Notes on the food habits of Arctic foxes in northern Alaska

Abstract

Food habits of white foxes were studied on the Teshekpuk Lake Section of the Arctic Coastal Plain, northern Alaska, from September 1961 through May 1963. Lemmings were the primary fox prey but sea mammal and caribou carrion also can be important year-round foods. Birds and bird eggs formed an important part of the summer diet. The increase in occurrence of non-food items in the winter diet may reflect the scarcity of suitable fox foods. Based on size, fox scats could be separated into adult and pup classes while the color of the scat reflected both its age and contents.