Antarctica is the most mysterious and least explored continent on our planet. The honor of discovering Antarctica belongs to two brave explorers - F. Bellingshausen and M. Lazarev. It was their expedition across the waters southern seas confirmed the presence of a huge continent in the south. And this happened only in 1820.
Until now, the southernmost continent of the Earth keeps many mysteries. To date, it has been established that Antarctica is the highest continent. The height of the land surface above sea level is on average 2,000 meters, and in the center of the continent it reaches 4,000.
The Transarctic Mountains cross the mainland and divide Antarctica into two parts: western and eastern. Most the mainland is covered with ice. And only in the western part about 40 thousand square meters. km are ice-free areas. These are sections of the coast The Pacific, small dry plains and several mountain peaks called nunataks. Nunataks rise above the ice sheet.
The Antarctic ice sheet is the most extensive on Earth. This is 30 million cubic meters of ice, which is almost 90% of all ice reserves on the planet. In addition, the ice of Antarctica contains the largest supply of fresh water.
The climate of Antarctica is the coldest on Earth. In 1983, an absolute minimum was recorded here - minus 89.2ºC. In winter, the temperature in Antarctica is kept at minus 60-75ºC, in summer the thermometer rises to minus 50ºC. And only on the coast is a milder climate with average temperature from 0ºC to minus 20ºC.
Due to the fact that the air temperature never rises above 0 ºC, precipitation in Antarctica is possible only in the form of snow. The fallen snow is compressed under its own weight and forms more and more layers of ice. Rains are extremely rare in this region.
However, Antarctica has lakes and rivers. They appear in the summer, and in the winter they dress again in the ice crust. In total, 140 subglacial lakes have been discovered in Antarctica. And of this number, only one lake is non-freezing - Lake Vostok.
Flora of Antarctica
The flora of Antarctica, due to special climatic conditions, is extremely poor. Most of all there are algae - about 700 species. The coast of the mainland and its ice-free plains are covered with mosses and lichens. But there are only two types of flowering plants. These are the colobantus quito and the Antarctic meadow.
(Colobantus quito)
Colobantus quito belongs to the carnation family It is herbaceous plant cushion-shaped with small white and pale yellow flowers. The growth of an adult plant does not exceed 5 cm.
(Antarctic meadow)
The Antarctic meadow belongs to the family of cereals. It grows only on plots of land that are well lit by the sun. Meadow bushes can grow up to 20 cm. The plant itself perfectly tolerates frosts. Frost does not harm the plant even during flowering.
All plants in Antarctica have successfully adapted to the eternal cold. Their cells contain little water, and all processes are very slow.
Fauna of Antarctica
The peculiarity of the Antarctic fauna is directly related to its climate. All animals live only where there is vegetation. Despite the harsh climatic conditions, a man was even born in Antarctica (this happened in 1978). And excavations have shown that dinosaurs once lived on this continent.
(Indigenous people of Antarctica)
Conventionally, all Antarctic animals can be divided into two groups: terrestrial and aquatic, and there are no completely terrestrial animals in Antarctica.
The waters around the mainland are rich in zooplankton, which is the main food for whales and seals, fur seals and penguins. And they also live here ice fish - amazing creatures who have adapted to life in icy water.
(Blue whale)
Of the large animals, most often the coast of Antarctica is visited by blue whales, which are attracted here by the abundance of shrimp.
V fresh waters The lakes are inhabited by roundworms and blue-green algae, there are copepods and daphnia.
(Penguins)
The bird world is represented by penguins, polar terns and skuas. There are 4 types of penguins in Antarctica. The largest population is emperor penguins... Fly on southern mainland and petrels.
(Seals)
There are also few mammals. These are mainly animals that can live on land and in water. Most of all in Antarctica seals. The coast is also home to leopard seals, elephant seals and Rossa seals. Of the dolphin family, there are only small groups of black-and-white or sand-colored dolphins, known among whalers as "sea cows".
(Local beach)
Here there are a lot of invertebrates, arthropods. In Antarctica, 67 species of ticks, 4 species of lice were found. There are fleas, lice and the ubiquitous mosquitoes. And wingless ringing mosquitoes of a coal-black color live only in Antarctica. These are the only endemic insects that can be classified as completely terrestrial animals.
Most of the insects and invertebrates are brought to the shores southern continent birds.
