Chapter 173 Arctic Fox (Thirteen)
The reason why polar bears cannot eat penguins is mainly due to differences in climate and ecology, as well as geographical barriers.
The Arctic and Antarctic Circles both appear to be polar regions, but in fact their topography and landforms are very different, and the types of plants and animals are also somewhat different.
Penguins are different from most migratory birds. Many of them choose to fly to the polar continents to reproduce when the weather is warmest.
After they left, the penguins braved the cold and crawled onto land to hatch their offspring. All the little penguins grew up in the coldest winds in Antarctica.
If penguins were really brought from Antarctica, they might not be able to adapt to the extreme environment where there are many natural enemies and their ecological niches are already occupied.
The polar bear who couldn't catch the penguin could only continue to guard the breathing hole and wait for seals or whales to float up to breathe.
Polar bears are the top predators in the polar regions and seem to have no claws in the entire Arctic Circle.
In fact, its hunting ability is not much better than that of a brown bear, and its hunting success rate is only 10% at most.
During the seal breeding season, most seals are on the ice, making it easier for polar bears to catch them.
Once the leopard enters the water, the bear has little choice but to wait in the cave for the leopard.
Yu Yiyun was tired of lying down, so he yawned listlessly and swallowed some saliva to satisfy his craving.
In the distance, the photographer who braved the cold to shoot for several hours couldn't help but worry about the polar bears.
They photograph polar ecology and animals all year round and know that it is normal for polar bears to go three to five days without catching prey.
Even if a huge creature like that starves for ten days or half a month, its vital signs remain stable.
But not the Arctic fox.
The little fox waiting to pick up a bargain cannot persist as long as the polar bear in the low temperature environment.
Unfortunately, the glacier has not completely solidified yet, and the little fox is almost trapped here and cannot find decent food on its own.
If the polar bear fails to catch a seal for more than three days, it is hard to say which will take over the poor fox first, hunger or cold.
Yu Yiyun also realized the seriousness of the situation. He did not continue to stand by and watch. He rolled over and got up, shaking off his fur that was covered with snow.
"Ying!" Here I come!
The polar bear tried several times in vain but still failed to catch its prey, and was so angry that he had no place to vent.
Noticing the fox approaching, it turned around fiercely and let out a muffled growl from its throat.
Even though the weight difference was several hundred times, Yu Yiyun was not afraid of it at all. He swaggered right in front of the polar bear and shouted a lot of nonsense.
"Boo?" What else can you do besides yelling at me?
“Oh oh!” Can’t even catch a seal, the biggest stupid bear in the universe!
"Roar!" Bad fox, get out!
The polar bear remained unfriendly and even stood up, ready to attack the Arctic fox at any time.
Before it could attack, a ringed seal emerged from the breathing hole it had been guarding for several hours.
"roar?"
The polar bear watched it return to the water, and the whole bear slowly turned to stone.
"Roar!" It's all your fault. The seal ran away again!
"Hmm?" Stupid bear, you are the worst, don't blame it on other animals.
"Oh?" Is it difficult to find seals? It's my turn to perform next!
Yu Yiyun was chased and ran for several laps, using his ears and nose to carefully analyze the subtle movements under the ice.
Passing by each breathing hole, he carefully stared at the movement of the water to determine whether there were any animals swimming towards him.
Suddenly, he stopped in front of a hole and bared his teeth at the polar bear in a whisper.
The polar bear didn't expect that such a small creature like Little Nose would fight back. It looked so fierce and ferocious, and was stunned for two seconds.
Accompanied by the sound of splashing water, a seal came out excitedly and made eye contact with the bear-fox.
"..." The seal stopped laughing visibly.
The polar bear immediately pounced on the seal, attacking it with its claws and teeth.
The seal dived and rolled back into the water.
The polar bear followed it in, but because the breathing hole was a little small, half of its body was stuck outside.
“…”
Yu Yiyun stared speechlessly at its exposed butt and tail, and it fluttered and twisted violently a few times, trying to "pull" itself out.
Hearing the sound of ice rubbing and breaking, the little fox wisely hid away.
The polar bear pulled his head out and shook his fur vigorously.
