Ranging across the open tundra of Canada's Arctic, the Arctic fox is a small, hardy hunter that spends its whole life in one of the harshest climates on Earth. Despite its dog-like appearance, the fox is more closely related to other foxes than to wolves; its compact body, short ears, and heavily furred foot pads all help it hold in warmth. Both males and females grow the same thick white winter coat, and a deep layer of insulating fur lets the animal stay active through months of bitter cold and darkness. Although it was once common across the north, this resourceful hunter was trapped heavily for its dense pelt before careful controls allowed its numbers to slowly recover.
The Arctic fox's most remarkable trait is a coat that changes with the seasons. In winter the animal is almost pure white, blending into the snow, while in summer it moults into a shorter brown or grey coat that matches the bare ground and rock. This seasonal change keeps the fox hidden from larger predators and, just as usefully, hides it from the prey it stalks. Its hearing is sharp enough to pinpoint a lemming moving beneath the snow, and the fox will leap high and plunge down through the crust to seize the animal in a single pounce.
