Site variation in summer foods of arctic fox on Prince of Wales Island, Northwest Territories. Arctic 33

• Main Author: Alan J. Kennedy
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1980
• Subjects: Arctic; Northwest Territories; Prince of Wales Island; Russell River; Alopex lagopus; Arctic Fox; Arctic hare; Dicrostonyx groenlandicus; Ermine; Lepus arcticus; Mustela erminea; Purple saxifrage
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.576.3442; http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic33-2-366.pdf

ABSTRACT. Analysis of 840 arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) feces (scats) from Prince of Wales Island, indicate that collared lemming (Dicrostonyx groenlandicus) are the most frequent food item. Caribou (Rangifer), arctic hare (Lepus arcticus) and ermine Mustela erminea) were less important. Bird remains were not prevalent in the arctic fox scats. A marked difference was found between prey items at a den site and those recovered in scats from general searches. Caribou remains were more prevalent in scats from a den site because adult foxes were scavenging nearby wolf kills. Arctic fox scats were collected on Prince of Wales Island, Northwest Territories during July and August 1977 at a den site (n=375) and on general searches (n=465) surrounding the den. The Russell River den site (73 " 41 ' N, 97 " 41 ' W) is situated 100 m from an unnamed river, approximately 5.0 km from the northeast coast of the island. The den site is a low (<lm) ice mound covered predominantly with sand and gravel. Vegetation on the site is dominated byr purple saxifrage (Saxi fup oppositifolia) and dryas (Dryas integrifoliu). Two adult arctic foxes and four whelps were observed at the den