The water droplets on the fur rose into the air and quickly condensed into bullet-sized balls, which fired indiscriminately and automatically.
Yu Yiyun saw the big and small pearls falling on the glacier and shook his head helplessly.
"Oh." You're so tall for nothing.
"Hmm?" You don't want to learn any hunting skills at all?!
“Roar!”
The polar bear tried hard but in vain. His hunt failed again. He took out all his anger on Yu Yiyun, chasing the little fox that was not even as big as his paw and biting it.
We Pig Wang are not without temper. We used our size advantage to jump onto Bear's legs, grabbed the thick legs and climbed up, biting the hairless nose.
"Roar!" Xiongxiong roared again in pain, slowed down his movements, and rolled over while covering his nose.
Yu Yiyun jumped down nimbly and wagged his tail at the stupid bear.
"Ying." Come with me, Teacher Yunyun is starting the class.
Yu Yiyun took Xiong Xiong, who didn't understand the situation and was still angry, to find a new place where the seals appeared.
This time, the stupid bear finally realized something, and quickly shifted its attack target away from the fox and pounced on the seal.
Seals live in water all year round and their bodies are slippery.
Most polar bears will simply stun the seal with their paws, then use their teeth and claws to drag the seal to shore and enjoy it.
This polar bear apparently follows the same pattern.
But it relied on its strength and attacked without any proper method, just raising its claws and striking randomly.
The seal that came ashore was very experienced. It used its slippery body to avoid vital parts, escaped from the bear's paw by sheer luck, and swam away arrogantly wagging its tail.
The polar bear raised its paw, with a few strands of seal skin and flesh between its nails, indicating that it was just a little bit away from success.
"Bing!" Stupid bear!
Before the polar bear could get angry, Teacher Yunyun broke down first.
"Hmm?" You've grown up like this, but you haven't practiced any hunting skills at all?
Yu Yiyun finally understood.
It can survive only because there are no natural enemies in this area.
If large cats, known for their skills, could evolve extraordinary cold resistance and their populations expand toward the poles, the top of the Arctic food chain would definitely have to change!
"Bing!" Stupid bear!
No matter how angry Yu Yiyun was at his lack of fighting spirit, he still had to eat.
The little fox dragged its increasingly hungry body, following the movement under the ice, and found the third breathing hole.
The polar bear, whose brain volume accounts for only 0.9%-1.6% of its body volume, finally realized that they could find the seal by following the little fox.
It wisely retracted its claws and followed the fox silently.
When the new seal was about to come ashore, Yu Yiyun once again bared his teeth at the bear, signaling it to squat there and not to come near.
The polar bear has a small brain, but it can understand the hissing sound of being chased away. It takes a few steps back in confusion, and its big butt hits the ice.
Yu Yiyun stood beside the breathing cave, curled himself up, and used his snow-white fur to blend into the ice.
The seal slowly came up and looked around, not noticing the small furry snowball around it.
It was caught off guard and continued to drill out, with almost half of its body exposed above the water.
Yu Yiyun glanced at the polar bear to make sure it was observing carefully, then he saw the right opportunity and pounced on the seal, biting its neck and attacking its vital parts with his claws.
If the fox grows a little bigger and has longer teeth, it might be able to kill seals.
Unfortunately, his teeth were only two centimeters long and could not penetrate the subcutaneous fat.
The seal howled in pain twice, and when it saw that it was a little fox biting it, it began to struggle violently.
When the bear saw its prey struggling, it immediately ran over with both claws and legs, holding its paws high.
Upon seeing this, Yu Yiyun immediately opened his mouth and rolled away.
This bear had no hunting skills and relied entirely on brute force. Yu Yiyun really couldn't trust its accuracy.
In case it hits him, the little fox will serve himself first before eating.
[Died on the spot.jpg]
"roar!"
The huge bear roared and attacked the seals alternately with its paws.
As expected, due to its disorderly attack, it actually knocked the seal back into the sea.
The stupid bear watched the seal slide down, and his body reacted faster than his brain, and he immediately followed the seal into the breathing hole.
The fox, who had just fought with a seal and exhausted himself to death, was lying there, breathing in but not out.
Polar bears are bulky and their fur becomes a hindrance to swimming, making it difficult for them to catch prey underwater.
