Winter Warmth

Yellowstone National Park
                                                                         
Besides being stunningly beautiful, the coat of the red fox offers amazing protection against the harsh winters of the Northern Rockies. Their coat is actually two layers; a warm and thick under-coat that is their main insulator and a second coat of long guard hair. This outer coat keeps the snow and rain from reaching their inner coat, and allows them to maintain their body temperature in the most extreme conditions. When a storm hits, foxes often simply curl up in an open area and wrap their thick tail around their face like a blanket, providing a final layer of warmth and protection. This image was taken after sunrise in the rich morning light as this fox was just waking and preparing to hunt for mice. If you look closely, you can see the frost from the night before as it slowly melts on the fox’s outer coat.
 
Edition of 125