Animals living in areas north of our temperate zone have to adapt to local conditions. Their body shapes differ, their fur is thicker, and manyanimals hibernate. Some mammals can not only survive in icy water, but even thrive under such conditions! How are the bodies of animals living in the north different? Animals that live further north have shorter legs, noses, ears, and tails than species that live in warmer regions. Why is this? The purpose of this adaptation is to reduce heat loss that occurs over large areas of the body. For example, if you compare European wolves to Arctic wolves, you will notice that Arctic wolves have shorter legs and muzzle. This is similar to rabbits and foxes. There are also differences in coat color, with the polar species often being light shades of gray to white to help them blend in with the surrounding landscape.
Interestingly, however, this rule does not apply to the overall size of the animal. In fact, in this case it is the opposite. Animals of the same species increase in size toward the poles! Again, this is related to body surface area. The smaller the animal, the greater the body surface area and therefore the greater the heat loss. The bear is a perfect example of this law. The smallest Malay bear in the tropics weighs only about 60 kg. The largest bears, however, are found in the north. Both polar and Kodiak bears can weigh up to 800 kg!

Mammals live comfortably in icy waters!
The extremely cold waters around the two poles are home to many mammals that have adapted well to these harsh conditions. Somecetaceans,such as seals, sea lions, and walruses,and pinnipedsare permanent residents here. The thick layer of fat is what allows them to survive in icy waters where humans can live for only a few minutes. The thickness of the fat layer can be as much as 30 cm in some species. This is a perfect protection, so much so that it can even overheat if the pinnipeds are exercised further! They are therefore equipped with blood vessels that run to the subcutaneous tissue to keep their bodies cool. [33] They sleep and sleep and sleep! [In true hibernation, animals weaken their vital signs and lower their body temperature and heart rate. Examples include bats, hedgehogs, and gophers. Bears, for example, fake hibernate, but their body temperature drops only a few degrees and they can easily wake up at any time during the winter. Sometimes they take advantage of this to eat and drink.