On this page, two different species of fox - the Arctic and Fennec - help me to show how two different animals have adapted to live in extreme environments such as the Arctic Tundra and the Sahara Desert. (P9 & P10).
Arctic Fox
The Arctic Fox (Alopex Lagopus) lives in the Arctic Tundra where weather conditions can be extreme all year round. The Arctic Fox has successfully adapted to this harsh climate. It has a thick coat containing an undercoat that helps to keep the heat in and allows it to trap air. The short ears, nose and body allow for a smaller surface area which aids in controlling heat loss. This fox has blood circulation into its paws which prevent them from freezing on the ice along with furry pads that provide grip on the snow. The Arctic Fox has a thick bushy tail that it can wrap around itself in winter to conserve body heat by reducing the exposed surface area. The fox has a thick layer of body fat that aids thermoregulation and can be used if the food supply gets low to prevent the fox from starving. The fox decreases the blood flow using vasoconstriction during winter which helps to retain heat by stopping blood passing below the skin. In winter, the foxes coat will turn white to act as camouflage in the snow whilst in summer, the coat will turn a light brown colour.
Video showing the adaptations of the Arctic Fox.
Fennec Fox
The Fennec Fox (Vulpes Zerda) originally lives in the harsh climate of the Sahara Desert. It has adapted greatly to the hot, dry conditions of the desert. This is the smallest species of fox. The Fennec Fox has a thick coat to help protect it from the sun in the day and keep the fox warm at night. The Fennec Fox has fur on its paws to protect them from the hot sand, these paws are good for digging dens. Their sand coloured fur helps to reflect the heat from the sun and the large, batlike ears help to dispel heat due to blood circulating through them. The fox also pants in order to expel heat. The kidneys of the fox have greatly adapted to retain water where possible through making the urine more concentrated. This is essential due to the lack of rain in the Sahara Desert. The fox gets most of its water from food and dew in the dens. They can survive long periods of time without drinking water due to this adaptation.
A video showing the adaptations of the Fennec Fox.