If a bear wants to catch its prey underwater, it must lock onto the prey's range of movement on floating ice or land, and then use the impact of jumping into the water to catch it.
Obviously, the bear, who relied entirely on recklessness to do his best, did not have such superb skills.
Just as Yu Yijun got up, licked his fur, and was about to look for a new breathing hole.
"Crash——"
Along with a huge sound of water, the breathing hole that was torn apart by the bear just now threw out a black mass, which struggled like a dehydrated fish when it came ashore.
The seal was seriously injured and incapacitated.
Yu Yiyun jumped two steps and saw the two small teeth marks on the neck, confirming that it was the seal he had just locked onto.
Xiongxiong followed closely behind, squeezing out of the ice cave with difficulty.
Yu Yiyun guessed correctly, it was indeed not good at hunting.
Because bears have the most doting mother in the entire Arctic, their lactation period lasts until they are nearly two years old. They develop faster than all other bears of the same age and are champions in swimming and running.
Most of the time, the bear can get its prey simply by relying on brute force and size.
The seal was frightened and rushed around in the sea.
Xiong Xiong was smart for once and used his strengths to his advantage, standing in front of the seal and biting it.
The bear raised its head proudly, shook its fur again, and fired indiscriminately with ice crystals.
Yu Yijun hid far away and waited until it finished shooting before coming closer, gazing at the bear with his paws together.
Polar bears typically eat the seal's fatty meat and offal, discarding the skeleton and low-fat meat.
Arctic foxes have a very high absorption rate for meat food, which can reach over 90% during special periods.
Yu Yiyun only needed to wait for it to finish eating and then go over to pick up the trash. There was no need to risk her life to compete with the bear for food.
As a result, as soon as he approached, the big guy, who was roaring and swallowing, raised his head and blinked his big eyes.
Xiongxiong thought seriously for a moment, and some chewed meat and bone residue slipped out of his mouth.
The fox is so small, even smaller than a newborn polar bear cub.
I remember that when I first started eating meat, I could only pick up small pieces and nibble on them.
The cold winter is approaching, and the seals on the glacier will soon be frozen hard, making it very difficult to bite them.
The polar bear thought with his small head, and more crumbs appeared in his mouth.
Yu Yiyun glanced at the food residues covered with the polar bear's saliva and remained indifferent. In her heart, she secretly dissed the polar bear for eating so dirty, even dirtier than a tiger.
Food is so scarce in the Arctic, yet the stupid bear eats half and releases the other half. What a waste.
When the polar bear saw that the fox didn't eat the fox, he became even more confused. He lowered his head and blinked his eyes twice.
"Huh?" Aren't you hungry?
"Hmm." Eat quickly!
"Roar?"
"Hmm."
“…”
Two white furry creatures, one big and one small, the bear and the fox talked for a long time.
Until the prey was completely frozen, Yu Yiyun saw that it was taking so long to eat and finally couldn't bear it anymore!
He had seen this bear before on the coast and knew how protective it was of its food.
Yu Yiyun was now tired and hungry, and did not have the energy to compete with the bear for food, so he originally planned to wait for it to finish eating.
As a result, the bear didn't eat seriously at all and just kept roaring at himself.
How could Zhuwang have ever suffered such injustice?
He immediately spread out his paws, walked arrogantly to the bear, and pushed it away with his butt.
When Xiong Xiong saw the fox coming, he really made way for him.
"Hmm?"
The fox found that the polar bear was really "pushed away" by its butt. The fox, which was only as big as the polar bear's claws, fell into a brief daze.
—Wait, I’m so strong now that I can knock a polar bear away with just one butt?
Yu Yiyun thought to himself, 'Don't I know anything about my own strength?' He lowered his head and took two bites of the seal, then immediately put those useless things out of his mind.
Seal, so delicious!
Yu Yiyun held down the seal's fins with her little paws and almost crawled into the polar bear's bitten-open belly, eating the fattest meat with a roar.
After eating and drinking, Yu Yiyun was so full that he could hardly walk. He staggered back to the snow cave he had dug to sleep.
The polar bear lowered his head again and looked at the place where the Arctic fox had bitten.
