Drawing on the theme of how I imagine the Arctic. What animals live in the Arctic? Pinnipeds of the Arctic

Photographer Louise Murray loves photographing Arctic landscapes and their inhabitants. Every year she spends from six weeks to six months in the Arctic. An exhibition of her photographs entitled "High Arctic" opens on October 15, 2011 at the Lacock Photography Gallery in the village of Lacock, the birthplace of one of the pioneers of modern photography, Henry Fox Talbot.

1. “I am attracted to these landscapes,” says Louise.

2. "Now I know how climate change is affecting the ice in the Arctic, they are thinning and becoming more dangerous."

3. “Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada has a fairly large population of polar bears. I hope my photos will make people think about the fact that these animals are under threat due to climate change. In the photo: a bear with a baby on Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada. In their first year of life, cubs are under constant threat from adult males who seek to kill the cubs in order to win over their mother.

4. Iceberg, near Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada.

5. Male walrus. Notice the tusks and vibrissae.

6. Louise Murray approached a group of walruses at a distance of two meters, Nunavut, Canada.

7. During the Arctic spring, the ice on the surface of the Arctic Basin begins to crack.

8. Beluga whale family in Hudson Bay, Canada. Beluga whale is a mammal of the suborder of toothed whales of the narwhal family. In summer, beluga whales migrate to shallow waters. Beluga whales live in colonies of up to 25 individuals, and during migration they unite in huge groups of up to a thousand individuals. For the variety of sounds they make, the Americans called the beluga whale the “sea canary”. Beluga whales reach 5.5 meters in length.

9. Sea hares are endangered due to climate change and global warming.

10. Two-month-old ringed seal cub. These babies are hunted by polar bears.

11. Polar bear, hiding in anticipation of prey.

12. Arctic tern, Sterna paradisaea, in flight. It is the only bird that migrates seasonally from the Arctic to the Antarctic and travels a record distance.

13. Polar bear and Arctic gull, Nunavut, Canada.

14. Innuit hunters, Jake Ava, left, and Saul Kwanasiak, right, wearing traditional fur hoods.

15. An Innuit narwhal hunter in his kayak, Inglefield Fjord, Greenland. The kayak is made from tanned seal skins.

16. Sleeping Husky, Herbert Island, Greenland.

Using the map of the textbook, paint over the zone of the Arctic deserts on the contour map (World around 4th grade, pp. 36-37). To match the color, you can use the "key" below: here are a few rectangles to more accurately match the color.

Wise Turtle invites you to a mini exam: Do you know the living world of the Arctic deserts? Cut out the pictures from the Application and arrange them correctly. Check yourself on the picture in the textbook. After self-checking, stick pictures.

Check your work in class. Who passed the exam with excellent marks? Who made mistakes?


Lichen


polar poppy


Gull


Guillemot


Polar bear


Seal

Draw a diagram of a food chain typical of the Arctic desert. Compare it with the scheme proposed by a neighbor on the desk. Use these diagrams to tell about ecological connections in the Arctic desert zone.

Think about what environmental problems that have arisen in the Arctic desert zone are expressed by these signs. Formulate and write down.

Suggest conservation measures to help solve these problems for class discussion.

Seryozha and Nadia's dad drew a poster "The Red Book of Russia" (at the end of the notebook).
It shows rare plants and animals from different natural areas. Find the animals of the arctic desert zone and write their names.

polar bear, walrus

Here you can complete the drawing as instructed by the textbook (p. 82).
Draw how you imagine the Arctic.

Here you can make notes for your message on the instructions of the textbook (p. 82).
Find information about one of the animals of this region in additional literature, on the Internet. Prepare a post about it.

30.11.2016

The Arctic is the area around the North Pole. There are polar days and nights here, the winter is very cold, and the summer temperature does not rise above zero degrees. But for many creatures, such extreme conditions are only a plus. What animals live in the Arctic. We offer you descriptions and photographs of the most interesting animals of the Arctic.

Predatory mammals of the Arctic

Most of the predatory animals of the Arctic are ferocious hunters with good appetites that can attack livestock and even humans. The number of individuals in the population of predators in the Arctic depends primarily on the number of lemmings, which are the main "delicacy" for arctic foxes, wolverines, polar wolves, and in some cases reindeer.

