Red Fox (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) scavenging on the spring sea ice: potential implications for Arctic food webs

Abstract

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) has been increasingly observed in the Arctic. However, few observations of Red Foxes occupying and using resources on the sea ice have been reported. We observed a Red Fox scavenging on a Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) carcass on the Beaufort Sea, Northwest Territories, Canada. The fox was in a jumble of ice (i.e., rubble ice) approximately 4.5 km from shore. Local Inuvialuit hunters had also previously observed Red Foxes on the sea ice. Our observation, coupled with those of Inuvialuit hunters, is of interest because it provides additional information on the adaptability of Red Foxes to local environments and their ability to use a wide range of habitats and food sources. Moreover, it points to encroachment by Red Foxes into the offshore habitat of Arctic Foxes (Vulpes lagopus) and potential competition with them for scarce resources, which may impact trophic food webs.

Feast to famine: Sympatric predators respond differently to seasonal prey scarcity on the low Arctic tundra

“…Red foxes, however, never commuted to the sea ice, further suggesting they generally avoid this habitat, like on St. Matthews island where red foxes hunt inland while Arctic foxes used the coast (e.g., Klein & Sowls, 2015 ). Yet, direct and indirect evidence suggests that red foxes use sea ice occasionally, either to travel—red foxes are found on offshore islands sometimes quite far from the mainland, which suggest they use seasonal ice to disperse there (Andriashek et al, 1985 ; Klein & Sowls, 2015 ; Lai et al, 2022 )—or to forage (Andriashek & Spencer, 1989 ; Jung et al, 2020 )—interestingly, both reports of red foxes foraging on sea ice come from the same area in Yukon, Canada. Although these observations are not unique, they remain rare.…”

“…Yet, direct and indirect evidence suggests that red foxes use sea ice occasionally, either to travel-red foxes are found on offshore islands sometimes quite far from the mainland, which suggest they use seasonal ice to disperse there (Andriashek et al, 1985;Klein & Sowls, 2015;Lai et al, 2022)-or to forage (Andriashek & Spencer, 1989;Jung et al, 2020)-interestingly, both reports of red foxes foraging on sea ice come from the same area in Yukon, Canada.…”

Mitogenomic exploration supports the historical hypothesis of anthropogenic diffusion of a zoonotic parasite Echinococcus multilocularis

“…42 , 43 The red fox ( V. vulpes ), the main definitive host in Hokkaido, has been observed to migrate on sea ice in other oceans in the Northern Hemisphere, such as the Beaufort Sea and Labrador Sea. 44 , 45 Hasegawa reported a live fox on drifting ice in straits. 10 Based on these observations, it can be speculated that E. multilocularis was brought into Hokkaido by spontaneous or accidental migration of foxes from the adjacent Kurile Islands.…”