Post about 1 of the animals of the arctic. What do Arctic seals eat? white arctic goose
The nature and wildlife of the Arctic are unique. More than 20 thousand species of plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms live here, and some animals and plants are found only in the Arctic.
The main feature of all Arctic animal species is their unique ability to survive in extreme conditions.
In the spring and summer, many migratory animals arrive in the Arctic, and during the year some of them literally travel around the world, overcoming great distances.
Some of them form large clusters on migration routes, making stops for feeding or molting, while others, on the contrary, gather in large numbers precisely in breeding areas.
The governments of the Arctic states have committed themselves to allocate territories for nature reserves and national parks. Currently, part of the territory of the Russian Arctic is protected areas.
Here are the national parks "Russian Arctic" and "Beringia", the reserves "Laplandsky", "Kandalakshsky", "Nenets", "Gydansky", "Great Arctic", "Taimyrsky", "Ust-Lensky" and "Wrangel Island", in addition, a number of federal reserves and many regional protected areas
The closer to the North Pole, the poorer the flora and fauna: not all species are able to adapt to extremely low temperatures.
For example, in Taimyr, in the forest-tundra zone, 80 species of birds live and 250 species of vascular plants grow, and to the north, in the zone of polar deserts, only 12 and 50 species, respectively.
However, there are exceptions to this rule: about half of the more than 200 known species waders and 70% of the global geese population.
One of the most beautiful animals of the North is the reindeer.
In addition, it is one of the main animals in the life of indigenous peoples. Reindeer herding became a traditional occupation of many indigenous peoples about a thousand years ago.
The largest population of domestic reindeer lives in the Yamalo-Nenets autonomous region- about 665 thousand people
animals. In America, reindeer are called "caribou" (while caribou are slightly larger than reindeer in size).
Many peoples of the Arctic, such as the Saami, Nenets and Chukchi, are still breeding reindeer.
This occupation provides them with food, clothing and shelter, as well as a source of income.
The natives of Alaska and Canada, however, still prefer to hunt caribou rather than herding deer.
Both caribou and reindeer have hollow coats that keep them warm and help them stay afloat.
Deer are excellent swimmers, capable of crossing wide rivers and even maneuvering between sea ice floes.
Calves are born in early spring. Thanks to the supply of so-called brown fat with which calves are born, they do not freeze. Already an hour and a half after birth, calves can run, so they usually do not lag behind the migrating herd.
Reindeer migrations are one of the most breathtaking sights in the world.
During the spring transitions, small groups of deer unite, gradually forming huge herds - up to 500 thousand people.
individuals. In autumn, they again break into groups and go to winter in the forests. Some herds travel up to 5 thousand km per year.
Musk oxen, the same age as mammoths, are the largest ungulates in the Arctic. They graze in small groups, usually in lowlands and river valleys, where shrubs, their main food, grow in abundance.
Musk oxen, while resembling bison, are more closely related to sheep and goats. In ancient times, these animals were much more numerous, but during the Neolithic period they were almost completely exterminated by hunters.
Musk oxen are very massive herbivores: they can weigh up to 300 kg and reach 150 cm at the withers.
In addition to people, musk oxen are hunted by wolves.
Fleeing from danger, these animals quickly run, climb mountain slopes or defend themselves by using their massive sharp horns.
Musk oxen are perfectly adapted to survive in the harsh conditions of the Arctic: temperatures of -40 ° C, snowfall and strong wind they are not afraid.
The polar bear, or "nanuk" in the Inuit language, is the largest land mammal in the world.
However, the sea also plays a significant role in the life of these animals - hence the Latin name Ursus maritimus, "sea bear".
The polar bear is a northern relative of the brown bear, lives on the mainland coast and the islands of the Arctic.
Moving on the ice floes, polar bears pursue their favorite prey - the ringed seal.
Sometimes they travel across the ice that covers the center of the Arctic.
Polar bears can swim for several days without stopping, and their excellent sense of smell allows them to detect polynyas where seals come to breathe, and at a very significant distance - over one and a half kilometers.
In those places where the ice cover completely disappears by the middle or end of summer, the bears have to move ashore for several months and wait for the water to freeze again.
Newborn cubs weigh less than a kilogram, and the weight of adult males can reach 800 kg.
Growth big bears at the withers, on average, it is 1.3-1.5 m. The bear is almost twice as small.
Polar bears are superbly adapted to the harsh Arctic conditions: their thick coat repels water, their black skin attracts the sun's rays, and their thick layer of fat keeps them warm. Their milky white color makes them invisible to prey. Finally, polar bears have the ability to hibernate on the move: they are awake, but go without food for a long time.
In addition, arctic foxes, ermines, foxes, polar wolves, wolverines, various rodents, hares.
As far as birds are concerned, almost half of the world's shore bird species are concentrated in the Arctic.
On the Arctic coast there are so-called bird colonies - colonies of birds. The most numerous colonies in the Arctic are kittiwakes, thick-billed guillemots and little auks, other species are present in markets in smaller numbers. Northern Yakutia is home to one of the most rare birds on Earth - Siberian Crane (white crane).
More than 10 species live in the Arctic marine mammals(these are dolphins and whales - blue, humpback, sperm whales and fin whales), as well as at least 10 species of pinnipeds - walruses and seals.
Birds, fish and marine mammals are especially common in the southern part of the ocean.
Life is in full swing at the bottom of the ocean, especially at shallow depths where sunlight penetrates.
So, off the coast of Iceland, scientists discovered representatives of 4 thousand species, and groups that differ significantly from each other live in different areas.
The Great Siberian Polynya in the Laptev Sea is another place with a high density of inhabitants. Walruses, ringed seals and bearded seals, as well as eiders, long-tailed ducks and other sea birds feed here.
Beluga whales live in Arctic waters off the coast of Russia, Greenland, Canada and Alaska.
They belong to the smallest species of whales: their body length is only 5 m. Due to the huge range of sounds they make - from chirping to roaring - these animals are called sea canaries.
Beluga whales are social animals, therefore they live in groups, and sometimes they can stray into entire herds of several hundred individuals.
They spend summer near the coast - in bays, shallow bays and estuaries, where they feed on fish, crustaceans and cephalopods.
In winter, beluga whales keep to the edges of the ice fields, but sometimes they penetrate far into the glaciation zone through narrow water tunnels.
