Abstract
With increased polar anthropogenic activity, such as from the oil and gas industry, there are growing concerns about how Arctic species will be affected. Knowledge of species’ sensory abilities, such as auditory sensitivities, can be used to mitigate the effects of such activities. Herein, behavioral audiograms of two captive adult Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) were measured using a yes/no paradigm and descending staircase method of signal presentation. Both foxes displayed a typical mammalian U-shaped audiometric curve, with a functional hearing range of 125 Hz–16 kHz (sensitivity ≤ 60 dB re: 20 μPa) and average peak sensitivity of 24 dB re: 20 μPa at 4 kHz. The foxes had a lower frequency range and sensitivity than would be expected when compared to previous audiograms of domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) and other carnivores. These differences indicate Arctic foxes (V. lagopus) may have a lower frequency range than previously expected, which was similar to the only other fox species tested to date, kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis). Alternatively, differences may be due to testing constraints, such as masking of test signals by ambient noise and/or an unintentionally trained conservative response bias, which most likely resulted in underestimated hearing curves. While results of this study should be interpreted with caution due to its limitations, findings indicate that foxes have a narrower frequency range than formerly presumed. Anthropogenic activities near fox habitats can mitigate their impacts by reducing noise at frequencies within the functional hearing range and peak sensitivities of this species.
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Acknowledgments
This research was conducted as a master’s thesis at Western Illinois University. The Department of Biological Sciences at Western Illinois University (WIU) contributed all of the test equipment. The study was partially funded by a student grant from the WIU Graduate School. Food and animal costs were donated by the zoos. The critiques by Dr. Brian Peer and Dr. Jeff Engel and by external reviewers, especially Jack Terhune, were invaluable to producing this publication. The authors thank Laura Monaco Torelli and Tara Gifford for advising training procedures, and Marc Silpa, Nicole Spinoza, Kirk Massey, and the keepers of the Columbus Zoo for volunteering time and making this research possible.
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Stansbury, A.L., Thomas, J.A., Stalf, C.E. et al. Behavioral audiogram of two Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus). Polar Biol 37, 417–422 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-014-1446-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-014-1446-5