Research Training Program

Alexandra Audet
McGill University
Ste-Anne de Bellevue, Quebec
CANADA

Brian Robbins
Department of Vertebrate Zoology
Division of Mammals

"This is the first time I met people who share a similar passion for biology and learning."

Biology of the Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopus)

The American Society of Mammalogists publishes a series of accounts dealing with the biology of individual species of mammals. This research focuses on producing a species account of the arctic fox, Alopex lagopus. Data was gathered from the collection of mammals and from the library facilities. The content of a species account is multidisciplinary. It must include information on the systematics, distribution, ecology, descriptive morphology, ontogeny and reproduction, behavior and genetics. Ecologically, Alopax lagopus occupies an essential niche and is a significant component of the economy of the people inhabiting the Far North. Despite its importance, it is surprisingly unstudied.

This research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program ( Award: DIR-9200203).