In the coldest months, beluga whales can be trapped in ice and become prey for polar bears.
Due to the ability to echolocation, beluga whales are perfectly oriented under water and are able to find their way through the ice.
Toothed whales related to belugas - narwhals - live all year round in the fjords and bays of Canada and in the west of Greenland.
Narwhals are called sea unicorns: males have a long spiral canine in the upper jaw.
In its outer layer there are nerve endings, which means, according to some scientists, this is a special sensor with which the whale determines water pressure, its temperature and salt content.
Narwhals can dive very great depth- 1.5 thousand meters. Under drifting ice floes, they catch flounder and other fish.
Walruses live in arctic and subarctic waters from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean.
Males have huge fangs and coarse vibrissae hair (the organ of touch).
Their mass can reach 2 tons. Walruses spend most of their rather long (20-30 years) life in communities on ice floes and coasts of food-rich waters. They achieve their enormous mass by feeding on animals that live on seabed: shellfish, shrimp, crabs, worms and cold water corals.
The walrus is still a very valuable prey for local hunters, who have found a use for almost every part of its carcass.
The Arctic and its inhabitants
The Arctic and its inhabitantsarctic desert
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Animals of the Arctic
The vast northern expanse, stretching from Iceland to the Aleutian Islands, is called the Arctic zone. This is the undivided realm of ice and cold. The icy waters of the Arctic Ocean, the endless tundra of the continents adjacent to the cold reservoir, rocky islands with steep, ice-covered shores - this is what the Arctic is.
Everything here looks harsh, gloomy and unfriendly. Strong icy winds, fogs, heavy snowfalls, polar days and nights are integral parts of this region.
It would seem that in such conditions a normal existence is simply impossible.
However, this is not the case. A full-blooded life rages among the eternal ice and snowdrifts. The cries of seagulls over sea wave, and the roar of walruses, and the growl of polar bears, and the high dorsal fins of killer whales, periodically appearing above the dark water surface. Animals of the Arctic- this is the name of this special living world that dared to challenge the powerful cold and the all-powerful permafrost.
Birds
The most numerous inhabitants of the vast expanses of the harsh North are birds. The pink gull is a fragile creature. Its weight does not exceed a quarter of a kilogram, and its body length barely reaches 35 cm. However, this bird feels quite at ease both in the harsh tundra and above the sea surface covered with drifting ice.
Kaira is a black and white bird. With her attire, she resembles a Catholic priest, and her behavior resembles a lively bazaar tradeswoman. She nests not on impregnable steep cliffs, but spends the winter on ice floes, without experiencing any discomfort.
In this row, you can put the common eider - the northern duck. It is not difficult for her to dive into icy water to a depth of 20 meters. The most ferocious and largest among birds is the polar owl.
It is a ruthless predator with yellow eyes and white plumage. It attacks both birds and rodents. It can also eat a cub of a larger animal - for example, a polar fox.
seals
These animals of the Arctic constitute a special cohort and have been living in the Arctic region for thousands of years.
These include the harp seal, which has a very beautiful pattern on the skin. The sea hare is one of the largest seals. His height reaches 2.5 meters, and the whole is a little short of 400 kg.
The common seal is inferior in size to the bearded seal, but it has very beautiful and expressive eyes. To this friendly company also includes the ringed seal. She is smaller than her brothers, but more mobile and knows how to dig holes in the snow.
walruses
The walrus is the closest relative of the seals.
He, like them, is a pinniped, but has a larger size. The length of his body approaches 3 meters, and the weight fluctuates within a ton.
In addition, this animal has powerful fangs. He needs them in order to dig the seabed and thus get himself mollusks, which serve as his main food. Often walruses use their tusks for self-defense and attacks on other animals. After all, he is a real predator and can easily eat a gaping seal or seal.
Polar bear
All animals of the Arctic are afraid, and therefore respected polar bear.
This is largest land predator. The length of his body reaches 2.5 meters, weight half a ton. He attacks seals, seals, walruses. Its strong teeth are familiar to polar dolphins, and the arctic fox always feeds near this mighty beast, getting leftovers from the master's table. The polar bear swims well, dives, runs fast. It is the most formidable and dangerous predator of the Arctic lands.
cetaceans
Of the order of cetaceans living in the Arctic, the narwhal is of undoubted interest in the first place.
He owes his popularity to his long horn that sticks right out of your mouth. This horn reaches a length of 3 meters, and its weight is 10 kg. It is nothing more than an ordinary tooth that has grown to such a huge size. This tooth does not cause any inconvenience to a mammal, but why it is needed - there is no definite answer, although there are a lot of different assumptions.
The bowhead whale is a relative of the narwhal.
But its size is many times larger, and instead of a tooth, it has a whalebone and a huge tongue in its mouth. It is with his tongue that he licks plankton stuck in the whalebone plates.
This huge animal is absolutely harmless; it has been living in northern waters for many thousands of years.
White whale or polar dolphin is also a representative of this company.
This is a large animal - its weight reaches 2 tons, and its length is 6 meters. The beluga whale loves to eat fish very much - the killer whale never refuses to try the polar dolphin itself. It rightfully occupies one of the first places among the strongest and largest marine predators.
She is a frequent visitor in Arctic waters. From her sharp teeth, not only beluga whales die, but also walruses, seals and seals.
arctic fox
The animals of the Arctic would have lost a lot if there were not such a predator as the arctic fox among them.
Thanks to its beautiful fur, this animal is known far beyond the cold region. He is known in Africa, and in Australia, and in Brazil - after all, women wear fox fur coats in all corners of the world. The fox is a very small animal. Its weight barely reaches 5 kg, and the height at the withers does not exceed 30 cm.
But this kid is very hardy and fast. In addition, he loves to travel. It can be found in almost all corners of the Arctic. He often accompanies the polar bear, prudently keeping a respectful distance from the powerful predator.
Lemming
This small rodent, slightly larger than the mouse, is of great importance for the animal world of the Arctic.
Almost all animals feed on it, and the population of the snowy owl directly depends on its abundance. In those years when there are few lemmings, birds of prey do not nest at all. The arctic fox also loses interest in traveling if the number of small rodents increases dramatically.
Wildlife of the Arctic - mammals, birds, predators and marine animals living in the Arctic
Reindeer also eat it, although their diet mainly consists of plants.
