What animals live in Antarctica list. Flora and fauna of Antarctica

I like animals a lot! I myself had everything: fish, a cat, a guinea pig, a chinchilla and even a parrot! Moreover, it’s not only domesticated animals that cause me delight and tenderness. For example, I simply adore the penguins that live in the snow-white expanses of Antarctica! I’ll tell you who else lives in such harsh conditions.

Terrestrial animals of Antarctica

There are not many species of birds here. This is due natural conditions. In this area you can find:

Aquatic animals of Antarctica

The local fish are truly amazing! They have adapted to life in icy water. The local waters are densely populated with zooplankton. It serves as the main food for larger animals: fur seals, seals and whales. There are also small dolphins, which are also called sea ​​cows.

Blue whales live in Antarctica. They are lured here by the abundance of shrimp. Just imagine, a whale can reach 40 meters in length! A heart can weigh a ton! Compared to a person, this animal is a whole mountain!

On the coast you can spot other giants – leopard seals. This is a special type of seal. It mainly feeds on krill, but in the fall, in order to diversify its diet, it hunts large animals.

This is also where they live elephant seals.

These animals are amazing because they have much more fat than meat! Thanks to this, they feel quite comfortable at critically low temperatures.

Antarctica is ice continent of our planet. But despite the extremely low temperatures, there is a very extensive fauna here. It would seem that who or what can survive in the endless snowy expanses, but the animals feel comfortable there. They build their homes, get food and fight for territory with rivals. Let's talk in more detail about what kind of fauna Antarctica hides. The animals here are very diverse and unusual, causing surprise and sometimes even fear.

Everyone should know

Too harsh winds and low temperatures are not suitable for all animals, so everything is stable in Antarctica. New species do not appear here, nor do they disappear, because poaching is practically not developed here. The waters are very rich in phytoplankton, which provide plant food for almost the entire continent. Birds flock here and fish swim in search of prey. Krill, small herbivores, arrive here every year. They drift with the waters and become food for squids, octopuses and whales. A separate discussion concerns the birds of Antarctica. There are very, very many of them here. Some become food themselves, while others are ideal hunters. Let's look at what kind of fauna Antarctica is famous for. Animals, as noted above, are different. Let's start with the most numerous.

Adelie Penguins

It is hardly possible to count the number of these birds that are found here. Every year they return to their old breeding site. These are unique birds, especially if you look at their appearance, which has been formed over many years of survival in difficult conditions. Since they spend most of their time in water, their powerful paws eventually became flippers, the body took on a streamlined shape, and the wings turned into fins. In water, Adelie penguins reach speeds of up to 15 km/h. They often jump quite high out of the water. Living conditions have made these birds terrestrial; from a distance they look more like clumsy, well-fed people dressed in a suit. But that's it animal world Antarctica does not end there, let's look at other inhabitants for whom this place has become their home.

Emperor penguin

Of the penguin family, this representative is considered the largest and heaviest. Its average height is 122 centimeters, and the maximum recorded is 130 cm. Weight ranges from 22 to 45 kilograms. Just like the king penguin, this one belongs to the emperor species and bears the same name. It is interesting that these birds have very developed pectoral muscle. Of all the representatives of its genus, the emperor penguin has climbed far to the south. About 300,000 individuals live on the ice floes of Antarctica. Birds immigrate to the mainland only to mate and hatch eggs. The daily diet includes squid, krill and fish. Emperor penguins hunt in groups. Small prey is eaten while still in the water, while larger prey is cut up on land.

Antarctica: animals of the seal family

The Ross seal is the only representative of its species. Its key feature is that it is significantly smaller than its relatives. Of course, the animal world of Antarctica is still little explored, and the Ross seal - even less. This is due to the fact that it lives in places that are difficult for humans to reach. In addition, he is considered very rare species, and for researchers to meet this animal will be real happiness. The animal's body length usually does not exceed 2 meters, and its weight is 200 kilograms. Ross seal has a large number of subcutaneous fat and a thick neck into which he can almost completely retract his head.

What animal lives in Antarctica?

One of the most majestic, huge and rare creatures of the continent is the blue or blue whale. Today, the number of this representative of cetaceans is gradually increasing, but a few years ago it was considered very rare. This was due to the fact that Chinese poachers destroyed most of the population. You will probably be surprised to learn that the length of this giant can reach 40 meters and weight more than 150 tons. The heart of a blue whale alone weighs about a ton. We can say with great confidence which animals in Antarctica are the most amazing - blue whales. Currently, they are considered the largest inhabitants of planet Earth.

Conclusion

For many birds and animals, the only safe place on the planet is Antarctica. Animals here mostly exist in large populations. Almost no one ever catches them. However, there is a need to continually monitor whaling and other types of poaching. Petrels, penguins, Weddell seals and other animals need human protection. It is safe to say that the fauna of Antarctica is unique in its own way; there are representatives of penguins and seals that do not live anywhere else. Occasionally, birds and animals for which this climate is not normal swim or fly in here. After exploring the new area a little, most return to their home.

