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Arctic Fox Adaptations

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It is well known that the Arctic and Antarctic regions have harsh, cold winds, low temperatures and heavy snow fall, however, these environments are home to many species of birds and mammals which successfully survive and reproduce in spite of these extreme, seemingly uninhabitable conditions. They need special adaptations to help them survive and have many difficult obstacles to overcome including regulating and maintaining body temperature, coping with predation and with scarcity in food. The arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) is native to the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and inhabits the arctic tundra environments of Eurasia, North America and the alpine tundra of Fennoscandia. Within the worldwide population there are several hundred thousand individuals (The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2013). Populations vary in response to numbers in small mammals. They hunt lemmings, which are their main prey (Strand et. al., 1997), small birds and their eggs and also scavenge carcases in times where food is scarce (Hiruki and Stirling, 1989). Arctic foxes are relatively small mammals at around 3-8 kg. They have small ears, short noses, fur covering the pads on its feet. Its brush like tail aids in keeping its balance but is mostly used for insulation. During the winter arctic foxes have a thick white fur which provides camouflage against the white snowy expanse of the tundra and protection against the harsh environments, in the summer its coat becomes thinner and changes to a brown colour (National Geographic, 2013, Prestrud, 1989). …show more content…
Within this essay the adaptations of Vulpes lagopus, the arctic fox, to its environment with emphasis on the morphological, behavioural and physiological aspects which aid in its success and survival will be

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