What birds live in arctic deserts. Animals of the Arctic - message report (grade 4

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The Arctic and Antarctic are areas located around the Northern and South Pole. 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 here are extremely cold, and even in summer the temperature rarely rises above freezing. But the most amazing thing is that here too there are animals that have adapted to life in these harsh conditions. A thick and subcutaneous layer of blubber keeps whales and seals warm, and terrestrial mammals Thick fur also protects from the cold.

Almost all of Antarctica is covered with ice; in small areas 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 types of animals, such as penguins, live in water or go there for food. The exceptions are seals, which come out of the water to their usual rookeries to breed and raise their offspring. The Arctic is slightly warmer than the Antarctic. In summer, on the border of the Arctic Circle, many plants appear that serve as food for rodents. Some of the most beautiful animals eat rodents birds of prey- white (polar) owls. They live in the Arctic reindeer, polar bears, arctic foxes and seals.

Arctic Animals

The Arctic is the northernmost polar region globe. It includes the entire Northern 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 does not allow plants and cold-blooded animals to develop. But in the Arctic you can find mammals and birds. Their whole life is connected with the ocean. IN sea ​​water, the temperature of which, even in severe frosts, is always above O °C, there is food for them - plants, fish and invertebrates.

The dark polar winter lasts for six long months, but even in the summer the sun does not rise high above the horizon. Temperatures only rarely rise above freezing, and in Antarctica, where it is even colder than the Arctic, it can drop to -84.4 C. Despite this, some animal species feel at home here.

Since there is practically no vegetation here, large animals feed sea ​​fish, which is found in great abundance. For mammals and birds, the most important thing is to maintain heat, so they adapt to the conditions of their environment, having either a thick subcutaneous fat layer, or thick fur or dense plumage. Some types of insects spend the winter hibernating under snow cover. Animals that have not adapted to extreme cold conditions spend winter period in warmer southern countries.

Polar bears

The mighty polar bear is the largest land predator in the Arctic (not counting the huge brown bears in Alaska and Russia). The polar bear mainly lives in coastal areas and on pack ice. In the tidal zone of the polar seas there is a lot of plankton, which feeds fish and other animals, which, in turn, become food for polar bears.

Adult animals reach sizes of about 3.3 meters in length and a height at the withers of 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 - it can smell prey from kilometers away. The bear approaches from the leeward side, so that the wind does not carry its scent to the seals, and crawls towards the rookery on its belly. They say he even covers his black nose with his paw so as not to be noticed. Having chosen a victim, the bear grabs it in a deft throw. The bear will swim under the water to the seals resting on the edge of the ice floes and drag away the closest one. It happens that the ice traps arctic dolphins - orcas - in small ice holes. The bear beats the floundering animals with its paws, drags them onto 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 a predator cannot defeat it. The smart bear, knowing the timidity 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”: wounded adults and crushed walruses. In summer, bears enter the tundra to diversify their diet with lemmings, nesting birds, as well as mosses, lichens and berries.

However, the most favorite food of polar bears is ringed seals and bearded seals ( sea ​​hares). The bear waits patiently at the hole as they come up for air. Having stunned the prey with its powerful paw, it pulls it out of the water and immediately eats it. A female bear usually gives birth to one or two cubs and raises them in a den made in ice.

Seals

There are eight species of seals living 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 to the open sea. They can be found swimming near the shore or resting on land or ice. Adult seals have very thin fur, which is in no way capable of protecting them from the cold. How does a seal escape from severe frosts and icy water? It turns out that their subcutaneous fat plays a heat-insulating role. 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 trace their origins back to ancient land animals. carnivorous mammals. Over millions of years of evolution, they have adapted to life in water: their limbs turned into flippers, and their body became spindle-shaped and streamlined. Seals move on land with great difficulty and, in case of danger, immediately dive into the water - they can remain in a state of immersion for several minutes.

Seals feed mainly on fish. In pursuit of schools, they often swim into the lower reaches of 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 fur seals, belong to the order Pinnipeds. Walruses have sparse hair, and in older individuals it is completely absent. Their thick layer warms 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 Arctic waters, walruses stay in shallow water areas rich in bottom animals: mollusks, worms, crabs - this is 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 when getting out onto an ice floe they help themselves with their fangs.

They breed on land. Fierce fights occur between males. Their thick skin protects them from serious damage from powerful fangs. Cubs are born with thick hair, which disappears over time. Nobody teaches little walruses to swim; immediately after birth, they fearlessly rush into ice water and dive with pleasure.

Due to predatory fishing, there are few walruses left (they were hunted for their meat, skin, fat and tusks). In our country, walruses are protected.

Message “Animal World of the Arctic” will tell you about the features of the fauna world of this amazing corner of our planet. A story about Arctic animals will help you find out what specific structure of the body helps them survive in permafrost conditions.