1. Polar bear

The largest representative of the Bear family, listed in the Red Book of the World back in 1953, is not found anywhere except in the Arctic. For life, he needs drifting ice leads, polynyas or the edge of ice fields and seals - his favorite food.

The polar bear closest to the pole has a latitude of 88°15". Some male polar bears reach three meters in height and a ton of weight. But with such impressive size and apparent sluggishness, polar bears are extremely agile and hardy animals.

Polar bears are excellent swimmers, overcoming up to 80 km in icy waters, with the help of a membrane on their paw pads. Polar bears easily walk about 40 km a day, coping with difficult ice hummocks and deep snow. Polar bear fur retains heat so well that even aerial infrared photography does not detect it.

2. Wolverine

A large representative of the Mustelidae family, a ferocious predator and an extremely voracious animal. For the ability of this animal to attack livestock and even people, it is also called the Demon of the North. The weight of wolverines varies from 9 to 30 kg, and in appearance they look more like badgers or bears.

Unlike other members of the Mustelidae family, the wolverine migrates within its individual home range, being in constant search for food. The animal easily climbs trees thanks to its sharp claws and powerful paws. It makes sounds similar to the yelping of dogs, has excellent hearing, sight and smell.

The wolverine is omnivorous, it can both eat leftover food for other predators, and hunt on its own even for fairly large animals, it also eats plants - berries, nuts. This is such a brave and vicious animal that even the owner of the Arctic, the Polar Bear, tries to bypass it when meeting.

3. Polar wolf

This subspecies of the wolf lives throughout the tundra and the Arctic. It usually feeds on small animals - polar hares and lemmings, but musk ox and reindeer are also part of its diet. In the harsh conditions of polar nights and long cold periods, he has adapted to feeding on any food.

Polar wolves can only survive in a pack. In the conditions of the Arctic deserts, where there is no place for an ambush, they have to resort to another - social hunting tactics, often patiently waiting for the victims to make a mistake and weaken the defense.

4. Arctic fox, or polar fox

The polar or arctic fox is a predatory animal, the only representative of the genus Arctic fox. Unlike the common fox, it has a short muzzle, small rounded ears, paws covered with stiff hair and a squat body. Depending on the season, the fur of the polar fox can be white, blue, brown, dark gray, light coffee or sand. On this basis, 10 subspecies of animals are distinguished that live in different territories.

Not more than half a kilometer from the water, the arctic fox digs complex burrows with numerous entrances. But in winter, he often has to make do with a lair in the snow. He eats everything, his diet includes both plants and animals. But the basis of his diet are birds and lemmings.

Ungulate mammals of the Arctic

The plant populations of the Arctic ensure the existence of large groups of large herbivorous ungulates here. Their numbers are subject to strong changes due to long cold periods. An adaptation to this is their migration to the forest areas located to the south.

1. Reindeer

Animals evolve the faster, the more difficult the conditions of their existence. Reindeer are so different from other representatives of the Olenev family that it immediately becomes clear that everything is in order with the difficulties. Caribou (as they are called in North America) are not only survival champions, but also the youngest members of the family. They appeared only about two million years ago.

Flat and wide, pointed at the edges of the hooves of reindeer turn animals into all-terrain vehicles. With ease, they travel through snow, swamp and ice. The same hooves, used instead of flippers, help the deer to swim perfectly and overcome not only large rivers such as the Yenisei, but also sea straits. Their wool has a special structure, its hairs expand towards the end and create a heat-insulating air layer. Even the upper lip and the lobe of their nose are covered with delicate soft hair.

Reindeer eat a variety of foods - in summer they are succulent plants, in winter - lichens, shrubs. To make up for the lack of trace elements, they gnaw their own discarded antlers, eat algae and shells thrown ashore. An important reason for their survival is the herd way of life.

2. Musk ox

A rare powerful hoofed animal, the same age as a mammoth, with a thick undercoat that is several times warmer than a sheep's. Their long thick hair hangs down from above almost to the ground and covers the animal, leaving only hooves, horns, nose and lips outside. Musk oxen survive the winter cold without migrating, they easily endure severe frosts, but they die in the presence of a high snow cover, especially with an ice crust on top.