Harsh and regal, mysterious and alluring, Antarctica has a very limited species diversity animal world. However, even in the extreme climatic conditions of Antarctica, some animals feel great.
Representatives of the local fauna inhabit the coastal strip of the mainland and live in coastal waters.Land animals of Antarctica are leopard seals, crabeater seals, elephant seals, 17 species of penguins (Adélie penguins, emperor penguins and others), two species of skuas and several species of petrels. Nematodes live in soils, and up to 70 species of arthropods, represented by arachnids and insects, can be found on the surface.
Leopard seal- a variety of seals, whose habitat is the subantarctic regions of the Southern Ocean. Male leopard seals reach 3 meters in length and weigh about 270 kg, while females grow up to 4 meters and weigh up to 0.4 tons. The body of animals has a smooth, streamlined shape, which makes it possible to glide freely in the oceanic waters at a speed of up to 40 km / h. The diet of these animals includes warm-blooded vertebrates, including juvenile seals and penguins.
Crabeater seal- a species characteristic of Antarctica, characterized by large numbers... The body length of an adult seal is on average 2-2.5 m, females and males are appearance are almost identical to each other, and they both undergo a molting process every year at the beginning of spring, changing the color of the fur from silver-gray to grayish-brown with a few light spots. These seals feed on small crustaceans.
Adélie Penguin- Typically Antarctic birds, in the nesting areas of which there are up to 700 thousand individuals. These penguins make up 2/3 of all birds in Antarctica. They spend most of their lives in the ocean, and only come ashore during the nesting period. Penguins are called birds only conditionally - they cannot fly, but they can swim very well at a speed of up to 20 km / h. Almost the entire body of Adele is covered with waterproof feathers, and under the skin there is a thick layer of fat that protects from severe frosts. Adélie penguins feed exclusively on krill, cephalopods, molluscs and small fish. The amount of food eaten daily for adult reaches 2 kg.
Emperor Penguin- the largest penguins living on Earth, reaching 1.3 m in length and weighing up to 45 kg. These birds have rounded shapes, disproportionately small heads and legs. Body coloration black and white: black plumage on the back and white on the chest is natural protection birds from enemies. Emperor penguins have yellow-orange plumage on the cheeks and below the neck. Penguins spend most of the year on drifting ice floes and in the sea, but during mating they return to the mainland. The main food for emperor penguins is krill, shellfish and fish, which they hunt in groups.
King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonica)
Lives farther north, in more warm places... Breeding colonies are located on the islands of South Georgia, Kerguelen, Marion, Crozet and Macquarie.
Body length 91-96 cm. Colonies are located on solid rocky ground. Reproduction takes place in summer: eggs are laid mainly in December - January. Each female lays only 1 large egg... Both parents incubate alternately. Duration of incubation 54 days
Rockhopper penguin or rock climber penguin, rocky penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome)
Inhabits the rocky islands of the subantarctic region, but sometimes they are found further north, on the southern tip of Africa and South America as well as on the south coast of New Zealand.
Reaches 45-58 cm in height, weight 2-3 kg.
Breeds in vast colonies on the barren and very rugged islands of Tristanda Cunha and Heard Island. In a noisy and crowded colony, a small first egg is usually lost in quarrels with neighbors. The chicks congregate in the nursery, but return to the nest when their parents call them to feed. Chicks grow up quickly and at the age of 10 weeks are ready to go to sea.
Victoria Penguin or Crested Chubby Penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus)
Breeds only on rocky, crevassed coast of South Island in New Zealand, as well as on two small coastal islands - Stewart and Solander.
Reaches 60 cm in length, with a weight of about 3 kg.
Macaroni Penguin - colonially nesting near Antarctica are low (up to 76 cm) penguins with a bunch of golden-yellow feathers above their eyes.
Little penguin, elf penguin, little blue penguin, little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor) 
Held by south coast Australia, along the shores of Tasmania, New Zealand and Chatham Island.
It has a body length of only 40 cm. Usually it lays 1-2, sometimes 3 eggs.
Chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica)
It lives mainly on the barren islands of the subantarctic region.
It reaches a height of 71-76 cm and weighs 4 kg.
These penguins are quite aggressive. There are known cases of attacks of these birds on people approaching the colony. Unlike other species, they feed both of their chicks.
