Antarctic animals ‘IThe weather conditions in the Antarctic are very inhospitable, as it is the coldestplace on Earth! For this reason, very few terrestrial (land) animals are able to survivein the Antarctic. However, many marine (sea) animals and bird species thrive here.

Terrestrial animals

Believe it or not, the only terrestrial animalsthat live in the Antarctic are invertebrates(animals without backbones). The largest is thewingless midge, which can grow to a maximumof 13 mm in length. Most of the otherinvertebrate animals that live here are so smallthat they can only be seen under a microscope!

Wingless midges

Birds

Emperor penguinsMarine animals

A huge variety of marine animals can be found in theAntarctic. Several different species of whale includinghumpback, blue and sperm whales all live here, alongwith orca (killer whales). Various species of seal also livehere including Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals.

The penguin is a marine bird that is completely unique tothe Southern Hemisphere. Many species of penguin haveadapted to survive in the Antarctic. Adelie, emperor,chinstrap and gentoo penguins all breed here.

Some birds, such as snow petrels, are able to withstand the Antarctic weather throughoutthe year. Snow petrels breed in the Antarctic and have been seen as far south as the SouthPole. Other birds, such as the Arctic skuas and Arctic tern, migrate to the Antarctic from theArctic. They do this to avoid the Arctic winterand in effect have two summers—onein the Arctic and one in the Antarctic.

Snow petrel

Did you know?

Penguins can live in the sea for several monthsat a time. Their bodies and wings have adaptedto make them excellent divers and swimmers.

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Antarctic weatherMany people know that the Antarctic is the coldest place on Earth. But it may come

as a surprise that it is also the windiest, and that the world’s largest desert can befound here! Both the weather and climate are incredibly harsh, but just how cold isthe Antarctic and why is it classed as a desert?

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Temperatures and precipitation

Antarctica is actually a continent, larger in size thanthe whole of Europe. The weather can vary significantlyacross different areas. The table below shows theaverage daily temperature and monthly precipitationfor the Vostok Station, based in the Antarctic.

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The lowest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica is -89.2°C buttemperatures are often warmer near the coast. It sometimesrains in these warmer areas but most precipitation in theAntarctic falls as snow. The continent is the driest on Earth andis classed as a desert because there is so little precipitation here.

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Can plants survive the weather conditions? Station

Very few plant species can survive the inhospitable conditions ofthe Antarctic. Antarctic hair grass and Antarctic peariwort are the onlytwo species of flowering plants that are hardy enough to withstand the brutalclimate. Mosses have also adapted to survive here.

Did you know?

Millions of years ago, theclimate in the Antarctic was alot warmer than it is today. Infact, conifer trees once grew

there.

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Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Average temperature (°C) 32 1 44 3 57 9 64 7 65 6 65 2 66 9 67 6 66 57 1 43 3 32 1

Average precipItation (mm) 0 1 0 0 7 0 5 0 4 0 5 0 6 0 7 0 3 0 2 0 1 0

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No human has ever lived in the Antarctic permanently. In fact, it wasn’t until the late1700s that humans began to discover this hostile and mysterious region. Despitehaving no permanent residents, the Antarctic has fascinated humans since it wasfirst discovered and continues to intrigue people today.

Discovery and exploration of the Antarctic

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A British explorer, Captain James Cook, was one of the firstexplorers to visit the Antarctic region. In 1772, his voyage took himto the Antarctic Circle but he and his crew were forced to turn backbecause of the severe weather. Later, in 1819, the British explorer,Wiliam Smith, discovered some Antarctic islands. Explorerscontinued to visit the area and a race to reach the South Pole (themost southerly point on Earth) followed in 1911. The race was wonby a Norwegian explorer called Roald Amundsen.

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:: Today, approximately 4,000 scientists and researchers reside in the Antarctic over the course

: of a year. They analyse and monitor the unique conditions here. There are over sixty researchbases for the scientists to stay in, with most staying during the summer months (Novemberto April). Scientists can ‘live’ here for a couple of months or up to a couple of years.