Pinnipeds of the Arctic

The nostrils of considerable size allow them to inhale enough air to stay under water for up to 10 minutes. Their forelimbs are transformed into flippers, and their food is marine life - mollusks, krill, fish, crustaceans. Imagine the most common pinnipeds of the Arctic.

1. Walrus

The only modern representative of the Walrus family is easily distinguished due to its massive tusks. In terms of size among pinnipeds, it ranks second after the Elephant Seal, but the ranges of these animals do not intersect. Walruses live in herds and bravely protect each other from enemies.

2. Seal

They have a more extensive distribution, live along the shores of the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans. They are very good swimmers, although they are not found far from the coast. Seals do not freeze in cold water due to the thick layer of subcutaneous fat and waterproof fur.

3. Fur seal

Fur seals, along with sea lions, belong to the eared seal family. When moving, seals rely on all limbs, and their eyes have a dark outline. In summer, the Northern Fur Seal lives in the North Pacific Ocean, and with the advent of autumn, it migrates south.

4 Northern Elephant Seal

It should be noted here that elephant seals are divided into northern (living in the Arctic) and southern (living in the Antarctic). Elephant seals got their name because of the impressive size and trunk-like nose of old males. They live on the Arctic coast of North America and even to the south. Adult males reach a mass of 3.5 tons.

Marine mammals of the Arctic

No other mammal can match the ability to survive in the harsh conditions of the Arctic with such cetaceans as the beluga whale, narwhal and bowhead whale. They lack the dorsal fin found in other cetaceans. About 10 species of marine mammals live in the Arctic - whales (fin whales, blue, humpback and sperm whales) and dolphins (killer whales). Let's talk about the most popular of them.

1. Narwhal

They are distinguished by the presence of only two upper teeth, of which the left one in males develops into a tusk up to 3 meters long and weighing up to 10 kg. With this tusk, males break the ice, making polynyas, it also serves to attract females and many other purposes.

2. White whale

This is a species of toothed whales from the Narvalov family. Beluga whales also need atmospheric oxygen and are at risk of suffocation if they are trapped under solid ice for a long time. They feed on fish and make a variety of sounds.

3. Bowhead whale

This is the only representative of baleen whales that has lived all its life within the cold waters of the Northern Hemisphere. In spring they migrate to the north, and in autumn they sail a little south, avoiding the ice. They feed on plankton.

4. Killer whale (killer whale)

The killer whale is the largest predatory dolphin. Its coloration is contrasting - black and white with distinctive white spots above the eyes. Another original feature of killer whales is the high sickle-shaped dorsal fin. Different populations of these predators specialize in certain food. Some killer whales prefer herring and migrate after their shoals, others prey on pinnipeds. They have no rivals and are at the top of the food chain.

Rodents of the Arctic

It is impossible to overestimate the importance of lemmings for the existence of animals of the Arctic deserts. They feed on almost all of the above land animals. And snowy owls don't even make nests if the lemming population is not in the best condition.

Animals of the Arctic, listed in the Red Book

Currently, some animals of the Arctic are endangered. Natural and human-induced changes in the climatic conditions of the Arctic pose a significant threat to the animal world. The list of animals of the Arctic, which are listed in the Red Book, includes the following representatives of the Arctic belt.

  • Polar bear.
  • Bowhead whale.
  • Narwhal.
  • Reindeer.
  • Atlantic and Laptev walruses.

The musk ox is also a rare animal species. His ancestors lived on Earth in the time of mammoths.

In June 2009, by order of the Russian government, the Russian Arctic National Park was created, the main task of which is to preserve and study representatives of the flora and fauna of the Arctic, which are on the verge of extinction.

Animals of the Arctic do not live at the North Pole itself, it is impossible to live there. They are more common in the southern regions of the Arctic Ocean, on the coast of the continents and on the islands.

Incredible Facts

Probably, most people who have long graduated from school will not immediately be able to give an answer about the difference between the Arctic, Antarctica and Antarctica - where are they located, and how do they differ?

Many doubt the main account because of the similarity of names and almost identical climatic conditions.

We can only say with confidence that there is a lot of snow, ice and icebergs here and there.



What are the similarities between the Arctic, Antarctica and Antarctica

To better understand how they are similar and how they differ, it is worth starting with what these places have in common.


Name

To be more precise, this is not a similarity, but rather a contrast.

