SEASONAL AND CIRCADIAN CHANGES IN ACTIVITY RATES OF ADULT FARM BLUE FOXES

The present paper reports systematic activity rates obtained from year -round video recordings of farmbred blue foxes (Alopex lagopus) housed singly in conventional wire-mesh cages (107 cm wide x 110 long x 70 c m high). Subjects were 9 males and 13 females. Mean whole-year activit y rates were slightly higher in males (394 +/- 116 min/24 h; mean +/- SD) than females (349 +/- 111 min/24 h). Significant (P<0.001) seasona l variations were found in the activity rate of both sexes. Females we re most active in May (539 +/- 157 min/24 h) and males in June (471 +/ - 128 min/24 h). Lowest activity rates were in September. Activity rat es of males, in particular; tended to increase at the approach of the breeding season in March. Seasonal activity patterns of farmed foxes r esembled that of foxes living in the wild. Circadian activity was conc entrated on farm work hours (0800-1600) in winter, but not in summer. Typically farmed blue foxes were most active between sunrise and sunse t. Diurnal pattern of farmed foxes is markedly different to wild foxes which typically exhibit a more nocturnal pattern of activity.