Reindeer
A beautiful, fast, graceful animal, dressed in a warm short coat, and even having branched horns on its head, is none other than a reindeer.
He lives in the cold tundra, feeds on reindeer moss, which is also called reindeer moss, and feels quite comfortable in the Arctic region. The reindeer also inhabits many islands of a huge cold reservoir.
This animal has a weight of about two hundred kilograms, and the height at the withers does not exceed one and a half meters. Reindeer have very wide hooves. Thanks to them, he easily breaks the snow in winter and gets to the withered vegetation hiding under a snow coat.
Animals
The Arctic marine environment is home to many unique animal species, among which the polar bear, narwhal, walrus and beluga whale are the most rare. More than 150 species of fish inhabit arctic and subarctic waters, including cod and American flounder, which are the most important fish species.
It is the fishery complex arctic zone provides up to 15% of the catch of aquatic biological resources and fish products produced in the Russian Federation.
Polar bear
The polar bear is the most powerful and powerful land predator on the planet.
Neither lions, nor tigers, nor brown bears can compare with him. In the largest individuals, the body length can reach 3 meters, the mass can reach up to a ton. Basically, the length is 2-2.5 meters, weight 450-500 kilograms. The height at the withers of these animals is usually 1.5 meters.
Females are smaller than males. They are almost one and a half times lighter in weight.
The habitat of a formidable predator is limited to the Arctic zone. In the north, the polar bear reaches 88 ° N. sh, in the south it reaches Newfoundland. On the mainland, it can only be found in arctic wilderness. It does not enter the tundra. Drifting ice is the home of the polar bear. Sometimes they carry the traveler to the Bering Sea and even the Sea of Okhotsk.
Once in such a situation, he always seeks to return back. Obeying the inner instinct, the bear strictly follows the north and, as a rule, gets to the Arctic lands after long days ordeals and wanderings.
Nature carefully covered the body of a polar bear with warm white fur.
Sometimes it dilutes yellow spots. The bright summer sun rays are to blame for this, affecting the bear's coat in such a peculiar way. The skin of the beast is black or very dark. Under it is a thick layer subcutaneous fat. In the back of the body, its thickness can reach 10 cm. On the chest and shoulders, it is 3-4 cm.
The polar bear is a great hunter.
He has excellent vision and sense of smell. He can feel the prey for a kilometer, and see for a few. The beast is characterized by patience and endurance. He can lie for hours near a hole in the ice and wait for a seal's head to emerge from the water. As soon as the victim sticks his nose out to take a healing breath of air, a powerful and swift paw strike follows.
The bear drags the stunned seal onto the ice, but does not eat it all, but only the skin and fat. He usually leaves the meat to Arctic foxes. Eat it only in hungry and difficult times.
This predator hunts well in the water. Sometimes he even dives under an ice floe, on which there are several seals. With its powerful body, the polar bear turns it over, and the poor pinnipeds that find themselves in the water immediately become easy prey for the mighty beast.
He does not shy away from walruses. True to large males does not attack - limited to young animals or sick and weak animals.
Walrus
The walrus is a unique animal of the Arctic.
It belongs to the group of pinnipeds, the walrus family. The family has one genus and one species. The species is divided into two subspecies: the Pacific walrus and the Atlantic walrus. The habitat of the animal is extensive and covers almost most of the coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean. Walrus rookeries can be found on the western and eastern shores of Greenland, Svalbard and Iceland. Pinniped giants live on Novaya Zemlya and in the Kara Sea.
The walrus is a very large animal.
The body length of some individuals can reach 5 meters, and the mass can reach up to one and a half tons. The average length of the male is 3.5 meters, the weight varies within a ton. The females are smaller. Their usual length is usually 2.8-2.9 meters, weight is about 700-800 kg. All adult walruses have fangs protruding from their mouths. Their length reaches 60-80 cm, and each weighs at least 3 kg.
This pinniped has a very broad muzzle.
Thick and long mustaches grow on the upper lip. They are called vibrissae, somewhat reminiscent of a brush and are indispensable when detecting underwater mollusks. The eyes are small and nearsighted. The walrus really sees very poorly, but his sense of smell is excellently developed. There are no external ears, but they grow on the skin short hair yellow-brown.
With age, the hairline is lost. Elderly walruses have completely bare skin.
The walrus is a herd animal.
Its habitat extends to coastal waters, where the depth does not exceed 50 meters. It is this water column that is considered optimal for him. The pinniped finds food on the seabed. Sensitive vibrissae help him in this. Shellfish are undoubtedly the priority.
The animal “plows” the muddy soil with its fangs and many shells rise up. The walrus grinds them with its front powerful callused flippers and thus splits the shell. It settles to the bottom, and the gelatinous bodies remain floating in the water column. The pinniped eats them and again plunges its fangs into the sea soil.
He needs to eat at least 50 kg of shellfish per day in order to get enough. Walruses do not like fish. They eat it very rarely, when there is simply no other way out.
common seal
The harbor seal lives in the eastern and western parts of the Arctic Ocean.
In the east, these are the Bering Sea, the Chukchi Sea and the Beaufort Sea. To the west is the Barents Sea and the southern coastal waters of Greenland. It also comes across in other seas of the Arctic, but in small quantities. It also inhabits the northern coastal waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and is also a permanent resident of the Baltic Sea.
In their appearance, seals from different regions differ little. Unless the animals living in the east or Pacific seals are somewhat larger than their western (Atlantic) counterparts. In total, there are 500 thousand heads today.
The body length of an ordinary seal ranges from 1.85 m, weight is 160 kg. Males are somewhat larger than females, otherwise they are practically the same.
A characteristic distinguishing feature of these animals are V-shaped nostrils. From them you can immediately recognize this animal, regardless of the color of the skin. The coloring is different. It contains brown, gray and red tones. The predominantly reddish-gray color of the coat. On it, all over the body, small brown or black spots are scattered, resembling oblong strokes.
On the back there are patterns of black-brown spots. Quite often, seals have black spots on the muzzle, head, and tail. Cubs are born the same color as their parents. They do not have white fur in the first weeks of life, like some other species.
The common seal feeds on fish. Its menu includes smelt, polar cod, navaga, capelin, and herring.
He does not disdain and invertebrates. This animal lives in coastal waters, ignoring long journeys. At the end of summer and autumn, it lies on spits and shoals subject to ebbs and flows.
