Final answer:
Arctic foxes inhabit the Arctic tundra where they are supremely adapted to the cold, treeless environment. They have fur that changes color with the seasons and grows thicker to conserve heat in winter. They originated from ancestors that lived in the Himalayan Mountains of Tibet millions of years ago.
Step-by-step explanation:
Arctic foxes live in the Arctic tundra, a region that is flat with trackless tundra, cold and dark with very little vegetation. These animals have developed incredible adaptations to survive in such an inhospitable environment. The arctic foxes possess a coat that changes color with the seasons, allowing them to blend into the snow-covered landscape in winter for camouflage.
During the winter, their fur grows longer and thicker to trap heat, keeping them warm in the extreme cold where average winter temperatures can plummet to -34°C (-29.2°F). The Arctic tundra is located throughout the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, and represents a treeless land with tough conditions for life.
Animals such as the arctic foxes are part of this unique ecosystem that also includes other mammals like rodents, polar bears, and summer visitors such as caribou. Research has indicated that the ancestors of today’s arctic fox lived millions of years ago in the Himalayan Mountains of Tibet.
These ancestral species have evolved into the present-day arctic fox, a complex animal superbly adapted to its environment, with morphological traits like white fur during winter to make it difficult for predators to locate them against the snow.