#1: Arctic Foxes
Arctic foxes have interesting features that help them survive the freezing arctic tundra. They have short ears and muzzles, and very, very thick and fluffy fur. This double-duty fur also acts as wonderful camouflage, helping the foxes to avoid predators. In the winter when all the snow has fallen, their coats turn white or sometimes blue gray, blending them in with the cold snow, also keeping them warm. In the summer when the rocks and dirt show, their fur turns gray or brown, blending them in with the ground around them. They also have fur on their paws, allowing them to walk easily on snow and ice. The arctic fox's diet consists of a variety of things, them being omnivores. They'll eat birds, rodents, vegetables (when available), and if prey becomes hard to find, the scraps of food that polar bears leave behind. Unexpected teamwork for the polar bear! But their main diet is lemmings, but they are opportunistic. These fluffy mammals spring 14 pups a litter. Sadly, they only live about 3-6 years in the wild. They range in the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere, such as the Arctic tundra, Alaska, Norway, Scandinavia, Greenland, Russia, Canada, and Iceland. Their size is usually 2.3 to 3.5 inches long in addition to their foot-long tail. They're about 9 to 12 inches tall at the shoulder. They hunt using their wide, front-facing ears to locate just where their prey is hiding, whether it be under the snow or not. When they find where they are under the snow, they leap into the air and smash right through the snow, right onto the prey.
#2: Harp Seals
Harp seals, or saddleback seals, prefer to roam the Arctic Ocean rather than stay on land. These little swimmers can stay submerged for up to 15 minutes, and eat fish and crustaceans. Their breeding ground is in Newfoundland, where they go every mating season to find mates and give birth. The male harp seals will fight other seals for their mates, The reason harp seals are also called saddleback seals is because of the saddle-like marking on their fluffy gray or light yellow fur. Their fur is highly valued, which makes it a hunter's choice, and thousands are killed every year. It's a war between the hunters and the people who want to protect these creatures. It should be better now in the modern day, but they are still being killed. They range in size to 5.25 to 6.25 feet long, weigh up to 400 lb, and live up to 20 years in the wild.