These 7 Animals Would Absolutely Crush It at the Winter Olympics

The Olympics are designed to test elite athleticism, at least in the human realm. But what about the animal world? How would Arctic foxes fare in the Winter Olympics, or snowy owls for that matter?

These Arctic animals, and others, are fast flyers and runners, and they hunt prey with deadly accuracy.

Granted, these animals might not follow all the rules (penguins, after all, slide on their bellies, not sleds), but here are seven animals that would excel at the Winter Olympics and likely win a few gold medals while they're at it. [Beasts in Battle: 15 Amazing Animal Recruits in War]

1. Artic fox

The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) would crush any cross-country-skiing competition. This small carnivore has thick fur that helps it survive in weather as cold as minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 45 degrees Celsius), according to the San Diego Zoo. Its lush tail can curl like a scarf around its body, keeping it warm, the San Diego Zoo added.

These foxes don't use skis to get around, but the fur on their feet gives them traction as they run, acating like a natural snowshoe. In fact, their species name, lagopus, means "hare-footed" in Greek, according to the San Diego Zoo.

2. Flattie spider

Whenever the web-less spider notices a potential meal, it keeps one leg anchored and spins around until it catches its target.The flattie spider (Selenopidae) can spin much faster than an Olympic figure skater. To be exact, this arachnid can spin around in one-eighth of a second, which is nearly three times faster than the blink of an eye, according to a study published Feb. 12 in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

Just like figure skaters draw their arms closer to their body to spin faster, flattie spiders pull their remaining legs toward themselves, which allows them to spin up to 40 percent faster and nail a perfect landing, with their mouth positioned next to the prey, according to the researchers who conducted the study. You can watch a video of it below.

During ski jumping, Winter Olympic athletes zoom off a ski jump and lean forward, with their skis in a V-shape as they zoom through the air and land at record distances for their respective countries.

We nominate the Arctic hare (Lepus arcticus) for this event, given that the hare can go airborne, too, as it bounds through the snow at speeds as high as 40 mph (64 km/h), according to National Geographic.

4. Seal

There are few things more intense than speeding down a steep racetrack on a skeleton sled. But a seal probably wouldn't mind. These fin-footed pinnipeds slide all the time on their fat bellies as they enter and exit the water, according to Seals-World.

5. Penguins

Penguins would make world-class bobsledders. That's because they're epic tobogganers.

Bobsledding became a sport in the late 19th century, when Swiss athletes attached two skeleton sleds together and added a steering mechanism to make a toboggan, according to Olympics.org.

Likewise, penguins plop down on their stomachs and then slide around on the ice and snow, using their feet and wings to guide and push them along. Some penguins glide on their bellies for miles at a time, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

6. Crow

Curling is a complex sport rife with rules and tools — including brooms, stones and sliders. It's no leap of the imagination that crows would do exceptionally well … largely because they're so good at making and using tools.

New Caledonian crows, for instance, can fashion hooks from sticks to grab larvae and insects from crevices in logs or branches, Live Science previously reported. The Hawaiian crow is also a medal winner, finding the best sticks to reach food in awkward spots.

We're not sure if these crows would sweep the ice with brooms, but they would certainly sweep the competition if the goal were to use sticks to nab a snack.

7. Snowy owl

The biathlon has roots in Scandinavia, where people hunted on skis with rifles hung over their shoulders, according to Olympics.org.

Snowy owls (Bubo scandiacus) don't ski and shoot, but they do fly with speed and have excellent hearing and vision that help them hunt with lethal accuracy. These owls would stand atop the podium at any animal Olympics, though they'd likely prefer a tasty lemming to a gold medal.

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8 Animals Found in the Arctic

The North Pole is often associated with reindeers and Santa’s workshop, but this vast land covered in snow actually has a few other inhabitants. Below are 8 wild animals that treat the cold arctic their home.

Arctic Fox

This specific species of fox are known for their ability to adapt to the cold of the arctic. During the warmer months, their white coat is a darker, blown color which sheds and turns white when winter comes in. They also have a rounder body shape which helps keep their body heat in.

Greenland Shark

Also known as the Gurry shark or Grey shark, this shark specimen is one of the very few that actually stay in the Arctic area. Little is known about these animals, mainly because they live in really cold areas and are hard to study. The Inuit treat these animals as sacred.

Salmon Shark

The Salmon Shark feeds mainly on salmon and is seen in the northern most parts of the pacific and around the Alaskan region. One of the strangest traits that these animals have is that they can maintain body temperature, which is strange amongst fish.

Arctic Wolf

A possible subspecies of the gray wolf that’s found in the Melville Island to Ellesmere Island, these wolves are known for their snow-white fur. They travel in packs of 13 to 15 individuals and feed on everything from hares to polar bear left-overs. Contrary to their mainland counterparts, arctic wolves are less afraid of humans and even approach them.

Narwhal

These animals are the closest you can get to a real unicorn. Although they look like dugongs or seals, these animals are actually a kind of toothed whales and are related to the beluga whale. They have a tusk, which is actually their canine tooth, which can grow to around 4 ft 11 inches to 10 ft 2 inches. They live year-round in the arctic.

Walrus

Walruses are huge animals that can weigh up to 4,400 lb. Adult specimen are recognized by whiskers,prominent tusks and bulky body features. They’re considered as "keystone species" around the Arctic regions because they have a large effect on the area due to their abundance. Although they may be cute to a look of people, walruses can actually be dangerous.

Orca

A member of the oceanic dolphin family, Orcas are actually found all over the world and not just in the cold arctic waters. They’re tagged as apex predators, which mean that they really don’t have any natural predators, making them rule the waters the swim in.

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