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Many animals adapt to the tundra's freezing temperatures. Musk oxen are thick and woolly. They huddle together to stay warm. Caribou have thick hooves that help them walk on jagged rocks and ice. Humpback whales fat and blubber insulate them. Seals thick fur conserves heat. Penguin's bills, wings, and feathers trap air next to the skin. Trematomus Fish contain a protein compound in their blood that acts as anti-freeze, which prevents the formation of ice crystals on their scales. Larvae can be frozen and thawed over and over, and come out unaffected. The birds of the tundra migrate. Arctic hares change colors from brown in the summer, to white in the winter. This acts as a form of camouflage. Other animals include snow owls, wolves, bears, mosquitoes, and lemmings. Typical arctic vegetation comprises cotton grass, sedge, dwarf heath, together with associated moss and lichens. These plant communities are adapted to sweeping winds and to soil disturbance from frost heaves. They carry on photosynthesis at low temperatures, low light intensities, and long periods of daylight. Alpine plant communities consist of mat-forming and cushion-forming plants, rare in the Arctic. These plants are adapted to gusting winds, heavy snows, and widely fluctuating temperatures.
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