Winter can be a challenging time for wildlife especially when deep snow blankets the land, and the wind blows bitterly cold. Birds fluff up their feathers and search high and low for anything to eat. Squirrels are extra plump and fuzzy and dig down through the snow in hopes of finding a forgotten acorn. But for some critters, winter is a time of plenty. Owls such as the Great Horned and Barred Owl do well in the winter weather conditions. The nights are extra long giving them ample opportunity to hunt while the snow cover gives the mice and voles a false sense of security from the avian predators above.
The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) is one of those critters who does well in winter conditions. In preparation for winter, foxes grow an extra thick undercoat of fur which covers their entire body. In addition, they grow extra fur on their paws that helps with the snow and ice. They also pack on extra fat for the winter which acts to both keep them warm as an insulating layer and also gives them energy when food becomes in short supply.
Another adaptation used by foxes to survive winter is a heat exchange arrangement in their legs. The warm arterial blood coming directly from the heart runs right along side of the cool venous blood returning from the paw. The heat of the body is exchanged from the arteries to the veins before it gets a chance to be lost to the environment through the paws. This means the paws are kept at a lower temperature than the rest of the body and minimizes heat loss from the paws that are in contact with the ground.
To read more about the red fox, pick up a copy of the Messenger today to read the rest of Stan’s column.