Arctic Tundra Animals Adaptations
Balance of the body is maintained with these large hooves as the caribou traverses marshlands and snow-clad areas.
Arctic tundra animals adaptations. Arctic Fox - Facts and Adaptations Vulpes lagopus Alopex lagopus Arctic foxes also sometimes called the polar fox white fox or snow fox are true animals of the far north they live their whole lives above the northern tree line in the Arctic tundra. In Arctic and alpine tundras the number of species of plants and animals is usually small when compared with other regions yet the number of individuals per species is often high. Animals have had to adapt to the tundra climate in ways that keep them warm and help them find food.
These claws are used for digging snow. Animals of the Arctic tundra have adapted to survive frigid conditions according to the Conservation Institute. Examples of Physiological adaptations of animals in the Arctic Tundra include.
Before an animal hibernates it will consume large amounts of food. Arctic fox - ermine - lemming - arctic hare. Arctic tundra animals adaptations.
There are also smaller herds of musk-oxen that roam the frozen regions. Hibernation - Although hibernation is often thought of as behavioural it is also in fact a physiological adaptation. The arctic fox also known as the polar fox adapts to the tundra by making its home in small burrows in frost free ground in low mounds or rock piles.
The fact that many animals do not live year-round in the Tundra means they leave or migrate for a length of time to warmer climates. For instance the extra blubber of polar bears keeps them well protected against the arctic elements. Many of them have larger bodies and shorter arms legs and tails which helps them retain their heat better and prevent heat loss.
Food and feeder relationships are simple and they are more subject to upset if a critical species disappears or decreases in number. Animals need shelter and insulation in the Tundra. Migration and hibernation are examples of behavioral adaptations used by animals in the Arctic tundra.