Native animal species in Antarctica. Antarctica: nature. Fauna and flora of Antarctica. Birds come here in the summer

Animals of Antarctica represent a unique and inimitable fauna of the southern hemisphere. There is nothing like it anywhere else on the planet. Even the animals of the Arctic bear little resemblance to their distant southern counterparts. There are no four-legged predators in the vast Antarctic region. This is the world of pinnipeds, marine mammals and huge southern birds.

Antarctica itself is virtually uninhabited. Its vast territories are almost completely lifeless and bound by eternal ice. Life glimmers only in the coastal strip and on the Antarctic Peninsula. The islands surrounding the southern mainland are also not very suitable for a normal life. Only birds and seals can exist on them, capable of obtaining food for themselves in the sea. These amazing inhabitants of the Antarctic will be discussed.

Birds

The most notable bird in Antarctica is undoubtedly the penguin. He can't fly, but he walks like a man. There are many types of penguins. The biggest - emperor penguin. His height reaches the height of an adult. It is 160 cm, and the weight of this bird reaches 60 kg. His closest relative king penguin grows up to a metre. These two birds are very similar to each other. Fabulous and chinstrap penguins smaller - their height reaches 70 cm. crested penguin having an original crest on his head. The most numerous of these birds are Adélie penguins, and the smallest little penguins. In height, they grow up to 50 cm, and their weight does not exceed 3 kg.

Animals of the Antarctic are also famous for birds such as albatrosses. These are giants: their wingspan exceeds 3 meters, and their body length reaches 130 cm. They are eternal wanderers, plowing the endless air spaces of the Southern Ocean. The skua does not lag behind the albatross. He also loves to travel and even flies far north, crossing the equator. This bird often takes fish from its smaller counterparts. She can also eat other people's chicks if their parents are not around.

It is impossible not to say a few words about petrel, which is rightly called the southern giant petrel. It is slightly inferior in size to the albatross and never refuses to taste the carcasses of seals and penguins. That is, it is a real predator that feeds on carrion. A very beautiful snow-white bird also lives in Antarctica. It is called the snow petrel, and the chicks are brought out on the icy mainland 500 km from the coast.

For seals, Antarctica is their home. The largest of them is the southern elephant seal. Its body length is more than 5 meters, and its mass reaches two and a half tons. The male has a peculiar leather fold on the muzzle. It is somewhat reminiscent of an elephant's trunk. Thanks to this formation, the animal got its name. The Weddell seal lives in the harsh Antarctic ice. This is a calm large animal that does not like to travel. In winter, it does not migrate to warm regions, but remains off the coast of the icy continent. The seal spends the entire cold season in the water, and gnaws a hole in the ice, through which it breathes, periodically appearing above the water surface. But the crabeater seal is a real traveler. In winter, he settles more comfortably on an ice floe and swims as far north as possible, waiting for the end of cold weather in warm regions.

Among the clumsy and good-natured-looking seals, there is also a dangerous predator. His name is sea leopard. In length, it reaches 4 meters, and its weight is about half a ton. He attacks both penguins and his fellow seals. The animals of the Antarctic are in constant tension and fear, as the predator has great strength and dexterity. In water, the sea leopard develops a speed of 40 km / h, that is, it swims as fast as the killer whale. He has powerful jaws with long fangs, with which he tears the skins of his victims.

But the Ross seal is the exact opposite. He lives in the inaccessible areas of the southern region, never offends anyone, and very little is known about him. This animal is prone to vocals. It is capable of making loud melodic sounds, somewhat reminiscent of a musical melody. In the Antarctic region, a distant relative of true seals has found a haven and a southern fur seal. This is an eared seal. He chose the islands closest to Antarctica as his habitat. In summer, on the rocky shores, the animal arranges rookeries, and spends the winter months in the Southern Ocean, moving north - closer to warmth.

cetaceans

Antarctic waters have chosen for themselves the largest living creature on the planet - the blue whale. The length of his body reaches 30 meters, and the weight is 150 tons. This mighty mammal plows the boundless waters of the Southern Ocean like a huge ocean liner. In the cold winter months, it moves north and ends up in the latitudes of Australia and Madagascar. But in the spring it hurries south to fully enjoy the pleasant coolness of the Antarctic waters.

The humpback whale also lives in the Southern Ocean - humpback whale. It is half the size of the blue whale and weighs five times less. But its size is still impressive, and its violent temper forces people to be more careful if they find themselves dangerously close to this mammal.

