3. 5 January, 2016 Sameenah Ahmed 3
They are usually about the size of a small
house pet. They generally don't grow much
larger than 2 to 3 feet long. Arctic foxes
have short ears, and legs. Warm-blooded
creatures lose the most body heat from
their hands and feet. Any part of the body
that is far away from the heart requires
more energy to heat up. It is difficult for
the arctic foxes because their bodies are
short and stumpy. With a compact body,
their hearts don't have to work very hard to
warm their noses and toes. Thick fur covers
their paws and gives them warmth and grip
in the winter snow. When they sleep, arctic
foxes curl their long, bushy tails around
their bodies to conserve more heat.
The Arctic fox is found throughout the entire
Arctic tundra, through Alaska, Canada,
Greenland, Russia, Norway, Scandinavia, and
even Iceland, where it is the only native land
mammal. These areas have very cold
conditions therefore the arctic fox has adapted
to withstand the cold temperatures
5. 5 January, 2016 Sameenah Ahmed 5
The fennec foxes have large ears which are usually 6 inches long. This helps
them to release excess body heat in very hot weather conditions. Their
large ears can also move in a fanning motion to help them cool down during
hot days. They can also lose heat by panting and sweating. The thickness of
their fur helps provide heat during the cold nights and the colour of the
reflects the heat.