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Antarctica is a continent with harsh climatic conditions. Temperatures across most of the continent never rise above freezing, and the entire continent is covered in ice. However, the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica is one of the most amazing ecosystems on Earth and is home to many incredible creatures. Most animals are migratory, since the climate of the continent is too difficult for permanent residence and wintering.

At the same time, many species are found only in Antarctica (animals that live only in one area are called endemic) and have managed to perfectly adapt to the harsh environment. Since Antarctica was only discovered 200 years ago, native species are not accustomed to human society, which leads to one of the most surprising things about Antarctica's wildlife: they find people as interesting as they are to people. For visitors, this means that most animals can be approached without them running away, and for researchers, it is an opportunity to better study the fauna of Antarctica. However, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the Antarctic treaties prohibit touching wild animals!

Weddell seal



The Weddell seal is a large animal, up to 3 m in length. It is found quite often off the coast of Antarctica. He has short, hard hair without undercoat, and a layer of fat under the skin - up to 7 cm. Fat accounts for almost a third of the weight of the entire body! Weddell seals do not leave the coast of Antarctica even in winter. They hide in the water from the cold and wind. The seal will make a “hole” for itself in the ice floe and from time to time swims up to it to breathe. If the hole is covered with ice, it breaks it open with fangs and incisors. Therefore, old seals often have broken teeth and fangs. In the spring, Weddell seals gather in groups on large ice floes or on the coast: the time has come to have offspring. Each mother gives birth to one baby weighing up to 25 kg. Thick, soft, long hair lasts up to one and a half months in babies. Weddell seals feed on cephalopods and fish: they dive to great depths for them.

Antarctic krill



Antarctic krill is an Antarctic pelagic crustacean species.

The most widespread species of euphausiids, the dominant phytoplanktivore, the main link of the food chain in Antarctica and probably the most numerous species on the planet, the biomass of which is estimated to range from 125 to 750 million tons. It is a valuable commercial species, the annual production of which can reach 500,000 tons Antarctic krill are also classified as allochthonous cryopelagic organisms - immigrants that from time to time may be associated with drifting ice. On the Antarctic shelf in the pack ice zone it can occur together with subglacial krill.

Antarctic krill is characterized by the formation of very large and dense aggregations, ranging in size from several meters to 100 km². The density of such accumulations ranges from 0.5 to several kilograms per 1 m³. At the same time, most organisms live in Antarctic waters in a rarefied, solitary state.

The range of nutrition is quite wide. The main method of feeding is predation and, to a lesser extent, filtration. It feeds mainly on phytoplankton, mainly diatoms and nanno-plankton, both in the water column and from the underwater ice surface, temporarily becoming part of cryopelagic communities. Eats eggs, larvae and adult dead or living individuals of its species, as well as other zooplanktivores.

Spawning occurs within the shelf zone or in the open ocean in late spring or summer, with a peak between early January and late February. Spawns in the upper 100-meter layer. Over the next 10 days, fertilized eggs descend to a depth of up to 2 thousand m, hatch as nauplii larvae and begin to rise to the surface.

Life expectancy is up to 6 years. It is the main food source for many fish, penguins, seabirds, pinnipeds and baleen whales.

Crabeater seals



The crabeater is an Antarctic seal, the only representative of the crabeater genus of the True seal family. The most numerous seal in the world (up to 50 million individuals), the biomass of crabeaters is four times the biomass of all other seals combined. Despite its name, it feeds not on crabs, but on krill.

The size of adult males is from 2.2 to 2.6 m with a weight of about 200 kg, females are larger - up to 3.6 m in length. The body is elongated, the snout is long. After the annual molt (January-March), the fur of young crabeaters is dark brown on the back, light gray on the belly. The fur then fades to a creamy white color. Old crabeaters have light fur even immediately after molting. They are able to move quickly on land (up to 25 km/h) and jump out of the water onto high ice floes.

Antarctic seas, south of the 65th parallel. Seasonal migrations follow the drifting ice - in the summer, crabeaters stay close to the coast, in the fall, as the ice drifts, they can rise north to the 55th parallel. Rookeries are on ice (colonies of up to 3,000 animals have been observed), much less often on the coast.

A unique feature of crabeaters is their teeth with numerous serrated projections, which are used as a sieve to filter small krill. Natural enemy seals - killer whales. According to biologist Edward Wilson, a member of Robert Scott's Antarctic expedition in 1910–1913, before dying, crabeaters return to the coast and go deep into Antarctica to die. Wilson has discovered crabeater bodies up to 30 miles away. coastline, at altitudes up to a thousand meters above sea level.

Crabeaters mate in the summer, with a gestation period of 9 months. Cubs are born in September-November and reach 1.2–1.3 m in length at birth and weigh 20–30 kg. Mothers feed their cubs for 2–3 weeks, with the cubs gaining weight up to 4 kg per day.

