Chionophile

Japanese macaques

can survive in cold temperatures of below −15°C (5°F), and are among very few primates that can do so.

Chionophiles are any organisms (

fungi, etc.) that can thrive in cold winter conditions (the word is derived from the Greek word chion meaning "snow", and -phile meaning "lover"). These animals have specialized adaptations that help them survive the harshest winters.^[1]

Polar regions

Arctic animals

Animals such as

caribou, Arctic hares, Arctic ground squirrels, snowy owls, puffins, tundra swan, snow geese, Steller's eiders and willow ptarmigan

all survive the harsh Arctic winters quite easily and some, like the willow ptarmigan, are only found in the Arctic region.

extinct as the woolly mammoth

did.

Antarctic animals

Antarctica, also known as the southern pole, is larger and can become much colder than the northern pole. As a result, few animals can survive on the mainland of Antarctica, and those that do mostly live near the coast. The few animals that live on the mainland are

birds such as Antarctic terns, grey-headed albatross, imperial shag, snowy sheathbill and the most well known inhabitant of Antarctica, penguins. The inhospitable environment helps to deter predators; the few predators that hunt on the mainland, including the south polar skua and the southern giant petrel, mainly prey upon chicks. Most Antarctic predators are found in the polar waters, including the orca and the leopard seal

.

Polar adaptations

Normally when colder conditions arrive, animals go into a state of suspended animation called

musk oxen can keep warm by growing long, shaggy fur to help insulate heat. And this can be quickly shed off when warmer temperatures arrive. But with the snowshoe hare it will change the color of its fur from white to brown or with patches of brown when it sheds off its winter coat. This is to help camouflage

itself in its new environment to match with the dirt during the summer or back again when it regrows its longer white fur to match with the snow during the winter.

Mountainous regions

Other chionophiles can be found on or near the equator and yet still live in freezing temperatures. This is mostly due to their geographical range, such as on high altitude mountains where it can reach very cold temperatures and have less oxygen the higher the altitude. These may include the Andes, the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush mountains, where animals such as

vicuñas and guanacos

can thrive.

Known chionophiles

The following animals are known chionophiles:

References

^ "Winter: An Ecological Handbook", Page 74, James C. Halfpenny, Roy Ozanne, 1989, Johnson Publishing Company, USA

[1] "Winter: An Ecological Handbook", Page 74, James C. Halfpenny, Roy Ozanne, 1989, Johnson Publishing Company, USA

[1]