Whats the arctic foxs ancestor and where did it live?
Answer Dear Katie Thanks for your question. I also wish to thank the authors of the websites and books I used (such as http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_fox http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/135.shtml and http://library.thinkquest.org/3500/arctic_fox.htm). I also answered a question about the ancestry of the Arctic fox some years ago (http://en.allexperts.com/q/Wild-Animals-705/Artic-Fox-Alopex-lagopus.htm). It seems that the Arctic fox diverged from a fox resembling the red fox about 1-2 million years ago. The Arctic fox developed smaller ears, a shorter muzzle, shorter legs and thicker fur to adapt to the colder environment. The Arctic fox and red fox have fairly similar habits. They eat what they find (they’re not fussy about food) and a male and female mate in the breeding season and look after their cubs. The ancestor of the Arctic fox would have had similar habits. I suspect that the Arctic fox’s ancestors were adapted to a colder environment than the current red
