The Arctic Foxes of Svalbard

Sometimes you might catch a glimpse of a scruffy furball with a fluffy tail sneaking around in between rocks on a mountain as well as in the streets here in Svalbard. On the mainland of Norway one would immediately think that it was probably just a cat, but considering there’s a ban on cats in Svalbard, what could it be then?

Meet the Arctic fox!

The Arctic fox, also known as the polar fox, is a near relative of the red fox although smaller in body size, and can be found all over the Arctic tundra. Here in Svalbard it can be found across almost the entire archipelago, from tall mountains and glaciers and all the way down to the coast and drifting sea ice. As mentioned, the arctic foxes aren’t particularly large. They can grow to about 55-60cm in length (plus a tail about 28cm in length), and can weigh between 2,5 to 5kg. They’re very well adapted to Arctic conditions with their short snouts and round ears, and with an extremely thick winter fur, undercoat, and long cover hairs, they can stay warm and toasty through the cold wintery days of the Arctic.
In fact, their winter fur is so effective at keeping them warm that they easily can cope with temperatures down towards -40*C without having to expend any additional energy in order to stay warm!

They’re cunning hunters and scavenger, and can sometimes be seen hunting birds below bird cliffs, near reindeer cadavers in the wild, or even in the middle of town on the lookout for some snacks.

A fun fact about Arctic foxes is that they’re a quite romantic bunch, and once they’ve found a mate they’ll stick together as a couple for the rest of their lives! The average lifespan of the foxes living in Svalbard is about 3 to 4 years, but they can grow to become as old as 16 years. Their mating season lasts from the end of February until the middle of April, and on average they’ll have around 5 to 6 puppies in a single litter. After about 8 to 10 weeks the puppies will start to venture on long trips away from their den, and they’ll ultimately leave the den sometime in August.

Spotting an Arctic fox, and even just knowing where to find one, can be extremely difficult. They do not have any natural predators or other species to compete with in the high Arctic ecosystem of Svalbard, which means that they may sometimes become curious and brave enough to come up close to investigate if one is venturing inside their territory.
But be aware that Arctic foxes can carry both parasites and diseases that can be transmitted to humans such as rabies. Therefore, it is not advised to get too close to the foxes nor touch or pet them, even though they may seem friendly and harmless.

The Arctic fox in Svalbard is very popular with nature and wildlife photographers, and is considered to be one of the “big five” animals in Svalbard that photographers want to get a snapshot of when visiting.
You don’t have to be a photographer to find an encounter with an Arctic fox exciting, and it’s also a very good opportunity to find the answer to the Ylvis brothers’ big question in their hit song from 2013 “What does the fox say?”!

For the best chances of spotting the fox in the Svalbardian wilderness it’s recommended that one joins an organised photo safari with a local activity provider. That way you’ll be able to enjoy the nature and the possible sighting of a fox with the knowledge that you’re in safe hands when accompanied by a professional local guide who knows the terrain, has the necessary training to handle an encounter with a polar bear in the wild, and who carries the necessary equiment to maintain the groups’ safety in the Svalbardian nature.

To read and learn more about the Arctic fox, check out the Norwegian Polar Institute’s webpage here.