Picture trying to survive in the cold, treeless Arctic tundra. For many animals, a habitat like this would be impossible. Yet the arctic fox, a mammal about 55 centimeters long, not counting its tail, thrives there, thanks to features that scientists call adaptations: traits that help a living thing survive in its environment.
Consider fur that turns white in winter and brown in summer: this adaptation helps it blend in with snow or with rocks and plants. The word camouflage refers to colors or patterns that help an animal blend in. Equally important is a short nose, short legs and small ears, which help it lose less heat in the cold. Without these traits, the arctic fox would struggle to last a single season.
As an omnivore, the arctic fox is an animal that eats both plants and animals; it depends on lemmings, bird eggs and berries. Its behavior matters as much as its body: it listens for lemmings under the snow, then leaps up and dives in headfirst to catch them. Behaviors like this are adaptations too, even though you cannot see them in a photograph.
The next generation faces the same challenges. Young arctic foxes, called kits, depend on their surroundings and on adult care. A family may raise more than ten kits in one underground den.
Perhaps most remarkable of all: arctic foxes can stay warm in temperatures as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius. Facts like this remind us that every animal's body tells a story about the place it lives.