Who are the best gardeners of the world?
They are tiny, shrewd, and very furry… artic foxes!
Among many skills, they have not only an insulating fur (to the point that scientists have never been able to make them feel cold), but also unexpected “green thumbs”.
During the long arctic winter, temperature drops and the tundra covered by an endless haze. Arctic foxes, with their cubs, take shelter in the depth of subsoil. During this period, foxes absorb water only from food, increasing the concentration of nutriments inside their excrements, making them a powerful fertilizer.
On the top of foxes’ nests, thanks to their “precious waste”, gorgeous gardens grow as coloured spots on the arctic tundra. They are engineers of the ecosystem: their green homes dotted by the yellow of wild flowers break the chromatic monotony of the landscape and provide food for many species, fundamental to the local biodiversity.
Full article: nationalgeographic.it