"The winter-time coat ranges between 45-60mm [long], but offers a very high thermal insulation compared to its length," says Stephen Midgley of the Arctic Fox Center in SúðavÃk, Iceland.Air is a good insulator because it's not very dense, so heat only moves through it slowly
"Altogether the arctic fox can tolerate very low temperatures of -70 °C. It always surprises you just how thin they really are when you pick them up and all the fur compresses against their little bodies."
The reason this coat can protect the fox from such extreme cold, despite being only a few inches thick, is down to its structure.
Beneath the longer outer hairs is a softer, denser layer that accounts for 70% of the fur. This traps a layer of air next to the skin. Air is a good insulator because it's not very dense, so heat only moves through it slowly.
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