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These Fennec foxes have ears nearly twice their body size. This structure doesn’t just have to do with its function (hearing), but also with temperature regulation.

This North African species, native to the Saharan desert, uses its huge ears to listen for prey underground and to cool down in the hot desert. In fact, animals that live near the equator tend to have larger extremities and longer limbs in comparison to small body size because the larger surface area allows heat to escape quicker. This trend is known as Allen’s rule.

  • Where might we find creatures like this?
  • With global warming, will the extremities increase in size as temperature on Earth does?

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