Food Habits of Arctic Foxes (Alopex Lagopus) on the Western Coast of Svalbard

• Published in: ARCTIC
• Main Author: Frafjord, Karl
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Arctic Institute of North America 1993
• Subjects: Animal behaviour; Animal food; Animal mortality; Animal waste products; Arctic foxes; Birds; Cannibalism; Denning; Lemmings; Reindeer; Seals (Animals); Svalbard; Arctic; Phoques; Renard; Alopex lagopus; Arctic Fox; Arctique*; petit pingouin; renard arctique
• Online Access: https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64376

Food habits of arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) on the western coast of Svalbard were studied in the years 1986-89. Faeces (n=1018) were collected mostly in summer, and food remains were recorded both at dens and elsewhere in the region. The foxes were opportunistic in their hunting and feeding habits, utilizing a wide variety of available food items. Alcids (mainly little auks and Brunnich's guillemot), gulls (mainly kittiwakes), and fulmars were the major foods in summer. The consumption of alcids by fox families was correlated with availability near the den. In winter, fulmars and, in one region, seals were important foods. Some regional differences in food consumption were found. A change in diet was observed when a litter of pups moved from one den to another (2 of 3 cases). Differences in food habits between years also were found at the same den (4 of 5 cases). Foxes frequently cached food by scatter hoarding, placing only a single item in each cache.Key words: arctic fox, Alopex lugopus, food habits, prey species, food caching, Svalbard On a étudié les habitudes alimentaires du renard arctique (Alopex lagopus) sur la côte ouest du Svalbard au cours des années allant de 1986 à 1989. On a recueilli les fèces (n = 1018) surtout en été, et on a consigné les débris de nourriture à la fois dans les terriers et ailleurs dans la région. Les renards se montraient opportunistes dans leurs façons de chasser et de se nourrir, et faisaient usage d'une vaste gamme d'aliments à leur portée. Les alcidés (surtout le petit pingouin et la marmette de Brünnich), les mouettes (surtout la mouette à trois doigts) et les fulmars étaient les sources principales de nourriture estivale. La consommation d'alcidés par les familles de renards était corrélée avec leur disponibilité à proximité du terrier. En hiver, les fulmars et, dans un certain endroit, les phoques constituaient une source importante de nourriture. On a trouvé certaines différences régionales dans la consommation alimentaire. On a observé un changement dans le régime ...