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The Antarctic has also become a popular tourist destination, but tourism is very carefullymanaged in this area to help protect the local environment and wildlife.

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baby boy, who became thefirst ever person to be bornon the continentj *

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Arctic animals

The Arctic is home to an amazing variety of animals. Terrestrial (land) animals,marine (sea) animals and birds have all adapted to live in this harshenvironment and survive the extreme weather conditions.

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Marine animals

A diverse range of marine mammals also live in, ormigrate to, the Arctic. These include orca (killerwhales), beluga whales and blue whales. Walrusesare exclusive to this region and so are some speciesof seal.

Birds

Up to 200 different species of bird are able to survive in the Arctic. Many birds, such as theArctic tern, barnacle goose and Bewick’s swan live in the Arctic during the warmer summermonths. However, a few species of bird - including the snowy owl - have adapted to live inthe Arctic all year round.

Did you know?

Arctic foxes and Arctic hares bothhave white coats in winter and brownor grey coats in summer. This helpsto camouflage them against theirsurroundings, depending on theseason.

Polar bearTerrestrial animals

Many terrestrial mammals, including polar bears,Arctic wolves, Arctic foxes and Arctic hares, areunique to the Arctic region and can only be found inthe Northern Hemisphere. During the coldestwinter months, they migrate to the lands thatsurround the Arctic.

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Snowy owl

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Arctic weatherThe Arctic is one of the coldest places on Earth. It is also one of the driest, withvery little precipitation over the course of a year. In fact, the world’s secondlargest desert is in the Arctic! It’s easy to imagine that the land is permanentlycovered in snow and ice. However, the landscape changes in the summer months,when some of the snow and ice melts.

Temperature and precipitation

The Arctic is made up of both land and sea, so theweather in different areas can vary significantly. The tablebelow shows the average daily temperature and monthlyprecipitation for the Arctic Village, Alaska.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Average temperature (°C) -30.7 -27.9 -18.9 -10 3.5 12.5

Average precipitation (mm) 11.2 6.6 10.4 5.8 15.5 35.8

Temperatures can actually reach as low as -68°C in someparts of the Arctic during the freezing winter months.However, temperatures have been known to reach up to30°C in some parts of the Arctic during the summer months.Overall, the average temperatures are rising in the Arctic.

Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

14.3 9.5 0.2 -11.7 -23.6 -24.7

42.7 36.1 35.1 15.2 11,4 10.2

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Can plants survive the weather conditions?

Over 1,700 species of plant (including Arctic cotton, purplesaxifrage and Arctic poppies) have adapted to survive thefreezing conditions of the Arctic. For the majority of the year,the Arctic’s permafrost (layer of frozen soil)remains frozen. However, during theslightly warmer summer months,the permafrost thaws allowingsmall, shallow-rooted plants Did you know?to grow. Trees struggle to survive in

the Arctic because there isso little rainfall and the

temperatures are so cold.

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Arctic people.

The Arctic region is made up of parts of Canada, Alaska (a state of the United

States), Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Greenland and Iceland along with the

Arctic Ocean itself. People have lived in different regions of the Arctic for thousands

of years and the population is now approximately 4 million. People originally fromthe Arctic are known as indigenous and many

indigenous groups still live in the Arctic. Newer An Inuit family wearing both traditionaland modern clothing.

immigrants also make up today’s population.

Indigenous groups

Over 40 different indigenous groups of people live inthe Arctic. A well-known group are called the lnuit. Theearly Inuit learnt to adapt and survive in the harshconditions of the Arctic and became skilled hunters.They developed their own hunting technology, builttheir own homes and had their own unique language,cultures and traditions. However, many of thesetraditional skills are being lost as modern life takes over.

Today’s settlements

Today, the Arctic is made up of small villages, towns and cities. Some ofthe towns and cities are very modern, with access to facilities includingthe internet and satellite televisions. Other settlements are moretraditional with few modern-day amenities.

Did you know?

The lnuit were experts inshelter building. Temporaryshelters, called igloos, weremade from blocks of snow.More permanent shelters,

called turf huts, were madeout of turf, stones and

wood.

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