alopex lagopus

noun

Meaning

A scientific name for the arctic fox, a small canine native to the cold, treeless regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Examples

  • Researchers studying the biodiversity of the tundra often refer to the arctic fox by its binomial name, alopex lagopus.
  • The thick fur of alopex lagopus allows it to survive temperatures as low as minus fifty degrees Celsius.

Synonyms: arctic fox, polar fox, white fox, vulpes lagopus