Antarctica is the coldest and most inhospitable continent on planet Earth. There are no cities there, only scientific bases that report very valuable information to the whole world. The easternmost part of the continent, that is, the one facing Oceania, is the coldest area. Here the land reaches a height of more than 3,400 meters, where, for example, the Russian scientific station Vostok Station is located. In this place, it was recorded in the winter (July) of 1983, temperatures below -90 ºC.
Contrary to what might seem, there are relatively warm regions in Antarctica, such as the Antarctic Peninsula which, in summer, It has temperatures around 0 ºC, very hot temperatures for certain animals that at -15 ºC are already hot. In this article on our site we will talk about animal life in Antarctica, that extremely cold region of the planet, and we will explain the characteristics of its fauna and share examples of animals from Antarctica
Characteristics of the animals of Antarctica
The adaptations of the animals of Antarctica are governed mainly by two rules, the Allen's rule, which postulates that the animals endoderms (those that regulate their body temperature) that live in cold climates have shorter limbs, ears, snouts, or tails to minimize heat loss, and Bergmann's rule, which establishes that with the same intention of regulating heat loss, the animals that live in these very cold zones have much larger bodies than the species that live in temperate or tropical zones. For example, penguins that live at the poles are larger than tropical penguins.
In order to survive in this type of climate, animals are adapted to accumulate large amounts of fat under the skin, preventing loss of heat. The skin is very thick and, in those animals that have hair, it is usually very thick, accumulating air inside it to create an insulating layer. This is the case for some ungulates and bears, although there are no polar bears in Antarctica, nor mammals of these types. Seals also molt.
During the coldest times of winter some animals migrate to other somewhat warmer areas, this being a priority strategy in birds.
Fauna of Antarctica
The animals that live in Antarctica are mainly aquatic, such as seals, penguins and other birds. We also found some marine invertebrates and cetaceans.
The examples that we will detail below and, therefore, are excellent representatives of the fauna of Antarctica, are the following:
- Emperor penguin
- Krill
- Sea leopard
- Weddell Seal
- Crabeater Seal
- Ross Seal
- Antarctic Petrel
1. Emperor penguin
The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) lives along the entire north coast of the Antarctic continent, with a circumpolar distribution. This species has been classified as near threatened, as its population is slowly declining due to climate change. This species gets very hot when the temperature rises to -15 ºC.
Emperor penguins feed primarily on fish in the Southern Ocean, but may also feed on krill and cephalopods. They have a annual breeding cycle Colonies form between March and April. As a curious fact about these Antarctic animals, we can say that they lay their eggs between May and June, on the ice, although the egg is placed on the legs of one of the parents to prevent them from freezing. At the end of the year, the chickens become independent.
two. Krill
Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) is the base of the food chain in this region of the planet. It is a small malacostraceous crustacean that lives in swarms over 10 kilometers long. Its distribution is circumpolar, although the largest populations are found in the South Atlantic, near the Antarctic Peninsula.
3. Sea Leopard
Sea leopards (Hydrurga leptonyx), another of the Antarctic animals, are distributed throughout Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters. Females are larger than males, reaching 500 kilograms in weight, this being the main sexual dimorphism of the species. Calves are usually born on the ice between November and December and are weaned at just 4 weeks of age.
They are solitary animals, pairs copulate in the water but have never seen each other. They are famous for being great penguin hunters but they also feed on krill, other seals, fish, cephalopods, etc.
4. Weddell Seal
Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) have a circumpolar distribution throughout the Southern Ocean. Sometimes solitary individuals have been spotted off the coast of South Africa, New Zealand or South Australia.
As above, female weddell seals are larger than males, although their weight fluctuates dramatically during the breeding season. They can breed on seasonal ice or on land, allowing colonies to form, returning to the same site each year to breed.
Seals that live on seasonal ice dig holes with their own teeth to access water. This causes a very rapid wear of the teeth, shortening the life expectancy.
5. Crabeater Seal
The presence or absence of crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophaga) on the Antarctic continent depends on fluctuations in the seasonal ice area. When the ice sheets disappear, the number of crabeater seals increases. Some individuals travel as far south as Africa, Australia, or South America. Sometimes, enter the mainland, finding a live specimen 113 kilometers from the thing and at an altitude of up to 920 meters.
When female crabeater seals give birth, they do so on a sheet of ice, with mother and child accompanied at all times by the male , which assists the birth of the female The pair and the pup will remain together until a few weeks after the pup is weaned.
6. Ross Seal
Another of the Antarctic animals, ross seals (Ommatophoca rossii) are distributed circumpolarly throughout the Antarctic continent. They tend to aggregate in large groups on floating ice masses during the summer to breed.
These seals are the smallest of the four species found in Antarctica, weighing just 216 kilograms. Individuals of this species spend several months in the open ocean, without going near the mainland. They come together in January, at which time they shed their fur. The young are born in November and are weaned at one month of age. Genetic studies show that it is a monogamous species
7. Antarctic Petrel
The Antarctic petrel (Thalassoica antarctica) is distributed along the entire coast of the continent, forming part of the fauna of Antarctica, although it prefers the nearby islands to nestSnow-free rocky cliffs abound on these islands, where this bird nests.
The main food of the petrel is krill, although they can also consume fish and cephalopods.
Other Animals of Antarctica
All the fauna of Antarctica is linked in one way or another to the ocean, there is no purely terrestrial species. Other aquatic animals of Antarctica:
- Gorgonia (Tauroprimnoa austasensis and Digitogorgia kuekenthali)
- Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarctica)
- Antarctic star skate (Amblyraja georgiana)
- Antarctic Tern (Sterna vittata)
- Antarctic Petrel Duck (Pachyptila desolata)
- Southern or Antarctic Minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis)
- Southern sleeper shark (Somniosus antarcticus)
- Southern fulmar, silvery petrel or southern petrel (Fulmarus glacialoides)
- Subantarctic Skua (Stercorarius antarcticus)
- Spiny horsefish (Zanclorhynchus spinifer)
Endangered Animals of Antarctica
According to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), there are several animals in danger of extinction in Antarctica. There are probably more, but there is not enough data to determine that. There is a Critically Endangered species, the Antarctic Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia), the number of individuals has decreased by 97 % from 1926 to the present. The population is believed to have dwindled dramatically until 1970 as a result of whaling, but has since increased slightly.
And 3 endangered species:
- Smoked Albatross (Phoebetria fusca). This species was critically endangered until 2012, due to fishing. It is now in danger because it is believed, based on sightings, that the population size is greater.
- Northern Royal Albatross (Diomedea sanfordi). The northern royal albatross was in critical danger of extinction due to severe storms in the 1980s, caused by changes in climate. Currently there is not enough data, its population stabilized and now it is decreasing again.
- Grey-Headed Albatross (Talasarche chrysostoma). The rate of decline of this species is very fast during the last 3 generations (90 years). The main cause of the disappearance of the species is longline fishing.
There are other animals in danger of extinction that, although they do not live in Antarctica, pass close to its coasts in their migratory movements, such as the Atlantic petrel(Pterodroma incerta), the Sclater's penguin or Antipodean penguin (Eudyptes sclateri), the Albatross of Indian yellownose (Thalassarche carteri) or the Antipodean albatross (Diomedea antipodensis).
