Interactions between Arctic and Red Foxes in Scandinavia - Predation and Aggression

Abstract

Arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) populations in Scandinavia are small and restricted to alpine regions, while red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are common throughout both Norway and Sweden. The two species are similar in behaviour and diet, and thus competition between them is likely. This study provides seven observations of aggressive interactions between the two species. One adult arctic fox and one cub were killed by red foxes, one male arctic fox was chased away from his den, one female arctic fox and a cub fled into the den as a red fox approached, four cubs fled into the den as a red fox walked upon it and once a red fox walked upon the arctic fox den when no arctic foxes could be seen. Only on one occasion did an arctic fox succeed in chasing away a red fox. Red fox predation may prove to be limiting to the small arctic fox population in Scandinavia, and arctic foxes can be displaced from good dens and the most productive regions. Key words: arctic fox (Alopex lagopus), red fox (Vilpes vulpes), interactions, predation, aggression, field observations, Scandinavia RESUME. En Scandinavie, la population des renards polaires (Alopex lagopus) est petite et se limite aux zones alpines, alors que le renard roux (Vulpes vuipes) est commun dans toute la Norvege et la Suede. Les deux especes, qui ont un comportement et une alimentation semblables sont probablement en competition. Cette etude fournit sept observations d'interactions agressives entre les deux especes: un renard polaire adulte et un renardeau tues par des renards roux, un renard polaire mlle chasst de son terrier, un renard polaire femelle et un renardeau s'enfuyant dans le terrier a l'approche d'un renard roux, quatre renardeaux s'enfuyant dans leur terrier alors qu'un renard roux se tenait au-dessus, et un renard roux se tenant sur le terrier d'un renard polaire alors qu'aucun renard polaire n'etait en vue. Une seule fois, un renard polaire a reussi B chasser un renard roux. La predation par le renard roux pourrait bien limiter la petite population de renards polaires en Scandinavie, et les renards polaires peuvent &re chassks des bons terriers et des regions les plus productives. Mots des: renard polaire (Alopex lagopus), renard roux (Vubes vulpes), interactions, predation, agression, observations sur le terrain, Scandinavie Traduit pour le journal par Nesida Loyer.

Arctic fox Vulpes lagopus den use in relation to altitude and human infrastructure

“…Such food resources should be more stable in abundance compared to the very cyclic availability of small rodents, and may be especially important for the red fox in periods when natural food resources are scarce (Nielsen 1990, Lucherini & Crema 1994, Ferrari & Weber 1995. We suggest that increased food availability at the interface of the two fox species has affected the total red fox population positively, resulting in an influx of nonbreeding red foxes to high-alpine areas, where the summer may be too short for the red fox to breed (Frafjord 2003a).…”

“…Competition and predation from the larger red fox Vulpes vulpes is probably the major threat to the endangered arctic fox (Østbye et al 1978, Frafjord et al 1989, Tannerfeldt et al 2002a, Elmhagen 2003, Sela˚s & Vik 2007. In fact, sterilised red foxes have successfully been used to eradicate arctic foxes on islands in Alaska (Bailey 1992).…”

The impact of maternal experience on post-weaning survival in an endangered arctic fox population

“…In populations depending upon highly fluctuating prey species, such as lemmings (Lemmus lemmus), almost all of the juveniles die due to starvation during years with low prey densities (Tannerfeldt et al 1994;Angerbjörn et al 2004a). In complement to food abundance, predation from red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and avian predators such as golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and snowy owl (Bubo scandiaca) has been suggested to lower the survival of arctic fox cubs in Fennoscandia (Frafjord et al 1989;Tannerfeldt et al 2002) and in northern Alaska (Garrott and Eberhardt 1982;Pamperin et al 2006).…”

Subfossil Records of the Arctic Fox (<i>Alopex Lagopus</i>) Compared to Its Present Distribution in Norway

“…The lack of recovery of the population has been explained by competition with a recently increased population of red foxes IhZpes vulpes (Frafjord et al, 1989;Hersteinsson et al, 1989). The distribution and abundance of red foxes in alpine and arctic environments may be limited by the productivity of the habitat, while the red fox may limit the distribution of the smaller arctic fox (Hersteinsson and Macdonald, 1992).…”