Haha, it’s not even as much as one bite of rice I eat.
Raising an Arctic fox seems to be quite easy.
Over the next few days, the two beasts seemed to have reached an invisible tacit understanding.
Yu Yiyun helped Xiongxiong find a seal, and then took a piece of meat from its mouth.
A mouthful of meat from the bear was enough to nearly fill the little fox to death.
When the glaciers leading to the pole connected into one, the little fox did not become thinner due to hunger, but became two sizes rounder.
Sufficient subcutaneous fat allows him to withstand strong winds and severe cold.
Under the cover of polar night, Yu Yiyun could not judge whether it was sunny or cloudy by the sun, so he chose a day with the least wind to set out.
He spread his paws and walked forward grunting against the wind.
Sometimes the wind was strong enough to blow Yu Yiyun far away, creating the illusion that she would never reach the top.
Yu Yiyun was blown out by the strong wind for the third time, rolled several times, and hit a furry pillar.
He looked up and found that Xiongxiong had come behind him at some point.
The hunters standing at the top of the polar food chain also possess the common characteristics of wild beasts and have a strong sense of territory.
In the summer, polar bears can live happily together and temporarily adapt to group life.
But in winter, polar bears move around in fixed areas and will not easily leave their territory.
It is already October, and although the cold winter has not yet arrived, some polar bears have already found dens in their territory and are preparing for hibernation.
The bear left its territory uncharacteristically, whether it disliked the area or was following the fox's footsteps.
Yu Yiyun tested it and made a few turns, but the polar bear was still following him.
“Hmm.”
Yu Yiyun understood that the polar bear was following her.
The stupid bear couldn't catch the seal himself, so he chose to follow the Arctic fox and let him continue to be his seal tracker.
"Hmm." Bear.
"Hmm?" How about we learn some skills?
Yu Yiyun had no choice but to teach the bear how to search for seals as they walked.
When winter comes, many polar bears will choose to hibernate to reduce heat consumption.
But some single strong polar bears who can always find prey to maintain their vital signs may choose not to hibernate.
The closer you get to the pole, the thicker the ice becomes, the fewer seals you see, and there are very few polar bears nearby.
The polar bear didn't know why Yu Yiyun came to such a bad place.
But most of the actions of wild animals do not require reasons.
The polar bear followed the fox, walking and walking, following the guidance of the stars. When the wind was strong, the fox would walk behind or under the polar bear to prevent himself from being blown away.
When there are stronger winds, foxes will go into nearby dens that are naturally formed or left by polar bears.
Sometimes, the glacier is quite open and there are no nests to hide in.
Yu Yiyun would treat the polar bear as a safe haven, hiding among its fur to protect herself from the strong wind.
After walking like this for several days, Yu Yijun looked up and found that the star that guided him was hanging right above his head.
Polaris, the star closest to the North Celestial Pole, is the brightest star in the Ursa Minor constellation.
It is only one degree away from the North Pole.
The North Pole is not like the South Pole, which has clear landmarks set up by humans to serve as a guide.
Looking around, this place seems to be no different from other places, still with rugged glaciers and endless white under the cover of darkness.
The photographers who were following the shooting chose to retreat to the edge of the glacier when they were still about 100 kilometers away from the North Pole because they could not withstand the harsh environment and their equipment had stopped working.
Perhaps only Yu Yiyun himself knows the small goal he has achieved.
Yu Yijun was still very happy and ran wildly in the cold wind.
Polar bears don't have any special feelings about this place.
It followed Professor Yu Yiyun's method, sniffed around, and came to a conclusion:
"roar."
There are seals under the ice.
“Hmm.”
If you say there is, then there is.
Yu Yiyun was both relieved and helpless.
I was glad that my teaching was not in vain, and finally this stupid bear learned how to find seals.
Unfortunately, it was so busy looking for the seal that it had no way of sharing the joy of victory with Yu Yijun.
Yu Yiyun had no choice but to follow the example of some tourists. She found a piece of ice and drew a little fox with her fingernails to show that she had been here.
Maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after tomorrow, the shallow fox mark will be buried by ice and snow.
What does that matter?
The river of time flows endlessly, and it seems that nothing is permanent.