Avoids open spaces and wide coastlines. Swims and dives well.
Narwhal
In the order of cetaceans, there are a huge number various kinds mammals. The most notable among them are the narwhals.
They owe such popularity to their long horn or tusk, which sticks out directly from the mouth and reaches a length of 3 meters. This tusk consists of bone tissue, but along with hardness, it is extremely flexible. In reality, it is nothing more than one of the two upper teeth that has pierced the upper lip and crawled out.
Such a tusk weighs 10 kg.
Narwhal is a fairly large animal.
In length, some representatives of this species reach 5 meters. The usual length fluctuates within 4 meters. The weight of the male is one and a half tons. Females weigh from 900 kg to a ton. For some reason, this mammal does not have a dorsal fin.
Only lateral fins and a powerful tail are available. The head of the narwhal is round, the frontal tubercle is prominent on it.
The mouth is set low and very small. The belly of a light-colored mammal. The back and head are much darker.
The entire upper body is covered with grayish-brown spots of various sizes, making the back and head even darker. The eyes are small, deeply recessed, with actively circulating intraocular fluid. That is, they are fully adapted to the harsh Arctic conditions, and besides, they are also endowed with sharp eyesight.
Narwhals feed mainly on mollusks and crustaceans.
Fish is also included in their diet. The same cod, flounder, halibut and goby are an integral part of the menu of these animals. When hunting bottom fish, the male often uses his tusk. He scares the victim with it, makes it rise from the bottom.
arctic fox
Arctic fox or polar fox belongs to the species of foxes of the canine family, is a predator. Its habitat is very extensive.
He lives in the polar tundra of Eurasia and North America, in Greenland and Svalbard. Habitual in Novaya Zemlya, Severnaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land. The islands of the Northern Canadian archipelago are also his original fiefdom. It also lives on many other islands in the Arctic Ocean. In winter, he migrates in search of a better life both north and south. It can also be found among the Arctic ice, invariably following the polar bear, and in the lower reaches of the Amur, and in the harsh Baikal taiga.
It travels thousands of kilometers and can get from Taimyr to Alaska in a few months.
The arctic fox cannot boast of large sizes. The length of his body ranges from 50 to 75 cm. The fluffy tail is 25-30 cm long. The height at the withers reaches 30 cm, and the weight does not exceed 10 kg.
In the bulk of their mass, males, in fertile, satisfying times, weigh 5-6 kg. Females are more graceful - their weight is 500 grams less. In this beast, the soles of the paws are securely covered with hair.
Prudent nature did this so that the animal would not freeze them. The ears are also wrapped in thick fur and are quite small. This does not prevent the fox from hearing perfectly. He also has an excellent sense of smell, but his eyesight, like all dogs, is not sharp. The muzzle is shortened, the body is squat. If you need to give a voice, then the polar fox yelps.
It can also growl to scare the enemy.
With the onset of cold weather, the tundra becomes hungry. Fluffy predator is forced to leave their homes. Part of the arctic fox rushes to the north into the Arctic ice zone. Animals nestle near polar bears and relentlessly follow them. Those are excellent hunters.
They catch seals, narwhals, belugas. Eating the skin and fat of their victims, the meat is left to the arctic fox. Another part of the polar foxes is moving south. They reach the taiga places. There is a lot of food, unlike the bare tundra, but there are also many large predators representing real threat for a small animal.
Wolves, foxes, wolverines destroy arctic foxes. Those who manage to survive rush back to the tundra in the spring.
Animals of the Arctic deserts of Russia
They return to their labyrinths, and the seasonal life cycle is repeated again.
Lemming
A small, fur-wrapped animal from the rodent family of the vole subfamily is called the lemming.
Its habitat extends to the tundra regions of Eurasia and North America. This animal also inhabits the islands of the Arctic Ocean. It can be found on almost the entire coastal territory of the Arctic from the White Sea to the Bering Sea. He is a native of Novaya Zemlya, Severnaya Zemlya, the New Siberian Islands and Wrangel Island. This baby lives almost everywhere where there is at least some kind of vegetation. It has several species - all of them are perfectly adapted to the harsh polar conditions.
The color of the lemming's coat is variegated, one-color gray or gray-brown.
In some species, the fur becomes lighter in winter. In the ungulate lemming, the skin becomes white. The animal almost completely merges with the snow cover. The body length of the rodent ranges from 10 to 15 cm. The mass is about 50-70 grams. It has short legs, a tail no longer than 2 cm, and tiny ears completely hidden in fur.
Basically, lemmings lead a solitary lifestyle, but some species are combined into small groups.
They live in burrows, in winter they settle under the snow. They eat plant foods. Their diet contains sedge, moss, leaves and young shoots of willow and birch. The rodent also consumes cloudberries, blueberries, and other berries. In good years, it multiplies rapidly. In times of famine, there is a mass departure of this animal from their homes. Lemmings make their way to more satisfying regions one by one. Near rivers and straits they accumulate in huge flocks.
The rodent swims very well, therefore water barriers overcome successfully. But in any case, many animals die from the teeth and claws of land and aquatic predators.
Reindeer
The reindeer is an artiodactyl mammal of the deer family.
Its distribution area covers the lands of the northern part of Eurasia and North America. It can be found in the west Kola Peninsula, in Karelia, in Kamchatka, in Western Chukotka. There is also in the north of Sakhalin. It lives in large numbers on the islands of the seas of the Arctic Ocean, feels great in Alaska and northern Canada.
The body length of the animal is 2-2.2 meters. Weight ranges from 120 to 210 kg.
The height at the withers reaches 1.4 meters. There are also smaller deer. Their height does not exceed 1.2 meters. Reindeer living in the tundra, as well as on the islands of the Arctic Ocean, are inferior in size to their southern counterparts, who prefer to live in the taiga regions. The body of the artiodactyl is elongated, squat. A mane grows on the animal's neck. It does not differ in great length, in some deer it is almost invisible.
The reindeer's diet consists mainly of plants.
In the first place is reindeer moss or reindeer moss. The animal takes it out from under the snow coat, scattering it with its hooves. Other lichens, grass, and berries are also eaten.
Deer and mushrooms do not disdain. Eats eggs of birds, gaping rodents. It can also eat an adult bird, if it has the opportunity. AT winter time quenches thirst by eating snow.
