ARCTIC FOX (Alopex Lagopus)
The Arctic Fox is circumpolar and can be found throughout the Southern Hemisphere and the Arctic region. This includes parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia, Svalbard, and Alaska. Like many foxes the Arctic fox builds a den, the Arctic foxes den is usually in snowy hillsides or in a riverbank and will usually have multiple exits and entrances.
Its short legs and nose, thick fur and small ears are adaptations that help it survive in cold climates. Because its legs are so short and its ears and nose are small, they are less exposed to the cold. The arctic fox also has thick fur and hair on its paw pads that help keep it warm. The fur on its paws also gives the fox traction so it doesn't slide on the ice. When the arctic fox is sleeping, it protects its nose from the cold by curling its bushy tail around its body. The arctic fox is about three feet long and weighs between five and fifteen pounds. Males are larger than females. |
FENNEC FOX (Vulpes Zerda)
Fennec foxes live in the sandy Sahara and elsewhere in North Africa. Their nocturnal habits help them deal with the searing heat of the desert environment, and some physical adaptations help as well. These foxes dwell in small communities, each inhabited by roughly ten individuals.
Their distinctive, bat like ears radiate body heat and help keep the foxes cool as well as giving them incredible hearing. They also have long, thick hair that insulates them during cold nights and protects them from hot sun during the day. Even the fox's feet are hairy, which have been adapted to help protect them from extremely hot sand as well as decreasing the amount of sound they make whilst stalking prey. The fox's feet are also effective shovels for all the digging they do as they live in underground dens. They are a pale yellow colour which is reflective during the day to keep them cool. The fennec fox can also survive long periods of time without water due to it's kidneys adapting to restrict water loss, as the fennec fox is a carnivroe it will take a lot of it's moisture through it's food and from it's natural burrowing behaviour, jew forms under the ground so it also gets moisture from there. It has formed these body system adaptations so it can survive in the habitat it lives in. |