Quick Bite: Arctic Adaptations
During the 2019-2020 MOSAiC expedition, a mischievous Arctic fox visited the scientists' research camp and chewed on some cables. As you can see in the photo on the right (photo credit: Michael Ginzburg), the Arctic fox had a beautiful stark white fur coat. Did you know that as the seasons start to change and summer rolls around, the Arctic fox's fur coat will change from white to brown? Teachers, ask your students to spend a few minutes talking with a classmate about why they think this is. Then, discuss as a class. What purposes does the color of an animal's coat serve? What happens during seasonal changes in places like high latitude regions that might warrant the fox's wardrobe change?
Read more about how climate change could impact animals like the Arctic fox
Photo credit: Gregoire Dubois