Arctic fox in Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park, Norway
Arctic fox in Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park, Norway (© Andy Trowbridge/Minden Pictures)
A change of seasons means a change of colour
We’re visiting Norway’s Dovrefjell–Sunndalsfjella National Park, where this small but mighty Arctic fox is undergoing changes to prepare for the cold, Nordic winter. While animals have many ways to adapt to winter weather, such as migrating, hibernating, and growing thick fur, the Arctic fox does none of this. Instead, its thick fur coat transitions from brown and grey to a snowy white every autumn. The fox’s pelt acts as a camouflage, allowing it to blend in among the rocks and tundra for half of the year and, after turning white, hide in the snow and ice the other half.
© Andy Trowbridge/Minden Pictures