What animals do you associate with Antarctica?
Top Ten Animals You Can See in Antarctica
- Adélie Penguins.
- Chinstrap Penguins.
- Leopard Seals.
- Elephant Seals.
- Snow Petrels.
- King Penguins.
- Emperor Penguins.
- Killer Whales (Orcas)
Why are penguins important in Antarctica?
Why emperor penguins are so important. Emperor penguins are a vital part of the Antarctic food chain – they eat creatures like squid and small fish, and are an important source of food for predators like leopard seals and large sharks.
What animals live in Antarctica and how have they adapted?
Physical adaptations
- Emperor penguins are a very good example.
- Whales, seals and some penguins have thick layers of fat (or blubber).
- Emperor penguins have special nasal chambers which recover heat lost through breathing.
- Antarctic krill must survive the dark winter months when food is scarce.
What is the wildlife of Antarctica?
There are six species in Antarctica: Antarctic Fur Seals, Leopard Seals, Ross Seals, Southern Elephant seals, Crabeater Seals and Weddell Seals. Seals eat fish, krill, squid, and leopard seals will even eat penguins or other seals. The Fur Seal has ears, and is actually a sealion!
How do animals adapt to Antarctica?
Physical adaptations are sometimes the easiest to spot. Many of the animals living in Antarctica have outer layers of dense fur or water-repellent feathers. Under this fur or feather layer is a thick layer of insulating fat. Many marine animals have large eyes to help them spot prey and predators in the dark waters.
What is the national bird of Antarctica?
The emperor is the giant of the penguin world and the most iconic of the birds of Antarctica. Gold patches on their ears and on the top of their chest brighten up their black heads.
How penguins help the ecosystem?
They fertilize the landscape with critical plant nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous, and organic carbon in their feces. As prey to predators like leopard seals, orcas, and seabirds in cold areas and pumas, mongooses, and crabs in warmer climates, penguins are an important part of the food chain.
How do penguins adapt to Antarctica?
Penguins tightly packed feathers overlap to provide waterproofing and warmth. They coat their feathers with oil from a gland near the tail to increase impermeability. Waterproofing is critical to penguins’ survival in water, Antarctic seas may be as cold as -2.2°C (28°F) and rarely get above +2°C (35.6°F).
How do penguins adapt to the cold Antarctic climate?
4/ Cold climate penguin species have longer feathers and thicker fat than those in warmer climates. 5/ The dark colored feathers of a penguin’s dorsal surface (their back) absorb heat from the sun, so helping them to warm up.
Why do penguins live in Antarctica?
Around 50 million years ago, Antarctica was breaking away from the massive supercontinent of Gondwana and penguins were forming their own species. They were originally native to warmer climates, but they began adapting to the cooling temperatures of Antarctica as they made their way farther south.