size, at least in the areas where they share range in North America. Red foxes in other parts of the world are indeed quite a bit larger. Coyotes dominate and eat both species, and if they see a toy poodle, they think that’s just a fuzzy little fox with a bit more fat on it. Fight the killThe red eating the artic fox Edited by Canis Warrior, Feb 17 2013, 12:58 PM.
|
![]() |
|
| Canis Warrior | Feb 17 2013, 12:50 PM Post #2 |
|
Canidae expert
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
If I find more accounts I will post them |
![]() |
|
| Fishfreak | Feb 17 2013, 09:01 PM Post #3 |
|
Friend of the fish
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Sad that such a spectacular animal is going extinct where it meats its cousin. |
![]() |
|
| Full Throttle | Feb 17 2013, 09:29 PM Post #4 |
![]()
Apex Predator
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Sad that humans are ruining some of the most iconic creatures habitats and opening the door for invasive species. One thing I've always wondered though, the red fox dominates every other fox species that shares it's range, yet they are terrified of gray foxes, why? What's so special about gray foxes? are they just more aggressive? to me, they don't look like they could take on a red, but people who trap and hunt them say reds actively avoid them. |
![]() |
|
| k9boy | Feb 17 2013, 11:49 PM Post #5 |
![]()
Apex Predator
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Just cause they are alot more aggressive then american reds. Though I think british reds are more aggressive, not to mention much bigger. I myself have been 'coughed' at by a fox when I got too close to the den. |
![]() |
|
| Taipan | Feb 3 2018, 10:04 PM Post #6 |
![]()
Administrator
![]()
|
Some more info from the profiles:
And a photo I had not seen before: ![]() |
![]() |
|
| k9boy | Feb 3 2018, 10:23 PM Post #7 |
![]()
Apex Predator
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
the red fox actually has a pretty decent bite force for its size, harder then the side striped, black backed and golden jackals. |
![]() |
|
| Mesopredator | Feb 12 2018, 07:16 PM Post #8 |
|
Disaster taxa
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
This is what you get with climate change; shifting populations. Then people are gonna want to stop it; but Nature is relentless. You can't expect red foxes to not move in environments that become suitable for them. We'll be seeing more and more movements of populations due to a changing climate and the ever increasing change of human landuse. There's a probability that we'll see freak extinctions because certain species competitiveness will increase with the climate. Here's a funfact: I read a paper on laurelification and that's what's gonna happen in my country; more and more evergreens will become established; also due to the popularity of them in gardens. Now that I say it; they might try to stop it - I dunno, whatever - but anyway, there's stuff like network effects and people act all bazoogie, and they make their own stuff happening. Anyway, Nature is a great trickster. |
![]() |
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| « Previous Topic · Zoological Debate & Discussion · Next Topic » |





![]](http://b2.ifrm.com/28122/87/0/p701956/pipright.png)










9:56 AM Jul 11