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Red Fox & Arctic Fox interactions
Topic Started: Feb 17 2013, 11:37 AM (2,006 Views)
Canis Warrior
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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.
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Canis Warrior
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If I find more accounts I will post them
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Fishfreak
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Sad that such a spectacular animal is going extinct where it meats its cousin.
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Full Throttle
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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.
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k9boy
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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.
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Taipan
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Some more info from the profiles:

Red Dog
Jan 10 2012, 06:56 AM
From Reddhole:

Quote:
 
Interactions between Arctic and Red Foxes in Scandinavia - Predation and Aggression
"ABSTRACT. Arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) populations in Scandinavia are small and restricted to alpine regions, while red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are common throughout both Norway and Sweden. The two species are similar in behaviour and diet, and thus competition between them is likely. This study provides seven observations of aggressive interactions between the two species. One adult arctic fox and one cub were killed by red foxes, one male arctic fox was chased away from his den, one female arctic fox and a cub fled into the den as a red fox approached, four cubs fled into the den as a red fox walked upon it and once a red fox walked upon the arctic fox den when no arctic foxes could be seen. Only on one occasion did an arctic fox succeed in chasing away a red fox. Red fox predation may prove to be limiting to the small arctic fox population in Scandinavia, and arctic foxes can be displaced from good dens and the most productive regions."
http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic42-4-354.pdf


Below is an account constant with the above study where a red fox kills an arctic fox. The red fox kills the arctic fox within 10 seconds of engaging it. IMHO, this shows that canids can kill other animals fairly quickly considering that the red fox has a weak bite relative to other canids. The red fox seems to make up for this by having decently long canines and a good killing technique.

http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic59-4-361.pdf

In November 2004, a red fox was observed chasing an
arctic fox under parked trucks and a nearby building
constructed on stilts. As the chase proceeded, the red fox
continued to gain on the arctic fox until contact was made,
at which point video shots were taken to document the
encounter. Six video clips totaling 2 minutes 36 seconds
were taken of the interaction.

The first video clip shows the two animals fighting. The
red fox was maintaining a superior position with respect to
the arctic fox, while trying to roll the arctic fox over in
repeated attempts to bite its neck. The arctic fox, struggling
underneath the red fox, was kicking and biting at it
(Fig. 1). At the 10-second mark of the video, the red fox
succeeded in biting the neck of the arctic fox and then
shook its head quickly from side to side, instantly killing
or paralyzing the arctic fox. The red fox proceeded to carry
the limp carcass across a parking lot and onto an adjacent
patch of undisturbed snow (Fig. 2). The last three video
clips show the red fox biting at the back of the arctic fox
just behind the shoulders, in what seemed to be attempts to
break open the skin (Fig. 3).


Posted Image

Posted Image

Apparently this is not that uncommon:

We have had many conversations with oilfield personnel
during which they reported on similar encounters
between red and arctic foxes. Most encounters reported
involve red foxes chasing arctic foxes, but some report
arctic foxes being killed and consumed.


And a photo I had not seen before:

Posted Image
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k9boy
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the red fox actually has a pretty decent bite force for its size, harder then the side striped, black backed and golden jackals.
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Mesopredator
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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.
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