"Animals of the Arctic" message

Is the region that surrounds North Pole and includes Greenland, the Arctic Ocean, northern territories Canada, USA, Iceland, Russia and Scandinavia.

There are cold, long winters and cool, short summers. Precipitation mainly falls only in the form of snow. Most of the territory is arid and receives less than 500 mm of precipitation per year. Approximately two dozen species of animals and plants live in such harsh conditions. The vegetation of this part of the planet is hardy and compact in size, and animals that live in the Arctic are forced to look for food in prolonged darkness, illuminated by the northern lights.

What structural features help animals survive in the Arctic?

Nature has taken care that animals can retain heat, which is not enough even during short summer. Animals have long thick fur, and birds have suitable plumage. Most fauna have a thick layer of subcutaneous fat. For large animals, their impressive mass produces large number heat. And some animals have small ears and legs, which helps them not to freeze.

The most amazing thing is that many representatives of the Arctic animal world interact with each other in harsh climate conditions. We offer you a selection of the most common representatives of the fauna of the permafrost zone and what Arctic animals eat.

What animals live in the Arctic?

• Arctic fox

This type of fox has thick fur, thanks to which it supports in cold extreme conditions normal temperature bodies. Arctic foxes feed on small animals - voles, lemmings, rabbits, birds and carrion.

• Arctic tern

This species of tern is a record holder for migration. They spend the breeding season in the Arctic. A small beak and thick plumage allows them not to freeze. They feed on fish and plants.

• polar bear

Is the most large predator on the planet. Thick fur, dark segmented skin and a thick layer of subcutaneous fat perfectly accumulate and retain heat. They feed mainly ringed seals and seals. They do not disdain the carcasses of whales, walruses and bird eggs washed ashore.

• Walrus

These pinnipeds have a streamlined body shape and a large layer of fat. He eats shellfish sea ​​cucumbers, shrimp, crabs, tube worms and marine invertebrates.

• Tundra partridge

The peculiarity of the bird is that it changes its color to gray-brown in summer and white in winter. They eat birch and willow buds, seeds, flowers, leaves, and berries.

• Muskox

Long and thick wool retains heat. The outer layer of coarse guard hairs protects from wind gusts, and the short inner layer provides insulation. They feed on lichens, mosses, flowers, roots and grass.

• Arctic hare

They have a thick layer of fur. Feeds on plant foods.

• harp seal

It has a large, strong body and a flat head. Thanks to a layer of subcutaneous fat and waterproof fur, animals do not feel the cold. It feeds on fish, cephalopods and crustaceans.

• Reindeer

This large animal with a somewhat elongated body and relatively low limbs.

In addition, the Arctic is inhabited by wolverines, stoats and long-tailed ground squirrels.

Millions nest in the tundra during the polar summer migratory birds. They live in the Arctic seas seals, as well as several species of cetaceans: baleen whales, narwhals, killer whales and beluga whales.

As you can see, the diet of Arctic animals is determined by climatic features and species diversity, of which there is not much. Inhabitants depths of the sea They feed mainly on crustaceans and mollusks, while land dwellers are either meat eaters or eat vegetation.

In general, the food chains of Arctic animals can be represented as follows: Algae - Crustaceans and Invertebrates - Fish - Birds - Seals - Polar bears.

We hope that report on Arctic animals helped you prepare for classes. You can leave your message about Arctic animals using the comment form below.

The Arctic desert zone is located in the very north of the continents of Eurasia and North America. The climate and living conditions here are very harsh; there is no change of seasons as such. There is a polar night, during which the temperature stays between 30-40 degrees below zero. During the day in this region the air warms up to -10, sometimes up to -3 degrees. That is why the animals of the Arctic deserts are fundamentally different from those that live in our continental latitudes. They are more adapted to survive in harsh conditions. Well, read below about what they are, how they are characteristic and how popular they are.

Feathered permanent residents of the Arctic

For the most part fauna Arctic deserts are represented in the form of birds. Feathered fauna is represented here 124 various types inhabitants of the sky, 55 of which consider the Arctic their home and nest there. Among such sedentary northern birds one can highlight the pink gull, Siberian eider, and guillemot. By the way, representatives of the latter species prefer to nest at the heights of various rocks that are covered with glaciers. At the same time, they do not experience discomfort. Also, the bird fauna of the Arctic deserts is represented in the form of glaucous gulls, white gulls, arctic terns, auks, little auks, etc. The queen among the permanent residents of the northern skies is

Fickle inhabitants of the Arctic skies

When daylight comes in the very north of our planet and the air temperature rises, birds from the tundra, taiga and continental latitudes fly here. Because from the beginning warm days On the shores of the Arctic Ocean you can find brent geese, ruffed geese, tules, brown-winged plovers, and white-tailed sandpipers. Flocks of the following birds fly here with them: sandpiper-sparrow, redshank, dunlin, rough-legged buzzard and many others. With the onset of cold weather, all of the above flocks return to more southern latitudes. But this does not mean at all that the fauna of the Arctic deserts is becoming scarcer. Birds fly over this region constantly, and, perhaps, it is thanks to the birds that these lands still show at least the slightest signs of life.