The ubiquitous killer whale is also a regular in Antarctic waters. It represents the most formidable and powerful predator in this region. Both whales and seals suffer from it. But Antarctic animals suffer much more damage from predatory human activities. For the last 200 years, he has mercilessly and purposefully exterminated the rich fauna of the cold south. The result was not long in coming. Many species are on the verge of extinction. Nowadays, thanks to laws and prohibitions aimed at saving animals, the situation is slowly but steadily improving.

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I know firsthand what frost is, because since birth I have been living in an area equated to the far north. Our summer is short, but there are many warm days. Winter is long, often the air temperature drops to -50 degrees. People and animals of our region are accustomed to live in such climatic conditions.

I was interested in the question of whether it is possible to live at the poles because it is always cold there? Who and how lives in the cold? What is the difference between the Arctic and Antarctic?

Recently, people often talk about climate warming due to the unfavorable environmental situation. I suppose that in this regard, life at the poles may change. So I will find out as a result of the work done.

Having processed the questionnaires, I found out that 72% of the respondents do not know where the Arctic is, and where the Antarctic is. 50% believe that the air temperature does not fall below -50 degrees. 64% of respondents do not know at which pole polar bears live. When asked if polar bears threaten penguins, most of the respondents answered “yes”. This suggests that students do not know that polar bears and penguins live at different poles.

First, I would like to get acquainted with the coldest points of our planet.

Antarctic.

This is the south polar region of the earth, opposite the Arctic. In addition to the mainland of Antarctica, it includes parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans adjacent to it and islands. This area is now called the Southern Arctic Ocean.

Animal and plant world of Antarctica.

There are no forests or rivers in Antarctica, there are no geographical zones, except for one - ice. It is a land of mountains and glaciers covered with dazzling white snow and ice. This is the windiest place on earth. Life in Antarctica exists in very harsh conditions. On ice-free land areas, only lichens and mosses, microalgae and bacteria are found. However, near the coast in some places there are colonies of penguins, amazing Antarctic birds. The emperor penguin is one of six penguin species that breed in Antarctica.

Dense plumage and a thick layer of fat help penguins survive in harsh climates. Frosts in Antarctica often reach -80 degrees. Penguins feed on fish, and boldly rush after it into the icy water. Their wings are short, like fins, and in the water the penguins move so fast that it seems as if they are flying under water. But these birds cannot fly. Penguins hatch their chicks on the shores of the frozen seas at the South Pole.

In the Southern Ocean, the animal world is much richer: whales, seals, sea lions and leopards, various types of fish, including the famous icefish. A special wealth of Antarctic waters is krill - the smallest crustacean. There is an unusually large amount of this valuable food product.

There are seabirds: snow petrels, skuas.

January 28, 1820 - the day of the discovery of Antarctica, the sixth continent of the Earth. But only after almost 80 years people landed here - 10 people. These people for the first time dared to spend the Antarctic wintering. And although it turned out to be difficult, it was found that it was possible to live in Antarctica.

Antarctica is a continent on which there are no state borders. Antarctica belongs to science.

It is interesting!

People learned a lot about the only uninhabited continent of the planet. The relief hidden under the ice was revealed, and according to the geological structure, it was established that together with Australia, Africa, South America, Antarctica was once part of one huge continent - Gondwana. It began to disintegrate 50 - 60 million years ago, and then there was a gap between Antarctica and Australia. The cold waters of the current, now surrounding the continent in a continuous belt, poured into the formed strait. About 30 million years ago, as a result of cooling, glaciers began to form.

The cold current formed a powerful barrier that prevented the penetration of heat to the ice-bound mainland.

In Antarctica, 520 km from the South Pole, fossilized skull bones and vertebrae of some very ancient animal were found. Studies have shown that these remains belong to an ancient crocodile that lived on the sixth continent about 200 million years ago. Scientists have also discovered a lake in the depths of Antarctica. Perhaps it preserved living beings that lived on Earth millions of years ago. The find once again confirms the hypothesis that in ancient times the southern mainland was covered with tropical forests and swamps.

- The northern polar region of the Earth is almost entirely occupied by the ocean, covered with perennial ice. Researchers have studied the Arctic well - a region of the globe that includes the outskirts of the continents of Eurasia and North America and almost the entire Arctic Ocean with many islands. The southern border of the Arctic coincides with the southern border of the tundra zone. On ice-free areas of the islands, the "polar desert" dominates.

