Climate change is in full swing. Many wild animals struggle to adapt – especially fur animals. Wild fur animals change their fur to camouflage themselves and regulate their temperature. Mostly, it is the length of the day that determines when it happens. But new findings show that the arctic fox adapts to climate change surprisingly well. This is very good news for that animal, say researchers. The mountain fox is on the red list of threatened animal species. CLEVER: The mountain fox changes fur in sync with its surroundings. Photo: Craig Jackson (Nina) Analysis of a game camera Researchers from the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) have studied whether the arctic fox adapts its coat after changes in temperature and weather for eight years. To find out, they have analyzed wildlife camera images of arctic foxes in the Snøhetta area in the period from May to August each year. This was compared with climate data and measurements of snow cover in the area. – What we found out is that the arctic fox adapts a lot. There were big changes in warm and cold years, and it was also linked to the amount of snow, says researcher Craig Ryan Jackson. RESEARCHER: Jackson is a researcher at NINA. Photo: Norwegian Institute for Natural Research (Nina) They also found that the white mountain foxes changed fur more in sync with their surroundings than the blue ones. In the years it has been warmest, the white mountain foxes have changed their fur earlier. – The white mountain foxes are even more vulnerable to climate change because of their colour, but they adapt very well, says Lucie Laporte-Devylder. Laporte-Devylder wrote his master’s thesis based on the research. One less thing to struggle with The findings of the survey are very good news, according to the researchers. – It is good to see that they can adapt. It would have been very problematic for the arctic fox if it could not adapt to the changes in season and temperature, says Laporte-Devylder. The mountain fox struggles with the fact that the supply of food is more unstable than before because the small rodent cycle is changing. But with the findings of the survey, they have one less thing to struggle with. CHANGE: Here the arctic fox changes from winter fur to summer fur. Photo: Norwegian Institute for Natural Research (NINA) – When it comes to shedding fur, fortunately the arctic fox adapts more to climate change than we thought, says Jackson Still threatened The arctic fox has done well in the wild in recent years. This year, 72 new arctic fox litters were born. It is the highest number since the national monitoring of arctic foxes began almost 20 years ago. But the arctic fox is still vulnerable. – There are not so many animals, although there are many more than 1015 years ago. The mountain fox is endangered and still has many challenges, says Jackson.
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The arctic fox adapts to climate change, according to research from NINA – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