The word "Arctic" is of Greek origin. Arktos means bear. This is due to the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, by which people are guided in search of the North Star, that is, the main northern landmark.

The word "Antarctica" was invented quite recently, or rather in the twentieth century. The history of its origin is not so interesting. The fact is that "Antarctica" is a combination of the two words "anti" and "Arctic", that is, the opposite part of the Arctic, or the bear.

Climate


Eternal snow and icebergs are the result of harsh climate conditions. This is the second similarity of the above territories.

However, it is worth noting that the similarity is not entirely complete, since the climate of the Arctic is still milder due to warm currents that go quite far along the northern coast of the Eurasian continent. Here, the minimum temperature exceeds the Antarctic minimum temperature.

What is the difference between the Arctic, Antarctica and Antarctica

Arctic


The northern polar region of our planet, which is adjacent to the North Pole.

The Arctic includes the outskirts of two continents - North America and Eurasia.

The Arctic includes almost the entire Arctic Ocean and many islands in it (except for the coastal islands of Norway).

The Arctic includes adjacent parts of two oceans - the Pacific and the Atlantic.

The average temperature in the Arctic is -34 C.

Arctic (photo)



Antarctic


This is the southern polar region of our planet. As already mentioned, its name can be translated as "the opposite of the Arctic."

Antarctica includes the continent of Antarctica and adjacent parts of the three oceans - the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian along with the islands.

Antarctica is the most severe climate zone on Earth. Both the mainland and nearby islands are covered with ice.

The average temperature in Antarctica is -49 C.

Antarctica on the map



Antarctica (photo)



Antarctica

A continent located in the southernmost part of the globe.


Antarctica on the map


Simply put:

Antarctica and Antarctica


1. Antarctica is the mainland. The area of ​​this continent is 14.1 million square meters. km., which puts it in 5th place in terms of area among all continents. He overtook only Australia in this parameter. Antarctica is a deserted continent discovered by the Lazarev-Bellingshausen expedition in 1820.

2. Antarctica is a territory that includes both the mainland Antarctica itself and all the islands adjacent to this mainland and the waters of the three oceans - the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian. According to foreign scientists who call the Antarctic waters the Southern Ocean, the area of ​​Antarctica is about 86 million square kilometers. km.

3. Relief Antarctica is much more diverse than the topography of the mainland that it includes.

Beautiful Antarctica and arctic photo nature.

Here are the images from the new book by National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen. The book, called Polar Obsession, contains 160 photos taken by Paul in the Arctic and Antarctic. During one of his polar expeditions, an amazing story happened to Paul - he became friends with a sea leopard, a deadly predator of Antarctica.

1) A young polar bear jumps from ice floe to ice floe. Barents Sea, Svalbard, Norway.

2) The Icelandic polar gull flies against the background of a large iceberg. Svalbard, Norway.

3) Spring in the Arctic, traces of meltwater runoff spread across the ice.

4) Narwhals dive deep under the ice to feed on Arctic cod, and then, raising their tusks high, float to the surface to breathe. Lancaster Sound, Nunavut, Canada.

5) A gentoo penguin chick looks into the water, checking for a threat, a leopard seal swimming. Port Lockroy, Antarctic Peninsula.

6) A leopard seal feeds photographer Paul Nicklen with penguins. Antarctic Peninsula.

7) A large male walrus swims back to the shores of Prince Carl Foreland after diving and eating shellfish for a long time. Svalbard, Norway.

8) A bear and her two-year-old cub are drifting on an ice floe. Hudson Strait, Nunavut, Canada.

9) Looking into his uncertain future, this inquisitive large male bear set the camera on fire and took this self-portrait. Leifdefjorden, Svalbard, Norway.

During his next expedition to Antarctica, an amazing incident happened to photographer Paul Nicklen. When Paul dived into the water to take some pictures, a large female leopard seal, the largest and most dangerous predator of Antarctica, swam up to him. Opening its huge mouth, the leopard seal “explored” Paul in its own way: the predator carefully took the head of the photographer and his camera into its fanged mouth. And then just as carefully released it and began to swim around, treating Paul with freshly killed penguins. into the camera, apparently believing that this is the mouth of her new friend.As a result of this unusual "acquaintance" and absolutely amazing pictures appeared.

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