Flora and fauna of the Arctic.

Vegetation in the Arctic is very sparse: mostly lichens. But there are also flowers: polar poppies, buttercups, partridge grass - and even trees: dwarf willow and birch. But they rise above the ground by only a few centimeters. Who lives there, in the country of eternal cold?

The fauna of the Arctic is unique. It consists of animals that are not found anywhere else. Polar bear - the light skin of a polar bear makes it almost invisible in the snow of the Arctic. These are the largest bears in the world. Polar bears are almost twice as tall as an adult, and it weighs 10 times more. Polar bears do not live in one place. In search of food, they roam through deep snow and drifting ice. They eat a variety of things: seals, birds, fish and plants. Adult bears prefer to live alone. Only cubs stay with their mother while they are still small. Polar bears do not freeze in the cold. Thick, shaggy coat and thick layer of subcutaneous fat helps them to keep warm. Only the nose and paw pads of polar bears are not covered with hair.

Various types of seals live among the ice of the Arctic Ocean. They are warmed by a thick layer of subcutaneous fat. Instead of paws, seals have fins. They are fast swimmers and fish for squid and octopus. Seals hear each other underwater at unimaginable distances.

Walruses - they are similar to seals, but much larger than them. The body length of males reaches 4 m. A characteristic feature of walruses is the presence of tusks, with the help of which walruses plow the seabed and break mollusk shells. The fore and hind flippers are approximately equally developed and are used when moving on land. In water, animals move mainly due to the bends of the back of the body, but they can also paddle with their front flippers.

Arctic fox, polar wolf, lemming, reindeer live in the tundra.

Huge colonies of birds settle on the sheer cliffs of the Arctic islands. All the huge feathered population is located on the rock in a certain order. Each species takes its place: guillemots, guillemots, fulmars, Mayday gulls. Skuas are located above all.

There are many different minerals in the Arctic: oil, gas, coal, non-ferrous metals, diamonds. Sea, air and land transport routes pass through the Arctic. Large modern cities were built beyond the Arctic Circle: Murmansk, Kirovsk, Norilsk, Magadan.

The indigenous inhabitants of the Arctic (Laplanders, Innuits, or they are also called Eskimos, Greenlanders, Yukaghirs) know how to live in harmony with nature. Their traditional occupations - hunting, fishing, reindeer herding - are being revived and developed.

As a result of the work done, it is possible to compile a table in which all the differences between the Arctic and Antarctic will be visible.

Pole difference table

Antarctica Arctic

Mainland Antarctica + parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Region of the globe, including the margins of the Eurasian continents and oceans and islands. North America and almost the entire Arctic Ocean with many islands (except for the coastal islands of Norway). The southern border of the Arctic coincides with the border of the tundra zone.

52.5 million sq. km. 21 million sq. km.

Animal world

Penguins, whales, seals. Polar bears, walruses, beluga whales, narwhal, various types of seals, musk oxen (Greenland), reindeer.

Indigenous people

no Laplanders, Eskimos, Greenlanders, Yukagirs

Settlements

scientific stations. Murmansk, Norilsk, Magadan.

Minerals

So far not discovered. Oil, gas, coal, non-ferrous metals, diamonds.

Vegetable world

Lichens, mosses, microalgae, bacteria. Mostly lichens, less often flowers (polar poppies, buttercups, partridge grass), trees (dwarf willow and birch).

Why is ice melting around the poles?

In the 1990s, the ice shelf began to melt in parts of Antarctica. There is an opinion that this is due to a general increase in average temperature as a result of an unfavorable environmental situation.

If all the Antarctic ice suddenly melts and turns into water, then the level of the world's oceans will rise by 60 m and flood the coastal areas, with the largest port cities located on them. The colossal source of cold on the planet will disappear, and a profound restructuring of the entire nature of the earth will take place. The average temperature of the planet without icy Antarctica would be about 8 degrees higher. Antarctica takes a lot of heat from the Earth, but in this way it saves the earth from overheating.

In recent years, there has been general concern over the discovery of a decrease in the concentration of ozone, a gas that protects the earth from dangerous ultraviolet rays of the Sun, over Antarctica. The "ozone hole" is the result of ongoing pollution of the atmosphere by industrial waste. To study this and other phenomena, special international expeditions of scientists go to Antarctica.

Scientists believe that global warming is caused by an increase in the amount of certain gases that create a greenhouse effect in the earth's atmosphere.