General description of mammals

Animals of the arctic desert zones that live on the ground or lead semi-aquatic image life is only 16 species. 4 of them are representatives of marine fauna, but they are not fish, but still mammals. More than half of them are listed in the Red Book Russian Federation. For this reason, hunting in arctic deserts is strictly prohibited, and every individual who is a representative of the fauna here is carefully protected by the government. So, now we will take a closer look at each inhabitant of these latitudes and find out what characteristics they have.

Inhabitants of the icy depths

First, let's look at what cold-water animals we have in the arctic deserts. We often saw photos of many of them on the pages of Soviet textbooks or simply saw them on TV. Most interesting resident region - narwhal. A huge fish that reaches a length of 5 meters and weighs more than one and a half tons. Characteristic feature is long horn, which sticks out of the mouth. It is like an animal's tooth, but it does not perform its inherent functions. Narwhals are the only animals of their kind and have no analogues. The closest relative of this species is the bowhead whale. It is much more massive than a narwhal, but does not have such a huge tooth. It feeds on plankton and swims quite far into the sea. Following marine mammal northern regions - it is a beluga or polar dolphin. It lives at great depths of the ocean and feeds exclusively on fish. Our list ends with the most dangerous northern underwater predator - the killer whale. In addition to the fact that it devours smaller inhabitants northern waters and their shores, it is also dangerous for belugas and seals.

Seals and walruses

The most popular animals in the Arctic deserts are seals. They are a separate population, but have many subspecies. A characteristic feature of all seals are flippers, which replace diverging hind limbs. They end in claws, which allow mammals to easily move across snowy terrain. Among the most striking are the Greenland seal (the largest and most dangerous of all species), and the seal. The latter species is characterized by the smallest size, and at the same time all its representatives are very mobile. But the seal's closest relative, the walrus, is also its danger. Walruses are much larger in size and have sharp fangs, which they use to cut through the ice and get food from the sea. They also need this tool for land hunting. They eat small animals, including seals.

Bears and wolves

The most striking animals in the Arctic desert zone are polar bears. They have an exceptionally white color and dense fur, which allows them to survive the terrible cold both on land and under water, which is simply icy. In addition to the fact that the bear is the king of the Arctic, he is also the most dangerous predator here. Eats terrestrial animals and mammals that are smaller in size. It is also dangerous for fish and animals that live in the sea. Not so dangerous, but no less ferocious in the North are polar wolves. They are very beautiful, have a white or brown color and live in flocks of up to 9 individuals. Their prey is arctic foxes, deer, sometimes small seals, as well as all other land animals that are smaller in size.

Red Book of the Russian Federation

The animals of the Arctic deserts listed in the Red Book are almost all the species that were named above. But in order to have a more specific idea of ​​what kind of inhabitants northern latitudes must be protected with special attention, let's list them again. The Red Book contains polar bears, walruses, seals, and arctic foxes. Of the mammals that live in aquatic environment, narwhals, killer whales, and, for some time now, also belugas, are included in the Red Book. In addition, many species of birds are included in the pages of this book. These are pink and white gulls, peregrine falcon, crested goose, little swan and others.

Afterword

Almost all the animals of the Arctic deserts were listed above. In Russia, all these species have lived since the formation of climate on the planet, and the picture is similar in northern regions Alaska and also Greenland. fauna of this snow world very unique, not like the other, and most importantly, it is dying out. Therefore, the governments of all countries to which these animals are related carefully protect them. They cannot be hunted, exterminated or harmed in any way.

Arctic - report for children
Animals of the Arctic report for children with photographs

Arctic includes the Arctic Ocean, the Alaska Peninsula, Northern Canada, Greenland, Northern Scandinavia and the coast of Siberia. During the polar night the sun is not visible at all. The ground freezes deeply, becomes covered with ice and snow, and the sea ice lasts most of the year. Only a few animals, those most adapted to the cold, can withstand such a harsh climate. The Arctic summer lasts no more than two months, but as the days get longer, some unpretentious plants have time to grow and bloom.
Some arctic animals:

White Arctic fox

U white fox The fur is so thick that this animal does not freeze even at -50 degrees. In summer, the arctic fox's fur takes on a grayish tint. The Arctic fox hunts hares, but also catches lemmings - small rodents barely larger than a mouse.



Arctic terns

Arctic terns in winter they fly to warm regions. These birds are great travelers: in a year they can fly up to 40,000 km!

White hare

White hare, depending on the habitat, in summer it acquires a brown or gray color. But in winter its coat turns white, and then it is almost indistinguishable in the snow.