In the distant past, many animal species and many human civilizations disappeared completely, leaving only a fragment.
At least the fragments of their existence shine brightly.
"Hmm~"
Yu Yiyun circled the North Star several times, achieving the feat of "traveling around the world five times in one minute".
A howling wind blew, blowing the little fox from one end of time to the other.
Yu Yiyun somersaulted several times and felt the distinct coldness in her body. She finally decided to find something to eat before she froze to death.
On the way back to land, polar bears are primarily responsible for searching for seals.
After the personal guidance of teacher Yunyun, its hunting skills have greatly improved. It even learned to build a snow wall by itself and hide behind it before the seal floats up, catching it in time.
Even after learning to catch seals himself, Xiong Xiong would still give a bite of meat to the little fox, basically raising him like a cub.
Yu Yiyun has no intention of being a polar bear cub!
Polar bear cubs have to hibernate, and since they are small in size, they will definitely starve to death if they hibernate for half a month.
Before the polar bears hibernate and can no longer find food on the glaciers, Yu Yiyun returns to land.
When the polar bear saw him jump from the glacier onto the land, confusion appeared on its bear face and its small brain froze again.
"Hoo?" What are you doing there? There are no seals on land.
“…嘤.”…Is there a possibility?
I don't eat seals!!!
Yu Yiyun returned to her comfort zone, ran and caught a few lemmings, and showed her staple food to the polar bear.
The polar bear used his not-so-good eyes to look for a long time before he could see the lemmings clearly, and then he looked at the fox worriedly.
"Roar!" That thing is not enough to fill the gaps between my teeth!
Zhu Wang: Why don’t you take another look at the gap between my teeth?
Xiong Xiong's face was full of sorrow, as if the daughter of a wealthy family who had been raised in luxury was planning to leave him and go out begging.
Yu Yiyun shouted and pushed until she finally got her male mother back to the glacier, and she ran towards the coast.
"Hmm~"
"Hmm~"
Yu Yiyun returned to the coast, calling out happily, looking for her youngest sister and the Fox Army.
He howled for a while, but no fox paid any attention to him.
No wonder.
With our piggy's excellent sense of direction, how could it be possible to travel around the world several times at the pole and then successfully find the location of our home in the vast glaciers?
“Squeak—”
Yu Yiyun shook his ears and heard the sound of hinges.
'Hinge' usually refers to the part where a door or window is connected to the frame, and these things are the products of human civilization.
In the darkness of the night, Yu Yiyun looked over confusedly and saw a beam of light shining on him in the dark, almost blinding the fox's eyes.
Having not seen the light for a long time, Yu Yiyun avoided the direct light source and looked behind it in confusion.
"Bing!"
The little fox screamed in fright.
There stood a woman who looked haggard, with her eye sockets turned outward and her eyeballs falling out, and her hands with black nails like tree branches, covered with red sticky liquid.
Help, help!
It's haunted late at night!
Yu Yiyun shivered with fear and felt something was wrong.
I am an Arctic fox now. Even if it is haunted, I should be assigned a few beautiful fox spirits, right?
"Oh, what a cute little fox."
The scary witch spoke, and it was actually a girl's voice.
She came to the fox holding a pumpkin lantern and invited excitedly, "It's just right, our party is about to start, let's join us!"
"Hmm?" What party?
Yu Yiyun raised her head and looked at the pumpkin lantern in her hand, as if she realized what kind of party it was.
At the end of October, Jack-O'-Lanterns are easily associated with a festival where people can legally dress up as ghosts.
The girl pushed open the creaking door and instantly entered the character, a sinister laugh emanating from between her teeth.
"Welcome to my castle."
"Bing!"
You are welcome too early!
Although Yu Yiyun is a materialist, he is unwilling to stay with a group of strange ghosts.
He took a few steps back cautiously, away from the little man's sphere of influence, and ran in the opposite direction of the castle.
"Hmm."
They came to the Arctic Circle to hold a party in the middle of winter and dressed up as a female ghost to scare foxes in the snow!
The little fox was just complaining when several pumpkin lanterns surrounded him.
Strange looking ghosts surrounded the unlucky little fox.
"Hey, you can't escape--"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com