Giant petrels
birds nesting on the Antarctic islands, feeding on marine animals and sometimes juvenile penguins. The size of the wings of these birds reaches half a meter. Scientists have discovered that petrels, using the force of a tailwind, are able to fly around the entire planet and return to their nesting site.
Great skuas
The closest relatives of seagulls. Their wing length reaches 40 cm, but they walk on the ground as well as they fly. Skuas feed on fish, small animals and birds, and can be content with carrion.
Skuas are bandits, and nothing more. There are four types of them, and all - some more, some less - are robbing. Eggs and chicks are stolen from neighbors. Penguins especially suffer from great skuas. Greater Skuas, which are about the size of a Herring Gull, also clog adult birds with strong beaks that they can overcome.
New Year's greetings from the penguins
Although Antarctica can be called a real ice kingdom on Earth, here, just like in other parts of our planet, there is life that we know very little about. We invite you to find out a few interesting facts about animals that inhabit Antarctica:
- Antarctica is the only place on the planet where Emperor Penguins are found. This type of penguin is the heaviest of all in the world, and they can also reproduce in the difficult conditions of the Antarctic winter;
- The Weddell seal is one of the cutest animals on the planet, and you can just admire its face with huge eyes. Seals of this species are excellent divers and can hold their breath for long time, which allows them to descend to search for food to a depth of 800 meters;
- The blue or blue whale is the largest animal. Its weight reaches 150 tons. The heart of this giant alone weighs over a ton. In one day, a whale can eat up to 4 million shrimp;
- the bird of prey, the petrel, feeds not only on fish, but sometimes even hunts for penguins. During the migration period, these strong birds with the help of the wind force can go around Earth;
- because of the incredibly strong winds there is not a single flying insect in Antarctica. Here you can only meet the wingless midge Belgica Antarctida, no more than one and a half centimeters in length;
- Antarctica is the only continent on which there are no ants at all;
- in Antarctica there are no terrestrial representatives of the animal world, except for penguins;
- many are mistaken, believing that polar bears live in Antarctica. They are not there, and their habitat is the Arctic. However, scientists are increasingly thinking about settling polar bears in Antarctica, as Antarctica begins to thaw gradually;
- in Antarctica there is the most large subspecies seals, which is the southern sea Elephant... One such individual has much more fat than meat. These interesting animals are known for mating games, during which they can be seriously injured;
- here you can meet such a dangerous predator as the leopard sea. Thanks to its developed muscles and a relatively thin layer of fat, this animal is quite mobile, which allows it to hunt not only for big fish but also for penguins and seals. But the leopard seal pays for its mobility with less resistance to cold.
Animals of Antarctica: mammals and birds from RuColumbus
ANIMAL ANTARCTIDES
Harsh winds and low temperatures formed a certain species of animals in Antarctica. The flora and fauna of this continent has no analogues in the world, it is extremely poor and unique. The most common animals in Antarctica are the Adélie penguins. They spend most of their time in the ocean, where the water provides a warmer temperature.
Penguins come to the surface only for nesting. Penguins are very sensitive to the choice of a partner and raising chicks. The male chooses the female and brings her a pebble, which he himself was looking for especially for her, and if the female accepts the gift, then she becomes his companion for life. Newborn chicks gather in the so-called nursery, and after 2 months the "nursery" disintegrates, because by this time, the animal becomes an adult and independently goes to look for food for itself. An adult penguin needs 2 kg of food per day! Thanks to special devices, the Adélie penguin can the best way use the energy received from food.
Animal world Antarctica, however, is not limited to penguins alone. The Antarctic Ocean is home to the largest mammals currently in existence - cetaceans, which in turn are divided into baleen and toothed whales. Baleen whales are the main subject of whaling and are particularly well studied. This subgroup includes blue whales, fin whales, humpback whales and true whales. The blue whale, or vomit, is the largest of the whales; together with the fin whale, it is of the greatest industrial importance. The length of the largest blue whale killed in Antarctica reached 35 m, their average length is about 26 m.A large whale produces up to 20 tons of pure fat, and weighs up to 160 tons. Baleen whales feed mainly on small crustaceans, which are very rich in cold Antarctic waters ... The blue whale can simultaneously consume up to 1.5 m of black-eyed crustaceans. A whale cub, feeding on mother's milk, gains 100 kg in weight per day.
