Animals of the Arctic

There is a fairly stable stereotype about the Arctic as a cold and lifeless region. Of course, this has nothing to do with the truth. The animal world of the Arctic is original and unique, and its amazing representatives play a vital role in the life of our entire planet.

The Arctic is unique from the point of view of the animals inhabiting it. This region is of particular importance for the biodiversity of our planet. Some species of its inhabitants are not found anywhere else on Earth. Arctic animals inhabit the region unevenly: the number of representatives of each species changes sharply with the change of the natural zone . If we take Taimyr as an example and consider the features of its fauna, then at a distance of 700 kilometers the population density of its animals will differ by several times: in the more northern part there live 7 times less birds and 14 times less than beetles.

One of the noblest and most beautiful animals - the reindeer - lives right here. It is the main value in the life of the small peoples of the North, who are provided with milk, pantami, meat, skins - all without which they can not survive at temperatures typical for the region. Venison saves people from scurvy, provides vitamins and allows you to lead a full life. Most of all domesticated deer live in the Yamalo-Nenets district.

Musk oxen are the largest ungulates of the region. These herbivorous animals of the Arctic are the same age as the mammoths. They are well adapted to harsh conditions: unpretentious in food, covered with long hair. Today, musk oxen are listed in the Red Book. They dwell in Taimyr and Wrangel Island.

For many representatives of fur animals, the first house is the Arctic. Animals of these varieties - foxes, ermines, wolverines, polar wolves and arctic foxes - are the basis of fur trade for indigenous peoples. Rodents also are important: hares, hamsters, lemmings, which are an important element of food chains of all levels.

Animals of the Arctic are widely represented by marine mammals. They have long been considered a symbol of the region. Some of their species have now been exterminated by man.

Polar bears are the main symbol of the Arctic. There are 19 populations of this beast. They lead a semi-aquatic life, multiply on Franz Josef Land, Chukotka, Cape Desire.

Another inhabitant of the local latitudes is walrus, which is the main object of hunting Eskimos. Here live Greenland whales and minke whales, as well as seals. Cetacean populations are represented by beluga whales, Narwhals, Greenland and gray whales.

Fish fauna counts 430 species, among which most of the commercial (cod, herring, scorpion, salmon, flounder, etc.). The warmest waters, rich in plankton, are the Barents Sea, which is the Arctic fishery center.

Half of all coastal birds of the planet live in the Arctic. These are seagull-kittiwakes, fools, bering cormorants, cleaners, burgomasters, thick-clawed guillemots, polar terns. In summer, 280 species of birds nest here.

About 17% of all the inhabitants of the Arctic are insects, which form half of all species of the planet. Some species of beetles and flies of these latitudes are able to live at a temperature of 60 degrees below zero.

Today, many animals of the Arctic are in danger due to global warming, which threatens them with starvation. In 2010, scientists announced that 17 species of animals are on the verge of extinction. Among them are polar bears, arctic foxes, four species of whales, musk oxs, walruses, seals and some species of sea birds. In addition, in 2012 it was recognized that the Russian Arctic is polluted with oil products and fuels and lubricants more than the territories of other states. This represents another threat to the ecological balance of the region. Some animals of the Arctic are sick and mutated. Urgent measures are needed to save them.