Arctic Fox

Arctic Fox (scientific name: Alopex lagopus) is distributed in the Arctic region. It has a body length of 50-60 centimeters, a tail length of 20-25 centimeters, and a weight of 2.5-4 kilograms. It has a narrow face, a pointed muzzle, round ears, and fluffy tail. In winter, its body fur is white, with only the tip of the nose black; in summer, its fur is gray-black, with a lighter color on the ventral surface. It has dense fur and less guard hairs, allowing it to live on ice fields with temperatures as low as -50℃. The soles of its feet are particularly thick. It can live alone or in groups.

The Arctic Fox is found throughout the Arctic region, including Russia, Canada, Alaska, the edge of Greenland and the Svalbard archipelago, as well as subarctic and mountainous areas such as Iceland and Scandinavia.

Its main food source is lemmings, but it also eats fish, birds, bird eggs, shellfish, Arctic hares, and berries. It is a valuable fur animal and has been bred in captivity, with color variations such as blue fox, white fox, and mutated varieties such as shadow fox, Arctic pearl fox, Arctic blue sapphire fox, Arctic platinum fox, and white Arctic fox, collectively known as colored Arctic fox.

The Arctic Fox is distributed in the coastal areas of the Arctic Ocean and tundra zones on some islands, and can survive in the icy plains with temperatures as low as -50°C. Arctic Foxes like to build nests in hilly areas, and their nests have multiple entrances. When encountering blizzards, Arctic Foxes can stay in their dens for several days without going out. Every year, Arctic Foxes carry out some repairs and expansions to their dens to ensure long-term residence. In summer, when food is abundant, Arctic Foxes store some food in their dens. In winter, when the stored food in the dens is almost depleted, Arctic Foxes will track Polar Bears and scavenge the leftovers from their meals. Therefore, there are always 2 to 3 Arctic Foxes silently following behind Polar Bears in winter. However, when Polar Bears are extremely hungry, they may also attack Arctic Foxes.

Not recommended to keep as a pet, the Arctic Fox cannot be kept as a pet because it lives in an environment of about -40°C. If your home temperature can reach this condition, then it is possible.

Mange is an ectoparasitic disease caused by mites that parasitize the surface of foxes. It is transmitted through contact. It causes severe itching, dermatitis, hair loss, and thickening of the epidermis. It affects their growth and development. Mild cases can be treated by applying a 1%-2% Dibaochong aqueous solution or Dibaochong vaseline ointment to the affected area, while severe cases can be treated with a 1%-2% Dibaochong aqueous solution for a medicated bath. Another bath should be taken one week later to achieve a complete recovery.

Canine distemper is an infectious disease caused by canine distemper virus. Infected animals experience elevated body temperature, loss of appetite, dry nose, and develop nasal and conjunctival inflammation within 2-3 days. Their tears and nasal discharge become sticky, and they sneeze. Subsequently, neurological dysfunction and spasms occur. Treatment can involve subcutaneous injection of a multi-valent canine distemper immunoglobulin along with the use of cephalosporin antibiotics.

Salmonellosis, also known as hemorrhagic septicemia, is a disease in which infected animals experience decreased appetite, thirst, vomiting, diarrhea with blood, rapid weight loss, and in severe cases, paralysis of the hind limbs and necrosis in the neck. Treatment can involve intramuscular injection of cephalosporin antibiotics.

The Arctic Fox's feed mainly includes meat feed, fish feed, dried animal feed, milk feed, egg feed, crop seed feed, fruit and vegetable feed, vitamin feed, mineral feed, etc. These feeds are eaten in combination during different periods. There are also different specialized formulas for different periods to adapt to the reproductive conditions of the Arctic Fox.

Before formulating the feed, quality and hygiene identification should be conducted, and the use of feed from epidemic areas and rotten feed is strictly prohibited. Fresh animal feed should also be thoroughly washed and sterilized by steam cooking; frozen feed should be washed after thawing; fish feed can be soaked in clean water first and then washed to remove surface mucus; salted dry fish should be fully soaked to remove salt; vegetables should remove old roots and rotten parts, remove soil, and thoroughly wash off any remaining pesticides.

The formulation method mainly involves grinding and steam cooking. Due to the different types of feed, the formulation methods are also different. Cereal feed should be fully cooked, heated to 100°C and kept for 5 minutes before feeding. Fresh meat from animals can be fed directly after washing, and fresh blood from healthy animals can be fed alive, but not excessively. During the breeding period, the feed dosage can account for 10%-15% of the daily animal feed, and during the young fox rearing period, it can account for about 30%. Fresh sea fish can be fed directly after washing, while freshwater mixed fish can only be fed after steam cooking. Fish with more protein mucus on their body surface (e.g. mud shovel) should be soaked in hot water first to remove the mucus, and dry fish should be soaked to remove salt and washed before feeding. During the processing of silkworm pupae, they should be thoroughly soaked to remove remaining alkalis, and then steamed and ground together with meat or fish for feeding. During the young fox rearing period and fur growth period, the amount should not exceed 30% of the protein in the daily feed, and during the breeding period, it can account for 5%-15%. Cow and sheep's milk needs to be heated and sterilized when feeding, generally fresh milk should be heated to 70°C-100°C and kept for 10-15 minutes before feeding.

The Arctic Fox fur is dense and easily dirty, so we need to pay attention to cleaning its fur regularly. If the fur is too long, we need to comb it every day. Foxes shed their fur after eating high-salt food, so we can feed them food that is low in salt and avoid giving them greasy food to alleviate this issue.