Main » 2013»January»7 » Arctic foxes suffer while reds thrive in northern Canada
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Arctic foxes suffer while reds thrive in northern Canada
And, unusually, the number of red foxes has simultaneously(одновременно) surged in the area, on Hudson Bay.
The surprising pattern has prompted observers to question whether the elusive(неуловимый) Arctic foxes are being driven out of their dens by invading red relatives.
"It stopped dead, turned and ran," says Tera Ryan, wildlife guide at polar expedition company Churchill Wild, describing the time she witnessed an Arctic fox's reaction to a red fox travelling away in the distance. "In the Arctic you conserve energy... This was running for fear. He did not want to be seen by that red fox."
Famed for their bright white coats in winter, delicate Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) are not much larger than a domestic cat. Yet with their thick, insulating fur and increased blood circulation(обращение) they are adapted to thrive in some of the world's most extreme conditions.
Previous studies have indicated that larger and more aggressive red foxes moving northward may outcompete(вытеснять) their Arctic cousins for food and even kill the smaller species when the two collide on the same territory.
Arctic fox populations naturally fluctuate from year to year depending on the availability of their main food source, lemmings. But the wildlife guides at Seal River lodge on Hudson Bay have reported the lowest number of Arctic fox sightings for years, despite what they say is a good year for lemmings.
The team have reported an average of two Arctic foxes spotted near their observation lodge in the same day, whereas "it would not be unusual to see a dozen or more per day in an average year," says Churchill Wild's Mike Reimer.
do you love animals? what do you think of animals? do you like foxes?
I like foxes very much. these are beautiful and very cunning animals
Foxes foxes ^ _ ^ I love these charming animals)) They are also my mascot)) Although they have to be tricky as in fairy tales, but they are so cute and beautiful)