Drinks sea water, and in large quantities, to maintain the salt balance in the body. For the same reason, it gnaws at discarded horns. Sometimes deer gnaw each other's antlers precisely because of the lack of mineral salts in the diet.
pink seagull
The pink gull belongs to the genus of gulls of the gull family.
This small beautiful and fragile bird lives in the harsh regions of the Arctic. She chooses places for nesting in the lower reaches of cold northern rivers.
On the islands and shores of these full-flowing streams flowing into the Northern Arctic Ocean She builds nests.
Indigirka, Kolyma, Yana, Anadyr - these are the rivers that are her home. She also loves Lake Taimyr, as well as the tundra adjacent to it. It is the tundra and forest-tundra, in summer period are its habitat. Like the pink gull and Greenland, especially the west coast. In winter, the baby moves to the sea. It can be seen both in the Norwegian Sea and in the Bering Sea.
This graceful bird travels almost all ice-free waters of the Arctic.
The body length of the pink gull does not exceed 35 cm. The mass is 250 grams. The back of the bird and the top of the wings are gray-gray in color. The head is pale pink - almost white, the chest is pinkish, the beak is black, and the legs are red.
The neck, in summer, is encircled by a narrow black stripe. It disappears in winter. The tail is wedge-shaped. The pink gull swims beautifully in river water.
In the seas, she prefers to sit on ice floes: sea bathing does not appeal to her because of the low water temperature.
During the nesting period along the banks of the northern rivers, the pink gull feeds on insects and small mollusks.
In the sea, the bird eats fish and crustaceans. Sometimes it flies up to the dwellings of people in order to profit from food near them. Itself also becomes an object of hunting. The same arctic foxes eat the eggs of these birds, and reindeer do not refuse them. Man also puts his hand to it. People exterminate an adult seagull because of its beautiful and original color. From the dead birds, craftsmen make stuffed animals that cost good money, which in no way can serve as an excuse for such activities.
Guillemot
Kaira belongs to the genus of birds from the auk family.
She is the original inhabitant of the polar region. All its business activity takes place at the edge of drifting ice. She hunts near them, and nests on impregnable rocks, which are not far from the endless ice field. The bird lives on the shores of Greenland, Novaya Zemlya, Iceland. Her native home is Svalbard and Franz Josef Land.
In the east, its life zone is limited to the Aleutian Islands and Kodiak Island off the southern coast of Alaska. It densely populated almost the entire northern coast of Eurasia, which indicates its large number. To date, there are more than 3 million of these birds, which is really a lot, but at the same time, for the vast Arctic, the figure is not very significant.
The bird is of medium size.
The length of her body ranges from 40 to 50 cm. The weight ranges from 800 grams to one and a half kilograms. The wings are small in relation to the body.
Therefore, it is difficult for a bird to take off. To rise from the water into the air, she needs to run at least 10 meters across the water surface. But it is convenient for her to start her flight from high rocks. She rushes down, spreading her wings, and soaring above the ground smoothly turns into flight. In its plumage, the guillemot tends to classic style. Top part her body is black, the underside is white. The beak is also black, but the neck changes color depending on the season.
In winter it is snow-white, and in warm time turns black for years. There are two types of guillemots: thin-billed and thick-billed.
They only hunt underwater.
They dive to a depth of 15-20 meters. Fish are caught in this water column. There are murre capelin, cod, polar cod, likes herring, gerbil. In addition to fish, sea worms, shrimp, and crabs get into her stomach. During the long polar day, the bird eats at least 300 grams of various marine life.
It is noteworthy that about 200 grams of the waste product comes out back through the intestines. It contains many organic matter, which serve as nutritious food for the same fish and shellfish. The latter actively multiply and again enter the stomach of the bird.
This once again proves that nature is very rational and practical.
snowy owl
The polar owl or snowy owl, as it is also called, belongs to the genus of owls of the order of owls. This is big bird, whose habitat extends to the polar tundra of Eurasia and North America, as well as the islands of the Arctic Ocean.
This bird lives in Greenland, Novaya Zemlya, Severnaya Zemlya. She is constantly seen on the New Siberian Islands and on Wrangel Island. It lives on Svalbard, on Franz Josef Land, on Jan Mayen Island, Alaska and on the islands of the Bering Sea.
It is present on the islands of Kolguev and Vaigach, that is, it practically inhabits the entire Arctic, not losing even the most remote and small areas of land from its area of attention.
The polar owl has a rather large body. Its length, in males, is 55-65 cm, females are larger. They reach a length of 70 cm. The weight of males ranges from 2-2.5 kg - the fairer sex is heavier.
Sometimes females have a mass of 3.2 kg, more often their weight corresponds to 3 kg. The wingspan reaches 165 cm. The bird has a round head and bright yellow eyes. The ears are very small - they are almost invisible. The beak is painted black. At the same time, it is almost completely covered with feathers. Only the tip is visible. The legs are covered with long tufts of feathers, very much like wool.
The claws are black, as is the beak.
The polar owl clearly gravitates towards open spaces. The bird always hunts from the ground, settling on elevated place. She surveys the surroundings, looks out for prey, and when she sees a rodent, she flaps her wings heavily, flies up to him and clings to the doomed victim with her sharp claws.
Small animals are swallowed whole. big booty tear apart and eat. Wool and bones burp in the form of small lumps. A snowy owl eats at least 4 rodents a day to get enough. It prefers to hunt in the early morning or evening hours.
The cold and snowy edge of the Arctic does not receive warm sun rays and has such a beautiful phenomenon as the polar night.
Although the Arctic is cold, it still has beautiful and hardy inhabitants - animals.
Animals living in such a cold are very resistant to frost and have their own characteristics.
polar bear
One of the largest predators on the planet, having a coarse and thick coat with subcutaneous fat up to 10 cm, which protects from frost and cold. The white color of the coat helps to camouflage in the snowy region.
The polar bear eats marine mammals and fish. Eats mainly the skin and hair of the victim, if very hungry, then eats meat. At one time, he eats about 7 kg of food.
bowhead whale
A whale that grows up to 80 tons and is up to 20 meters long. It feeds on marine plankton and absorbs about 1.5 tons per day.
