Arctic Tundra Adaptations

There are many factors that make the Arctic tundra biome an extreme environment. There are only two seasons in this biome, winter and summer. The winters are characterised as long and cold where temperatures can drop below -50°C. There are also parts of the Arctic Circle that experience periods of time without sunlight known as polar nights, this can last for several months. During the winter months food is very scarce. The summers are characterised as being short and cool, with average temperatures of between -10°C and +10°C but temperatures can reach up to +30°C. The summers also have midnight sun periods, which is periods of more than 24 hours of sunlight, these can also last for several months. Due to these factors, animals living in this
They have a round, plump, compact body which is usually between 65 and 85cm long. They also have shortened extremities which include their ears, snout and legs. They have short, heavily furred rounded ears. Their legs are very small in proportion to the rest of their body size. All of these adaptations help minimise surface area and therefore decreases the amount of body heat loss as stated in Allen’s rule.
The Arctic fox has a winter and a summer coat. The deep, thick, white fur winter coat is the most characteristic feature of the Arctic fox. It is the most well insulated fur coat of any mammal and is so effective the Arctic fox does not get seriously affected by the cold until temperatures less than -70°C. The winter coat is so thick it makes the small fox appear much larger than their actual size, it is made up of a dense under fur and long guard hairs. The white colour of the coat aids in the foxes ability to camouflage into the snowy landscape and therefore help avoid predation and also aids in hunting their prey. The Arctic fox also have thickly furred/haired paws, which helps in the reduction of heat loss and also aids in navigating the snowy landscape