Greenland Arctic fox
The Arctic fox is found throughout the northern polar region, with different subspecies recognized depending on the region. The population in Greenland is called “Vulpes lagopus groenlandicus”.
Best thermal insulation
“Vulpes lagopus” means ‘hare foot fox’ and is due to the fact that the paws of the Arctic fox, like those of the Arctic hare, are protected from the cold by thick fur. The Arctic fox has the best thermal insulation of all living mammals and, according to scientific calculations, can even survive temperatures as low as –80 °C (–112 °F).
White morph and blue morph
Its fur is also unusual because of its color. In summer, it is brown to blue-gray. In winter, there are two variants, the white morph and the blue morph. The latter can range in color from light gray to almost black. However, these are not characteristics of different subspecies. A blue morph and a white morph can come from the same parents.
Lifelong partnership and hunting skills
Arctic foxes live mainly in the tundra, but sometimes also on the pack ice. Males and females raise their young together and stay together with the same partner for life. Their main food source is lemmings, which they can sniff out even under a thick layer of snow and then often catch by making a targeted diving leap.
Facts
- Binominal name: Vulpes lagopus groenlandicus
- Other names: Polar fox, snow fox, white fox
- First described: 1758 (Carl Linnaeus)
- Distribution: Greenland
Greenland Arctic fox souvenir note
This souvenir note from the Greenland Series is dedicated to the Arctic fox. Printed on genuine security paper, it features the coat of arms of Greenland as a gold foil patch, motifs in UV color and haptic elements. While the obverse depicts an Arctic fox and a tree in the scientific tree collection Arboretum Groenlandicum, the reverse shows the tail fin of a whale, a coastal glacier and the Kingittorsuaq Runestone, which was discovered in 1824 by a hunter in north-west Greenland and is now in the Danish National Museum. The runes on it are of Norse origin and date from between 1135 and 1330. The Greenland Series which comprises a total of eight souvenir notes, is also available in a booklet with lots of information and pictures.
Obverse: Greenland Arctic fox, Arboretum Groenlandicum, scientific tree collection in Narsarsuaq, coat of arms of Greenland, map of Greenland
Reverse: Tail fin of a whale, coastal glacier, Kingittorsuaq Runestone, Inuit art
| Dimensions: 145 x 70 mm (5.71 x 2.76 in) Material: Paper |
