How might an animal be adapted to a cold environment?

An adaptation is a feature or characteristic that allows an organism to live and survive successfully in a habitat. 
Animals living in cold environments, such as the polar bear, may have a small surface area to volume ratio to reduce heat loss, as well as thick layers of fat and blubber for insulation. The polar bear also has a greasy coat to help shed water after periods of swimming. Many other animals, such as the snowshoe hare and arctic fox have white coats for camouflage in this environment.