Amazing animals of Antarctica

The ice kingdom of planet Earth, almost entirely hidden under permafrost, is the continent of Antarctica. Here lives a certain animal world that is able to withstand severe winds and low temperatures. This peculiar, but extremely poor fauna of Antarctica is unique. There is no other such thing in nature.

The most common animals are penguins. Such a species as Adélie penguins spend more time in the ocean than on the surface, as the water is a bit warmer than the climate on the mainland. On the ground, that is, on the ice, they are chosen only for the creation of nests.

Penguins are very responsible and to the choice of a partner are extremely scrupulous. These are very interesting animals of Antarctica. When choosing a female, the penguin observes a certain ritual. He specifically for his chosen one finds a pebble and brings her a gift. If the female takes it, then she becomes his faithful companion for life.

Newborn chicks gather in small flocks, where they spend two months together, after which they become adults and independent, ready to get their own food. These animals of Antarctica have a special adaptation in the body, which makes the best use of the energy obtained with the food.

The animal world of Antarctica is also represented by cetaceans: bloated or blue whale, humpback, fin whale and a real whale. Cetaceans are the largest species of mammals in the world. They are subdivided into toothed and baleen whales. Whalefish are used to whaling, these whales are better studied.

The blue whale is the largest whale. Finval and Bluval are of the greatest interest for industrial consumption. The weight of a large whale reaches up to 160 tons, its net fat reaches 20 tons. These giants feed on small crustaceans, on which the Antarctic ocean is very rich. The whale can absorb up to one and a half meters of such crustaceans at a time. Young whales feed on mother's milk. It is interesting that the kids add 100 kg each day.

How vast the vast expanse is Antarctica! Animals in such territory are very rare. It is a silent edge of ice hummocks, and under such conditions it is extremely difficult to survive. Only animals adapted to such conditions are able to withstand the conditions of this region.

This ice continent attracts scientists who are trying to unravel all its secrets, but so far Antarctica has not been fully understood. Animals typical of these regions are seals. Several of their species live on this continent. Weddell seal is the most numerous species of this species. A large animal with a thick subcutaneous fat layer, which is an excellent habitat in places with low temperatures.

Animals Antarctica, such as seals, feed on, for the most part, fish and cephalopod molluscs. These animals are practically not afraid of man. Approaching him closely, they react to a person only by raising their heads. Seal fishing is almost not developed.

Such animals of Antarctica, like the seal of Ross, are much smaller than their counterparts. Its weight reaches about 200 kg, with a very thick fat layer. He has very large folds on his neck, in which he hides his head. So he looks very much like a barrel. He is rather poorly studied because of his living in very difficult places.

Such animals of Antarctica as seals are crab-eaters, the largest group of seals in the world. Despite its name, the seal feeds on krill, but not crabs. Due to his jagged teeth, he can filter krill. The only enemy of these seals are the killer whales who pursue these peace-loving animals.

The sea elephant is the largest seal species in the world. Their weight reaches 3.5 tons and a value of about 6 m. Another species of animals of this land is interesting - a sea leopard that inhabits the whole perimeter of Antarctic ice and seas. It is the dominant predator in this region, which eats krill and small marine animals.