Muskox

Muskox, thanks to its very thick fur, it looks much larger than it actually is. Under the long hair, which goes down almost to the ground, the musk ox has a thin and delicate undercoat, which falls out at the end of winter. In strong winds, the animals are reliably protected, but in snowfall their fur quickly freezes.

Polar bear

Polar bear– a formidable predator; ruler of the icy expanses of the Arctic. Thanks to his keen sense of smell, he tracks seals under the ice, and can smell the corpse of a whale 30 km away. The polar bear is also an excellent swimmer and calmly dives into icy water. To get out, the bear grabs a passing ice floe with its powerful claws. Then the animal shakes itself off, and its fur again becomes dry and does not freeze.

Walruses

U walruses There are strong fangs, they help animals get out of the water, as well as punch holes and breathe when walruses swim under the ice. The longer a male’s fangs are, the more confident he feels among his fellows and the easier it is for him to find a mate.

wild ducks

wild ducks in the summer, during the thaw, they begin to build nests again and flood the shores of small lakes rich in food.

Seals

Arctic– this is the real kingdom of seals: bearded seal, hooded seal, marbled seal. The smallest of the seals, the marbled seal, has a body covered dark spots, the bearded man has a shaggy chin. The hooded seal inflates its neck like a ball, attracting the female. The body of the seal pups is covered with thick white fur; the female mother feeds them with nutritious mayonnaise-like milk. Seals swim like fish, but on land or on ice it is difficult for them to move, and they are completely clumsy.

Northernmost natural area planet is an arctic desert, which is located in the latitudes of the Arctic. The territory here is almost completely covered with glaciers and snow, sometimes there are fragments of stones. It is winter here most of the time with frosts of -50 degrees Celsius and below. There is no change in seasons, although during the polar day there is a short summer, and the temperature during this period reaches zero degrees, without rising above this value. In summer it can rain and snow, and there are thick fogs. There is also very poor flora here.

In connection with such weather conditions animals of arctic latitudes have high level adaptation to this environment, so they are able to survive in harsh climates.

What birds live in Arctic deserts?

Birds are the most numerous representatives of the fauna that live in the Arctic desert zone. Here there are large populations of pink gulls and guillemots, which feel comfortable in Arctic conditions. There is also a northern duck – the common eider – found here. The largest bird is the northern owl, which hunts not only other birds, but small animals and the young of large animals.

Pink seagull

Common eider

What animals can be found in the Arctic?

Among the cetaceans in the Arctic desert zone, there is the narwhal, which has a long horn, and its relative, the bowhead whale. There are also populations of polar dolphins - beluga whales, large animals that feed on fish. Killer whales are also found in the Arctic deserts, hunting various northern animals.

There are numerous seal populations in arctic desert, including harp seals, mobile, large sea hares - seals, 2.5 meters tall. Even in the vastness of the Arctic you can meet walruses - predators that hunt animals of smaller dimensions.

Among the land animals in the Arctic desert zone, polar bears live. In this area, they are excellent hunters both on land and in water, as they dive and swim well, which allows them to feed on marine animals.

Polar bears

Another severe predator is the Arctic wolf, which in this area is not found alone, but lives in a pack.

Here lives such a small animal as the arctic fox, which has to move around a lot. Among the rodents you can find lemmings. And, of course, there are large populations of reindeer.

Arctic fox

Adaptation of animals to the Arctic climate

All of the above species of animals and birds have adapted to life in arctic climate. They have developed special adaptive capabilities. The main problem here is maintaining heat, so in order to survive animals must regulate their temperature regime. Bears and arctic foxes have thick fur for this purpose. This protects animals from severe frost. Polar birds have loose plumage that fits tightly to the body. Seals and some marine animals develop a fatty layer inside their bodies that protects them from the cold. Particularly active defense mechanisms in animals they appear with the approach of winter, when frosts reach an absolute minimum. To protect themselves from predators, some representatives of the fauna change the color of their fur. This allows some species of the animal world to hide from enemies, while others can successfully hunt to feed their offspring.

The most amazing inhabitants of the Arctic

According to many people, the most amazing animal of the Arctic is the narwhal. This is a huge mammal that weighs 1.5 tons. Its length reaches up to 5 meters. This animal has a long horn in its mouth, but essentially it is a tooth that does not play any role in its life.

The polar dolphin, the beluga, lives in Arctic waters. He eats only fish. Here you can also meet a killer whale, which is dangerous predator, not neglecting either fish or larger sea ​​creatures. The Arctic desert zone is home to seals. Their limbs are flippers. If on land they look clumsy, then in water flippers help animals maneuverably swim with high speed, hiding from enemies. Relatives of seals are walruses. They also live on land and in water.

The nature of the Arctic is amazing, but due to the harsh climatic conditions Not all people want to join this world.