The animals that live in arctic lands look different than animals that live in warmer environments. This is because their bodies have adaptations to help them live in the cold. One of these adaptations is that they have large bodies. Arctic animals have large bodies because large bodies make more heat.
Arctic animals also have short ears, noses and legs. Ears, noses and legs are parts of the body that help it cool off. The bigger these parts of the body are, the more heat they give off. Arctic animals need to keep in all the heat their bodies can make. This is the reason why arctic animals' ears, noses and legs are shorter than the ears, noses and legs belonging to animals that live in warmer places on Earth.
Arctic animals also have adaptations that keep the cold out! One of these is growing thick, fur coats. Another adaptation is having a large layer of fat all over their bodies. These two adaptations work together for many animals. Here is how: The fur keeps the cold air off the animal's skin. The fat traps the heat that the animal's large body makes. Because of these two adaptations, the animal stays warm even though the temperature may be very cold.
Many arctic animals such as polar bears even swim in the icy waters! Their thick fur coat and layer of fat are very important to keep them from freezing in the water.
Image Credit: Image is from Art Today.