In the Arctic, many animals live on land, while in Antarctica, life is mainly based in the surrounding waters.
Animals in both polar regions have had to adapt to survive in the extreme cold:
- Polar bears:
are white to help them camouflage (hide) easily in the snow from hungry
predators, have large paws to help them grip the ice and have thick fur
to help them keep warm.
- Reindeer (also
called caribou) feed on grasses and plants in the tundra in the summer
and then travel (migrate) south in winter to warmer places. The
underside of each hoof is hollowed out like a big scoop and allows them
to dig through snow in search of food. They also use their hooves to
paddle through chilly northern rivers and lakes.
- Musk oxen
have a fine layer of wool under a thick outer coat. They crowd together
so water vapour in their breath forms a cloud to trap heat.
- Arctic foxes
have white fur in the winter to help them blend in with the snow - they
then shed this for a brown one as the snow melts in the summer. They
have a long, bushy tail which they use to keep their nose and feet warm
when asleep too.
- Walruses have
sharp tusks to help protect them from polar bears and use special air
sacs in their neck to help them keep their head above water when
swimming.
- Penguins (that
only live in Antarctica): have dark feathers on their backs to absorb
heat from the sun and have lots of blubber (fat) under their skin to
help insulate their bodies. They also huddle together with other
penguins to keep warm.
- Weddell seals
live further south than any other mammal. They have grooves in their
teeth to help them break holes in the Antarctic ice and can swim
underwater for over an hour to look for food.
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