Toothed whales are sperm whales, bottlenose whales and killer whales. It is the killer whales that represent the most dangerous predators equipped with a large, sharp dorsal cox fin that can seriously injure even a whale. Although these animals of Antarctica have wide range nutrition, each separately taken population has its inherent nutritional specialization.
For example, killer whales living near Norway prefer to feed on the shoals of herring that swim in those waters.
Killer whales prefer to hunt in packs, and they do it very successfully and sophisticatedly. These mammals attack fur seals, seals, sperm whales, dolphins, sea lions... When hunting for seals, they use ambushes, hiding behind the ledges of the seabed, and hunting penguins, they dive in a group under an ice floe, trying to knock several individuals into the water. Attacking large whales predominantly males are involved. They simultaneously pounce on the victim, bite her throat and fins, trying to prevent her from rising to the surface; but when attacking a sperm whale, killer whales, on the contrary, try to prevent the victim from going into the depths.
Killer whales are very developed social structure... The maternal group consists of a mother with a calf, her adult sons and several families headed by relatives of the main killer whale: sisters, cousins. In such social grouping includes up to 20 individuals that are strongly enough attached to each other. Each such flock has its own dialect. Killer whales take care of crippled or old relatives, relations within the pack are more than friendly.
Animals of Antarctica fully reflect the thesis of evolution: "The fittest survives." Life in Antarctica is a daily struggle for survival, struggle with low temperatures and struggle for the most convenient place to get food. Animals of Antarctica are strong and formidable for their enemies, but at the same time caring and friendly in their flock or colony. The fauna of Antarctica is dangerous and harsh, but magnificent in its own way.
10.03.2014
Incredibly harsh climatic conditions icy continent, low temperatures and stormy winds put the animals of this region on the brink of survival, but here, too, life exists in all its diversity. The fauna of this continent has no analogues in the world, only a few species of fauna can survive in such peculiar conditions.
The most common animals on the mainland are penguins. And the largest among the relatives is the emperor penguin, weighing up to 45 kg, its height is 120 cm. Harsh winter these birds nest on the shores of the continent. Nesting colonies can number more than 10 thousand birds. Penguins spend a lot of time in the sea, the water provides more comfortable conditions, constant temperature, no wind, abundance of food.
Penguins are very touching when it comes to choosing a mate and hatching and raising chicks. If the female accepts a gift from the male in the form of a pebble, she becomes his friend for life. The male takes on the hard work of incubating a single egg, while losing half of its weight. In addition to large emperor penguins, Adélie penguins, king penguins, macaroni and Galapagos penguins live in Antarctica.
The waters of Antarctica are home to the largest mammals currently existing on earth - whales. Among baleen whales, fin whales, blue whales, humpback whales are well studied and are the objects of whaling. Length from 26 to 35 meters blue whale gives 20 tons of fat, its weight is 160 tons. The diet of whales is made up of small crustaceans, which are rich in Antarctic waters; at a time, the blue whale absorbs up to 1.5 meters of black-eyed crustaceans.
Among the toothed whales are bottlenose, sperm whales and killer whales. Killer whale - terrible predator, which attacks seals, fur seals, sperm whales, sea lions and dolphins, uses ambush tactics when hunting seals. Hunting penguins, a group swim under an ice floe and knock several individuals into the water, dealing with them with lightning speed.
The seal family is represented in Antarctica by several species. The most common are the Weddell seal, leopard seal, southern elephant seal, crabeater seal, Ross seal and Kerguelen seal fur seal. Sea leopard is a real ruthless Antarctic predator. He is the only seal that constantly feeds on large warm-blooded animals - penguins, waterfowl and seals of other species. With a weight of up to 380 kg and a body length of up to 3.5 meters, amazing dexterity and a variety of hunting tactics, he has no equal among predator seals.
Among birds, the most common off the coast of Antarctica are the giant petrel and the great skua. There are also white plovers, snow petrels, Arctic terns, Cape pigeons. There are invertebrates among the ice of Antarctica, worms are often found, freshwater molluscs, crustaceans, jellyfish, large starfish, antarctic octopus.
In Antarctica, the famous thesis is confirmed as nowhere else evolutionary process"the strongest survives". Life here is a daily struggle for survival with predators and natural conditions... Animals of Antarctica, formidable for their enemies, strong and fearless, at the same time are very friendly and caring in their colony or flock.
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