Posted by For my project I chose the objective to compare and contrast behavioral strategies and physiological strategies of coping with temperatures by focusing on the arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), a canid species found in arctic regions. I decided to create an illustration that captures a behavioral strategy they use to stay warm, curling up into a ball to create the lowest surface area to volume ratio possible in order to conserve heat, along with the physiological adaptation of having a different coat length in the winter than in the summer. For their winter coat they have thicker fur and overall a rounder shape while in the summer their fur is much thinner and they appear far less round. I also wanted to capture the morphological features they share with many other arctic animals including smaller ears, snouts, and legs that reduce their surface area to volume ratio similarly to how curling up into a ball would.