Beluga whale (polar dolphin)
It grows up to 2 tons and 6 meters in length. Beluga whales feed mainly on fish.
killer whale
Hunt beluga whales, seals, seals and walruses. It grows up to 5 tons and up to 7-8 meters long.
arctic fox
Small in size, but so famous and highly valued. It has another name - polar faces. The arctic fox is omnivorous, then in the Arctic he finds something to hunt.
Lemming
The Arctic wouldn't be complete without a rodent like the lemming. Almost all inhabitants of the cold region feed on this rodent.
Seal
Marine animals that spend a lot of time on land.
Seals are large animals that can weigh up to 2.5 tons and grow up to 6 meters.
They are predators and feed on fish that they catch in the water.
Walrus
Another pinniped living in the Arctic is the walrus.
The walrus grows up to 4 meters and weighs up to 1.8 tons. It feeds on sea molluscs, crabs and worms. Fish are hunted only in those moments when there are no more living creatures.
May become prey for killer whales or polar bears.
Reindeer
Beautiful and valuable Reindeer are subjected to poaching, which has a very detrimental effect on the population.
Reindeer migrate in summer to the cold, and in winter to where there is less snow. They mostly live in forests, where it is easier for them to find food for themselves.
The Arctic is rich in birds such as
- polar gull
- Burgomaster
- pink seagull
- waders
- common kittiwake
- Petrel
- partridges
- snowy owl
- Sterkh
- Bunting
Animals that live in the Arctic are not as difficult as it seems, because they are adapted and acclimatized to such weather conditions.
Option 2
The Arctic is a snowy, cold area of permafrost. Its shores are washed by the frosty waters of the Arctic Ocean. The climate here is incredibly harsh - icy winds and endless snowfalls, gloomy, sunless days. But, despite these seemingly unbearable conditions, life in the Arctic boils and develops.
The most common inhabitants of the Arctic are birds, about 100 species. Strange as it may seem, it is easier for them than others to live in these conditions. Among them:
- The pink gull is a small bird with a body of 35 centimeters and a weight of about a quarter of a kilogram. It feeds on insects, fish, and molluscs.
- Guillemot is a medium-sized bird with small wings, a body of about half a meter, and an average weight of a kilogram. They hunt fish underwater.
- The tundra partridge is a herbivorous bird, with a body length like that of a pink gull, but weighing half a kilo or more.
The oldest inhabitants of the Arctic are seals:
- The bearded seal is the largest of this species, the body reaches 2.5 meters in length, and weighs almost half a ton. Feeds on small invertebrates and demersal fish.
- The ringed seal is an active one and a half meter animal weighing 70 kilograms; it also feeds on fish.
- The common seal is listed in the Red Book. In size, it is between the bearded seal and the seal, the diet does not differ from its counterparts.
Close relatives of seals are predatory walruses. They differ in their dimensions - 3 meters in length and a ton of weight, as well as the presence of fangs. The basis of nutrition is mollusks, but they are not averse to profiting from their relatives.
The polar bear is the most respected and largest predator on the Arctic land. It grows up to more than 2 meters and can weigh half a ton. He runs fast, swims well and hunts other inhabitants of the Arctic.
Cetaceans live in permafrost waters:
- The killer whale is the largest marine predator Arctic - up to 10 meters in length and weighing 8 tons. It feeds on both inhabitants of the waters and coastal inhabitants.
- Beluga is a two-ton, six-meter predator that feeds on fish.
- Narwhal is a cetacean with a horn-tooth that weighs about 10 kilograms and is 3 meters long.
Another small but very popular predator around the world is the arctic fox, with chic fur, which is used to create fur coats. Despite the fact that it weighs no more than 5 kilograms, the arctic fox is a dexterous, fast and dangerous meat-eating predator.
Reindeer - Arctic vegetarian with chic branched antlers and a warm coat. It feeds on reindeer moss, tearing snow with its hooves, grows up to one and a half meters and can weigh 200 kilograms.
The fauna of the Arctic is represented by a huge variety of animals of all tastes and sizes, which have adapted to the harsh conditions and found their home here.
Report on the topic Animals of the Arctic
As you know, the Arctic is the coldest place on the planet. There is the most severe cold and frost. Let's find out who could survive in these conditions and still live there.
Maybe for us, people, these conditions seem terrible and harsh, but for the animals and plants that live there, this is normal.
The arctic fox is a small relative of the fox. He has thick White wool, which allows them to survive in the harsh conditions of the Arctic. It feeds on small animals: lemmings, rabbits, also birds and other animals.
The polar bear is one of the largest inhabitants of the earth. He has white fur. It feeds on seals and fish. Sometimes it eats the corpses of whales and birds. This is the most ferocious predator of the Arctic.
The walrus is a large Arctic mammal that feeds on a variety of marine life: fish, molluscs, tube worms, etc. But there are also animals that prey on walruses - bears and killer whales. They need to be protected.
The musk ox is a large mammal that lives in the Arctic and tundra. They feed on vegetation: flowers, moss, grass. Their large flocks consist of 2-10 dozen individuals. This helps them protect themselves from predators. A thick layer of wool saves them from the cold, the top layer of wool saves them from the wind, and the inner - shorter hair is responsible for insulation.
The Arctic hare is a hare-like animal that lives in the Arctic and the tundra, in North America. A thick layer of wool saves from the cold environment and survive the winter.
The harp seal is a species of true seal. Their skin layer is dense and their head is flat. Narrow muzzle. The front paws have thick claws. Harp seals spend most of their lives in the ocean.
Also in the Arctic live animals that may disappear.
These include white gulls. They nest in flocks. Sometimes even near houses. They feed on fish, the remains of bear prey. But for recent times their numbers have declined. One of the reasons is the warming in the Arctic.
The number of bowhead whales has also decreased. Since 1935, they have been listed in the Red Book and hunting for them is prohibited. The reason for this is that the water enters a large number of oil, which causes poisoning.
Even polar bears in 30 years can reduce their numbers. The reasons for this: poaching, melting glaciers, environmental pollution.
There are many animals in the Arctic that are adapted to such conditions, but there are rumors that the number of animals is decreasing and will decrease soon. All this is happening because of the warming in the Arctic. But on this moment Nevertheless, there are many animals in the Arctic that have not yet disappeared.
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Arctic - surrounding region North Pole, which includes almost the entire Arctic Ocean, Greenland, as well as the northern territories of the United States, Canada, Iceland, Scandinavia and Russia.
