Eli5: Why do small animals like squirrels not lose appendages to frostbite when temperatures reach below freezing, and they walk around on ice and snow all day?
In: Biology
Essentially, it’s because they have fur that we do not. In the case of a fox, they have a thick layer of fur that grows in to trap their body heat. Other animals such as whales or walruses, have a thick layer of fat to keep them insulated.
To add, frostbite does not directly affect the skin, it affects the internal body temperature. Frostbite is caused when a layer of the body reaches a temperature low enough to freeze a deeper layer of skin. Because humans do not have a thick fur, our skin is exposed much more to the cold and is more likely to freeze. However by insulating the body, fur can keep the body heat trapped, preventing freezing.
Latest Answers