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How does a fox change into a new fur suit twice a year?

Meet the Arctic fox, or arctic fox. It's a little smaller than a house cat — weighing just 3-4 kilograms. But this little one lives where the thermometer reads -50°C and the wind blows in your face at a speed of 100 km/h!

The main secret of the fox is its magical fur. In winter, it is white-white, like fresh snow, and very thick. So thick that it is warmer than the fur of any other animal on Earth! And when the short Arctic summer comes and the snow melts, the fox sheds its white fur and puts on a new one - brown or gray. Now it is not visible among the stones and moss of the tundra.

How does it do that? The fox's skin contains special cells that sense the length of the day. When the days get shorter, the brain gives the command and molting begins. The old white hairs fall out, and dark ones grow in their place. And vice versa in the fall. The whole process takes several weeks.

And the Arctic fox has tiny ears and a short muzzle — not like a regular fox. This also protects against the cold: the smaller the body surface, the less heat is lost. And its paws are covered with fur right down to the pads — real fur boots!

For years, people have wondered: is this really the same animal? It seemed that in summer and winter, they were two different foxes. Now you know the truth. Imagine how cool it would be to have such a fur coat - warm in winter and light in summer. Nature has already figured it all out long ago.