Greenhouse gases trap heat around the Earth, which is necessary for life to exist on it. But some human activities pollute the air, and the amount of these gases in the air is increasing. They trap more ash than before, so the Earth is getting warmer.

In order to avoid an ecological catastrophe, people must invent other ways of obtaining energy instead of burning oil, coal and other fuels.

Conclusion

As a result of the work done, I collected information that helped me answer the questions posed. I learned everything about the Arctic and Antarctic, as a result of the knowledge gained, I compiled a table of differences between the poles. I believe that the table will help not only children, but also adults in mastering this topic. Since during the survey, many adults confused the data about the poles.

While working on the topic, I learned to choose from the scientific literature the material that I need, to compose and process questionnaires.

I realized that people should seriously deal with the environmental problem, because as a result of global warming, irreparable changes can occur on the planet. Ecological problems can be dealt with not only by adults, but also by children.

I think this topic could be my next research paper.

Speech to school students - presentation of my work;

Organization of a drawing competition on an environmental theme;

Repeated survey, in order to find out if my information helped children in mastering knowledge on this topic.

I think that my work will be useful for elementary school students, teachers (to prepare for lessons).

What animals live in Antarctica, if you are interested in this question, then in the next article, you will certainly find all the necessary and useful information.

What is Antarctica? Where is Antarctica located?

Antarctica - the continent, which is located in the southern hemisphere around the geographic south pole, is washed by the Southern Ocean, covers approximately 12% of the Earth's land mass. The continent contains 90% of the world's ice reserves, which contain 70% of the fresh water on Earth.

What animals live in Antarctica?

Animals that live in Antarctica are migratory because the climate of the continent is too difficult.

Mammals of Antarctica

• Kerguelen fur seal
• sea ​​leopard
• crabeater seal
• Weddell seal
• southern elephant seal

Flying birds of Antarctica

• Antarctic tern
• Antarctic blue-eyed cormorant
• white plover
• Pintado
• snow petrel
• wandering albatross
• south polar skua
• giant petrel

Penguins of Antarctica

• emperor penguin
• king penguin
• subantarctic penguin

Other animals

• Antarctic krill
• Belgica antarctica

Blue whales. They are one of the most mysterious and strange creatures on Earth. The blue whale is the largest animal on the planet, weighing over 100 tons, they easily outweigh the heavy dinosaurs. Even the "ordinary" whale is huge and is considered truly impressive creations of nature. Whales are huge but elusive mammals and difficult to study. They are highly intelligent, with complex social lives and complete freedom of movement.

Fur seal. In appearance and manner, these mammals resemble a large dog. They are able to pull their rear flippers under their body and lift their weight with their front flippers, so they are much more flexible on land than other pinnipeds. Males reach a mass of 200 kg and 4 times more than females. They are limited mainly to the subantarctic islands, with 95% of the population on South Georgia Island.

Sea leopard. Called the "leopard seal" due to the spots on its body, it is one of the largest predators in Antarctica. The weight of males is up to 300 kg, and females - 260-500 kg. The body length of males varies between 2.8-3.3 m, and females 2.9-3.8 m.

The diet of sea leopards is very diverse. They can eat any animal they can kill. The diet consists of fish, squid, penguins, birds and seal pups.

Antarctic tern. A typical representative of the tern family. It is a small bird 31-38 cm long, weighing 95-120 g, and with a wingspan of 66-77 cm. Its beak is usually dark red or blackish. The plumage is mostly light gray or white, there is a black “cap” on the head. The wingtips of this tern are greyish-black.

They feed on fish and krill, especially when they are in Antarctica. Terns notice their prey from the air, and then dive into the water after it.

We hope the information in this article was useful to you and now you know the answer to the question "What animals live in Antarctica?".

Severe and regal, mysterious and alluring, Antarctica has a very limited species diversity of the animal world. However, even in the extreme climatic conditions of Antarctica, some animals feel great.

Representatives of the local fauna inhabit the coastal strip of the mainland and live in coastal waters.

The land animals of Antarctica are leopard seals, crabeater seals, elephant seals, 17 species of penguins (Adelie penguins, emperor penguins and others), two species of skuas and several species of petrels. Nematodes live in soils, and up to 70 species of arthropods, represented by arachnids and insects, can be found on the surface.