The climate is characterized by long, cold winters and short, cool summers. Precipitation in the Arctic usually falls in the form of snow. Many parts of the Arctic are arid and receive less than 500 mm of precipitation per year.
And, the inhabitants of the Arctic are well adapted to the harsh environment. Arctic vegetation is hardy and most native flora are compact in size, such as lichens, mosses, small shrubs and grasses. Animals such as Arctic hare, musk ox and pika graze on these plants. Other animals such as arctic foxes and wolves prey on herbivores.
Below are the various animals that inhabit the Arctic, as well as a brief description of their features that allow you to live in one of the harshest conditions on our planet.
Wildlife of the Arctic:
arctic fox
(Alopex lagopus)- a medium-sized species of foxes that inhabits the Arctic. Arctic foxes feed on a variety of small animals including rabbits, lemmings, voles, birds, and carrion. They have thick fur which allows them to maintain normal temperature bodies in the extreme cold conditions of the Arctic.
polar bear
(Ursus Maritimus)- one of the largest predators on Earth. Polar bears have a diet that consists almost entirely of ringed seals and seals. They also occasionally eat beached whale, walrus, and bird eggs. range habitat polar bears limited to the Arctic, where large amounts of ice and seals create ideal conditions for these ferocious predators.
Walrus
Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus)- a large marine mammal that inhabits the Arctic Ocean, the coast Eastern Siberia, Wrangel Island, the Beaufort Sea and the coast of Northern Alaska. Walruses feed on a variety of animals, including mollusks, sea cucumbers, shrimp, crab tube worms and other marine invertebrates. Walruses are threatened by several predators, including killer whales and polar bears.
musk ox
(Ovibos moschatus)- large ungulate mammals that belong to the same family as bison, antelope, goats and cattle. Musk oxen live in the tundra and the Arctic, where they feed on plant foods such as lichens, moss, flowers, grass, and roots. Thick and long wool helps to keep body heat in extremely cold environments. The outer layer of long, coarse outer hairs protects against wind, while the inner layer of shorter ones provides insulation.
Musk oxen form large herds of two to three dozen individuals, which gives them protection from predators.
The range of harp seals extends on the ice of the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans, from Newfoundland to northern Russia.
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The Arctic is one of the few corners of the Earth where nature has been preserved almost in its original form. Polar bears, reindeer, walruses, seals, whales live here. At the same time, the Arctic is one of the most vulnerable regions of the world. Melting ice, poaching, and most importantly, oil projects on the Arctic shelf can lead to a reduction in the number or even complete disappearance of animals, many of which live only here. Here are five species listed in the Russian Red Book that could be affected by oil production in the Arctic.
Atlantic walrus
This is one of largest inhabitants region. It is easily recognizable by its two powerful tusks, which can reach 80 cm in length. To pull its massive body out of the water, the walrus leans with these tusks on the hard surface of the ice. The limbs of the walrus are so mobile that it can scratch its neck with the claws of its hind flippers. On the upper lip of the walrus grow elastic thick "whiskers" - vibrissae. The abundance of nerve endings makes them indispensable for "hunting" for shellfish. The walrus is actually looking for them by touch.One of the main threats to walruses is climate change. The life cycle of the animal is closely connected with ice: walruses use it as a platform for rest and reproduction. Another major threat is the risk of pollution marine environment, bottom and coast with oil products as a result of the search and development of hydrocarbon deposits in the Arctic. To date, no company in the world can effectively eliminate the consequences of oil spills in ice conditions. Oil washed ashore will remain there for decades. Heavy fractions will settle to the bottom, and it is here that the walrus finds its food - benthic invertebrates.
White seagull
This is the only almost completely white bird in the Arctic. Gulls nest in colonies on the plain or on the rocks. They can also build nests near people's houses. Such nests are often destroyed by dogs. The white gull feeds on fish and invertebrates. Often the bird accompanies the polar bear, feeding on the remains of its prey.Over the past decades, the number of white gulls has declined. One of the reasons scientists call warming in the Arctic. Birds are also vulnerable to chemical pollution of the environment, which is confirmed by the detection of high levels of mercury in eggs. And oil spills from medium to large ones cause mass death of birds.
Narwhal
The narwhal, or unicorn, is a unique marine mammal found only in the Arctic. In Svalbard (Norway), the species is under special protection. This representative of toothed whales boasts only two upper teeth, one of which in males grows into a tusk twisted into a spiral up to 3 m long and weighing 10 kg. There are narwhals with two tusks. In the Middle Ages, the tusks of this animal, which came to Europe as a rare curiosity, gave rise to the myth of the unicorn. The purpose of the tusk is not exactly known. It can be a kind of "signal antenna", a tournament weapon and a tool for breaking through thin ice.Very sensitive to underwater noise. This means that intensive shipping, as well as all kinds of construction work in their habitats, can negatively affect animals. Not to mention the possible consequences of oil spills. In marine mammals, oil products cause irritation to the skin, eyes and a decrease in the ability to swim. The fat layer also suffers: it loses its ability to retain heat and water, which disrupts the thermoregulation of the animal.
bowhead whale
This animal was recently considered an extinct species. Today it is known that there are several hundred individuals left in the world. The low reproductive potential does not allow the species to quickly restore numbers to a safe level. The age of bowhead whales is difficult to determine. It is believed that they can live up to 300 years, so it is possible that a whale born in the time of Napoleon lives in the waters of the North Atlantic.The species is universally protected, but the animal is not immune from accidental falling into drifter fishing nets. Whales are also very sensitive to oil spills as the oil slick destroys them. feed base- plankton. When ingested by a whale, oil causes gastrointestinal bleeding, kidney failure, liver intoxication, impaired blood pressure. Vapors from oil vapors lead to damage to the respiratory system.
Polar bear
- the biggest ground predator planets. On average, the weight of an adult bear is 400-500 kg, but there are cases when the weight of the animal reached 750 kg. At the same time, a newborn bear cub weighs only half a kilogram. According to experts, there are now about 20-25 thousand polar bears in the Arctic. Ecologists warn that by 2050 the population could decline by more than two-thirds.The deterioration of the living conditions of polar bears contributes to climate change, poaching and oil extraction, accompanied by water pollution. Water pollution leads to the poisoning of bears by pesticides and their metabolites. Read also about why in 20 years they can; find out what kinds of animals are in the 21st century.
