The short-tailed weasel is a member of the Mustelidae family and is often a light brown color. However, weasels that live at high latitudes may turn totally white in the winter. Weasels are highly active animals and do not hibernate during the winter. The short-tailed weasel lives in Alaska, Canada, the northeastern Great Lakes and northwestern states. Weasels can produce a pungent odor when irritated or provoked. If released, this odor can be detected for quite a distance. Short-tailed weasels are considered fur bearing animals under state law and may be hunted for their fur during established fur bearing hunting seasons in Alaska.
Polar bears are animals that live in the Arctic Region and are covered in white fur. These bears have bodies that are designed to live in extremely cold conditions and they spend a great deal of time in the water. The diet of the white polar bear consists mainly of seals. Pregnant female polar bears are the only polar bears that hibernate during the cold Alaskan winter. Polar bear cubs are born during the hibernation period, and know when born how to drink their mother's milk in order to survive. During hibernation, polar bears live off of the fat reserves in their bodies and slow their own heart rate. Polar bears molt, which is the shedding of old fur. Molting occurs during periods of warmer weather in Alaska, to help keep their body temperature regulated. According to Polar Bear-World.com, polar bears have been on the Endangered Species List since 2008.
The arctic fox is an animal that makes its home in Alaska. This fox is brown in the summer, but turns white during the winter. This provides a form of camouflage in the snow and allows the fox to hunt for food and hide in the snow. The hair of a fox turns white because of a lack of pigment in the hair. Melanin is a substance that is produced by the fox that gives natural pigment to the hair. During the fall, the body of the fox shuts off the production of melanin, which results in a white coat. Foxes that live in the far northern realm of Alaska, which has permanent snow, remain white year-round.
