Why do foxes dive headfirst into snow, and how do they avoid injuries
Foxes jump into the snow while hunting prey (photo: Getty Images)
Foxes amaze with their acrobatic tricks during winter hunting for small prey - leaping and diving headfirst into the snow. However, as scientists have discovered, despite colliding with the snow, foxes do not sustain injuries.
How foxes manage to avoid injury while diving into the snow is explained by the scientific journal PNAS.
In winter, fox hunting becomes more challenging due to the natural conditions - rodents, which are part of their diet, hide beneath a thick layer of snow. As a result, foxes must show ingenuity.
First, the red predators, after locating their prey, listen intently to the sounds, tilting their heads. Then they decisively attack, leaping into the snow as if from a springboard. According to research, scientists have found that a fluffy hunter can jump about 30–50 centimeters high and fall headfirst at nearly 16 kilometers per hour.
When the fox dives into the snow, only its hind legs and tail remain visible above the surface. Despite the unusual and amusing technique, it proves to be highly effective.
However, when the cold weather hardens the snow or forms a thin ice crust, the snow can become quite solid. It turns out that the fox’s anatomical features help it avoid injury.
According to biomechanist Sunghwan Jung, the fox's long and narrow snout cuts through the snow and helps reduce the impact force, protecting the skull. This means that even snow with an icy layer does not pose a danger to the fox.
How foxes hunt in winter (photo: GettyImages)
To test their hypothesis, the team of scientists studied the skulls of various species of red hunters and other animals and then printed a model using a 3D printer. They then measured the impact force by throwing the printed skulls into the snow.
The comparative analysis confirmed the scientists' theory - the elongated snout of foxes minimizes the risk of injury, creating much less resistance when diving into the snow compared to the broader skull of other predator species.
In addition, the pointed shape not only helps foxes avoid damage but also allows them to dive deeper into the snow cover, making it easier for the animal to catch its prey.
However, foxes also take weather conditions into account when choosing their hunting technique. According to scientists' observations, the predator preferred the usual hunting method of chasing prey when the snow cover was too thin for jumping. Scientists believe this self-preservation mechanism developed during evolution and is crucial for keeping the fox's snout unharmed.
By the way, we recently wrote about how the frequent divorces of Australian penguins affect their population.