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The Arctic and Antarctic are the regions around the North and South Poles. In winter the days here are short and the nights are long, many winter days when the sun doesn't rise at all. In summer, on the contrary, the days are long and there are many days when the sun does not set around the clock. Winters are extremely cold here, and even in summer temperatures rarely rise above freezing. But the most amazing thing is that there are animals here that have adapted to life in these harsh conditions. A thick and subcutaneous layer of fat warms whales and seals, and thick fur also saves terrestrial mammals from the cold.
Almost all of Antarctica is covered with ice, on small plots of land nothing grows except algae, mosses and lichens. The basis of all food chains there are tiny planktonic plants in the ocean. Almost all kinds of animals live or go there for food, for example, penguins. The exceptions are seals that get out of the water to their usual rookeries in order to breed and raise offspring. The Arctic is slightly warmer than the Antarctic. In summer, many plants appear on the border of the Arctic Circle, serving as food for rodents. Rodents feed on one of the most beautiful birds of prey - white (polar) owls. Reindeer, polar bears, arctic foxes and seals live in the Arctic.
Animals of the Arctic
The Arctic is the northernmost polar region the globe. It includes the entire Arctic Ocean with islands and the northernmost outskirts of Europe, Asia and America. It is always cold here, even in summer the air temperature rarely exceeds 0 °C. Low temperatures air do not allow the development of plants and cold-blooded animals. But in the Arctic you can meet mammals and birds. Their whole life is connected with the ocean. In sea water, the temperature of which is always above 0 ° C even in severe frosts, there is food for them - plants, fish and invertebrates.
The dark polar winter lasts for six long months, but even in summer the sun does not rise high above the horizon. Temperatures are only occasionally above zero, and in Antarctica, where it is even colder than in the Arctic, it can drop to -84.4 C. Despite this, some species of animals feel at home here.
Since there is practically no vegetation here, large animals feed on sea fish which is found in great abundance. For mammals and birds, the most important thing is to keep warm, so they adapt to the conditions of their environment, having either a thick subcutaneous fat layer, or thick fur or dense plumage. Some species of insects spend the winter hibernating under snow cover. Animals that have not adapted to extreme cold conditions spend the winter in warmer southern countries.
White bears
The mighty polar bear is the largest land predator in the Arctic (not counting the huge brown bears in Alaska and Russia). Basically, the polar bear lives in coastal areas and on pack ice. The high tide of the polar seas is rich in plankton, which feed on fish and other animals, which, in turn, become food for polar bears.
Adult animals reach a size of about 3.3 meters in length and height at the withers up to 1.5 m. An adult male polar bear can weigh up to 800 kg. Hardy swimmers, they can cover long distances, and sometimes bears swim many hundreds of kilometers on drifting ice floes. .
The main prey of polar bears is small seals, there are many of them in the Arctic. In search of seals, the bear stands on its hind legs and sniffs the air - it smells prey from kilometers away. The bear approaches from the leeward side, so that the wind does not carry its smell to the seals, and creeps up to the rookery itself on its belly. They say that he even covers his black nose with his paw so that he is not noticed. Having chosen a prey, the bear seizes it in a deft throw. To the seals resting on the edge of the ice floes, the bear will swim under water and drag the nearest one. It happens that the ice locks Arctic dolphins - killer whales in small polynyas. The bear beats the floundering animals with its paws, pulls them out on the ice and stacks them in the cold, creating a food warehouse in a natural refrigerator. The walrus is a desirable prey, but it is twice as heavy as a bear and cannot be overcome by a predator. A smart bear, knowing the shyness of walruses, runs around their rookery and growls. The walruses in a panic, crushing each other, rush to the sea, and the bear collects the “harvest”: injured adults and crushed walrus cubs. In summer, bears enter the tundra to diversify their diet with lemmings, nesting birds, as well as mosses, lichens and berries.
However, polar bears' favorite food is ringed seals and seals (sea hares). The bear waits patiently by the hole as they come up for air. Having stunned the prey with a powerful paw, he pulls it out of the water and immediately eats it. A mother bear usually gives birth to one or two cubs and feeds them in a den made in ice.
seals
Eight species of seals live in the Arctic - seven species of true seals and walruses. The common seal is an inhabitant of the northern coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Seals do not go out into the open sea. They can be found swimming near the shore or resting on land or on an ice floe. Adult seals have a very thin coat that is in no way able to protect them from the cold. How does a seal escape from severe frosts and icy water? It turns out that subcutaneous fat plays a heat-insulating role in them. Its thickness can reach tens of centimeters. With such a pillow, a seal can lie for hours on the snow, which does not even melt under it, while its body temperature remains constant and high (+38 °C).
Seals lead their origin from ancient terrestrial predatory mammals. Over millions of years of evolution, they have adapted to life in the water: their limbs have turned into flippers, and the body has become spindle-shaped, streamlined. On land, seals move with great difficulty and, in case of danger, immediately dive into the water - they can be in a state of immersion for several minutes.
Seals feed mainly on fish. In pursuit of shoals, they often swim in the lower reaches of the rivers.
Unlike whales, seals breed exclusively on land. Their cubs are dressed in lush white or gray fur, which disappears after the first molt.
walruses
Walruses are huge sea animals, inhabitants of the Arctic. They, like seals and seals, belong to the order pinnipeds. The hairline in walruses is rare, and in old individuals it is completely absent. Warms their thick layer of subcutaneous fat. The skin is very strong, almost like armor, with many huge folds. Among modern animals, walruses have the most powerful fangs. In some males, their length can reach 80 cm!
In the Arctic waters, walruses keep to shallow areas abounding with benthic animals: mollusks, worms, crabs are their main food; they use their extraordinary fangs to dig up prey from the bottom of the sea.
Walruses are excellent swimmers and divers. On land, they are clumsy and move with great difficulty, and getting out onto the ice floe, they help themselves with fangs.
They breed on dry land. There are fierce fights between males. The thick skin protects them from serious damage with powerful fangs. Cubs are born with a thick hairline, which disappears over time. No one teaches little walruses to swim; immediately after birth, they fearlessly rush into the icy water and dive with pleasure.
Due to predatory hunting, there are few walruses left (they were hunted for their meat, skin, fat and fangs). In our country, walruses are protected.