Sea leopards (Eng. Leopard seal)- a species of seals, whose habitat is the subantarctic regions of the Southern Ocean. Male sea leopards reach a length of 3 meters and weigh approximately 270 kg, while females grow up to 4 meters and have a body weight of up to 0.4 tons. The body of animals has a smooth, streamlined shape, which makes it possible to slide freely in the thickness of oceanic waters at speeds up to 40 km / h. The diet of these animals includes warm-blooded vertebrates, including young seals and penguins.

Crabeater seal- a species characteristic of Antarctica, characterized by large numbers. The body length of an adult seal averages 2-2.5 m, females and males are almost identical in appearance to each other, and both of them go through a process of molting every year at the beginning of spring, changing the color of the fur from silver gray to grayish brown with a few light spots. The food for these seals are small crustaceans.

Adélie penguins- typically Antarctic birds, in the nests of which there are up to 700 thousand individuals. These penguins make up 2/3 of all birds in Antarctica. They spend most of their lives in the ocean, and come ashore only during the nesting season. Penguins are called birds only conditionally - they do not know how to fly, but they can swim very well at speeds up to 20 km / h. Almost the entire body of Adele is covered with waterproof feathers, and under the skin there is a thick fatty layer that protects from severe frosts. Adélie penguins feed exclusively on krill, cephalopods, mollusks and small fish. The daily amount of food eaten for an adult reaches 2 kg.

Emperor Penguins- the largest penguins living on Earth, reaching 1.3 m in length and weighing up to 45 kg. These birds have rounded shapes, disproportionately small heads and legs. The body color is black and white: black plumage on the back and white on the chest is a natural protection of birds from enemies. On the cheeks and below the neck, emperor penguins have yellow-orange patches of plumage. Penguins spend most of the year on drifting ice floes and at sea, but during mating they return to the mainland. The main food of emperor penguins is krill, shellfish and fish, which they hunt in groups.

King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonica)

Lives to the north, in warmer places. Breeding colonies are located on the islands of South Georgia, Kerguelen, Marion, Crozet and Macquarie.
The length of the body is 91-96 cm. The colonies are located on solid rocky ground. Reproduction occurs in summer: eggs are laid mainly in December - January. Each female lays only 1 large egg. Both parents incubate alternately. Incubation duration 54 days

Rockhopper Penguin or Rock Climbing Penguin, Rock Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome)

It lives on the rocky islands of the subantarctic region, but is sometimes found further north, on the southern tip of Africa and South America, as well as on the southern coast of New Zealand.
Reaches 45-58 cm in height, weight 2-3 kg.

Breeds in large colonies on the barren and very harsh islands of Tristanda Cunha and Heard Island. In a noisy and crowded colony, the small first egg is usually lost in quarrels with neighbors. The chicks gather in the nursery, but return to the nest when the parents call them to feed them. Chicks grow up quickly and at the age of 10 weeks are ready to go to sea.

Victoria Penguin or Crested Thick-billed Penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus)

It breeds only on the rocky, creviced coast of New Zealand's South Island, as well as on two small offshore islands, Stuart and Solander.
Reaches 60 cm in length, with a weight of about 3 kg.

Golden-haired penguins (Eng. Macaroni Penguin) - low (up to 76 cm) penguins colonially nesting near Antarctica, having a bunch of golden yellow feathers above their eyes.

Little penguin, elf penguin, little blue penguin, little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor)

It lives off the southern coast of Australia, along the coasts of Tasmania, New Zealand and Chatham Island.
It has a body length of only 40 cm. Usually lays 1-2, sometimes 3 eggs.

Antarctic penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica)

It lives mainly on the barren islands of the subantarctic region.
It reaches a height of 71-76 cm with a weight of 4 kg.
These penguins are quite aggressive. There are known cases of these birds attacking people approaching the colony. Unlike other species, they feed their both chicks.

giant petrels

birds nesting on the Antarctic islands, feeding on marine animals, and sometimes on young penguins. The size of the wings of these birds reaches half a meter. Scientists find out that petrels, using the power of a tailwind, are able to fly around the entire planet and return to their nesting place.

great skuas

The closest relatives of seagulls. Their wings length reaches 40 cm, but they walk on the ground as well as they fly. Skuas feed on fish, small animals and birds, and can be content with carrion.

Skuas are bandits, and nothing more. There are four types of them, and all - some more, some less - rob. Eggs and chicks are stolen from neighbors. Penguins are especially affected by great skuas. Large skuas, they are as tall as a large herring gull, slaughter with strong beaks even adult birds that they can overcome

New Year's greetings from penguins