With their thick, shaggy coat made up of two special layers for extra insulation, musk oxen are built to survive freezing temperatures. In the Arctic tundra where they live, the thermometer can dip below minus 40 degrees. It’s enough to make you feel cold just thinking about it!
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Wildlife photographer Felix Belloin shared a video on Instagram that brings to life just how well these bulky creatures can withstand extreme cold.
In the footage, which he captions “weathering the storm”, a musk ox can be seen standing resolutely against a snowy landscape as tearing winds howl around it and dash ice onto its fur like it’s trapped in a snow globe.
“One key to their hardiness is their extraordinary fur which consists of two layers,” writes the Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve on its website.
“The very long outer hair is the longest fur of any North American animal; and the thick woolly coat of underfur – known by the Eskimo name Qiviut – is eight times warmer than sheep’s wool. Qiviut is also much more durable than wool, yet it is finer than cashmere.”
Top image: Musk Ox in winter at Dovrefjell National Park, Norway. Credit: Dgwildlife/Getty Images
