Arctic fox: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the Arctic fox lives – recorded in 14 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Vulpes lagopus
Group	Foxes, jackals & wild dogs
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	14 countries
Continents	Europe, North America
Class	Mammal
Order	Carnivora
Family	Canidae

Where does the Arctic fox live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the Arctic fox in 14 countries and territories across Europe and North America. Wikidata gives its range as: Russia, Canada, Iceland, Norway, Greenland, Svalbard, Arctic, Finland, Sweden, Alaska. In Sweden it is listed as introduced (GRIIS checklists via GBIF).

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the Arctic fox endangered?

The Arctic fox’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the Arctic fox?

The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) is a mammal in the order Carnivora and the family Canidae, genus Vulpes. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the Arctic fox

The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), also known as the white fox, polar fox, or snow fox, is a small species of fox native to the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and common throughout the Arctic tundra. It is well adapted to living in cold environments, and is known for its thick, warm fur that can be used as camouflage against snow in the winter. It has a large and fluffy tail. In the wild, most individuals do not live past their first year but some exceptional ones survive up to 11 years. Its body length ranges from 46 to 68 cm (18 to 27 in), with a generally rounded body shape to minimize the escape of body heat.

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Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Arctic fox (revision 1380848379), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q82738 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).