South polar skua



The south polar skua is a seabird belonging to the genus of great skuas of the skuas family of the Charadriiformes order, widely distributed in the Antarctic. The species was first described in 1893 by British ornithologist Howard Saunders. Among various authors, there is no consensus on which genus the south polar skua should be classified as.

A relatively large bird of brown color with characteristic elongated white spots at the base of the flight feathers on the wings, which breeds circumpolarly in the high-latitude Antarctic. The only bird that flies deep into Antarctica, reaching the South Pole. Outside the breeding season, adult birds roam within the Southern Ocean, adhering to the ice edge, while immature birds undertake long-distance winter transequatorial migrations to North hemisphere, reaching the coasts of Alaska and Greenland. It feeds mainly on fish, Antarctic krill and other crustaceans, as well as carrion and human food waste.

Feeds mainly on fish, mainly pelagic Antarctic silverfish, Antarctic krill and other crustaceans, as well as carrion (marine mammals and birds), small tube-nosed birds, primarily Wilson's storm petrel, chicks and eggs of seabirds (penguins and petrels), mollusks and placenta real seals, for example, the Weddell seal and others.



Its dark-spotted skin and ferocious disposition are the reason why this seal got its formidable name. The leopard seal is quite rightly considered the only absolute predator in the diverse family of true seals. This is because its diet is based on warm-blooded vertebrates, most often penguins and other seals.

An adult leopard seal grows up to 4 meters in length and weighs up to half a ton. Females are noticeably larger and stronger than males. It differs from other seals in its long flexible neck and flattened small head. The long, spindle-shaped body is covered with short, dense fur. It is perfectly adapted for swimming. When moving, the leopard seal actively works with its front fins and flippers, which gives it incredible speed and maneuverability. The sharp fangs reach 2.5 cm, the back teeth are adapted for filtering krill from sea ​​water.

Despite the predatory nature of the leopard seal, about 45% of its diet consists of krill - small sea crustaceans. As night falls, they rise from the depths to the surface of the water. The seal passes water through its mouth, straining out crustaceans and small fish. Another 10% of food is a variety of fish. But the remaining 45% comes from penguins and smaller crabeater and Weddell seals. In water, adult penguins are faster and more agile than a leopard, which is why young birds that are just starting to swim serve as its prey.

The daily life of leopard seals is studied by scientific research expeditions, but still little is known about them. In the spring, with songs, males attract females to the ice caves of icebergs, where they mate with them. After 11 months, the cubs are born right on the ice. Their length reaches one and a half meters and their weight is 30 kilograms. For just a month, the mother feeds the offspring with milk, and then teaches swimming and hunting. Then they part forever. Young leopard seals form small flocks, but adult animals are solitary and meet only during the mating period.

Leopard seals are also dangerous to humans. There have been recorded cases of them attacking divers. In 2003, such a beast drowned marine biologist Kirsty Brown, who was only 28 years old. Researchers are advised to immediately leave the water if these predators appear nearby. Although it happened that a seal brought captured penguins to people with the clear intention of playing.

Ross seal



The Ross seal belongs to the family of true seals and is the only representative of the genus.

The animal leads a reclusive, secretive lifestyle, living in the cold expanses of Antarctica and the surrounding islands. Typically, these animals choose distant, secluded places that are difficult for people to reach. For many hundreds and even thousands of years, this species has been living on inaccessible icy shores, and despite the species’ population of 150 thousand animals, experts know very little about them. The name of the species was given in honor of the British polar explorer James Ross. Among the representatives of the true seal family, this species is distinguished by its small size.

The body length of a male representative is approximately 2 meters, average weight reaches 220 kg. Females are larger than males. The female can weigh up to 300 kg, while its length is 2.5 meters.

The animal's eyes are very noticeable - they are slightly bulging, big size. The teeth are very sharp and small. Representatives of the species have a very thick layer of subcutaneous fat. A large amount of it is located around the powerful and short neck. The neck consists entirely of thick folds of fat, and from them protrudes a small head with a sharp, elongated muzzle.

The seal is able to pull its head into the thickness of the fat and thus becomes like a barrel. The animal's back and head are dark gray or dark brown. The sides and lower part of the body are much lighter. There are individuals that have the same color throughout their entire body. With the onset of autumn, many mammals of this species change their dark coats to light brown. There is no undercoat, and the coat is short and harsh to the touch.

Animals moult in the second half of summer. They spend this time lying on the ice and not even eating.

These clumsy fat creatures never form numerous rookeries. They usually live in a small group. In water, seals are very active. Thanks to their long and strong forelimbs, they can swim quickly and dive well. In the thickness of sea water, animals are able to survive without air for about 40 minutes, although it is not known to what maximum depth they dive.

The seal's diet consists of fish, cephalopods and crustaceans. They do not migrate during the cold season, preferring to spend the winter underwater. At this time, the seal appears on the surface of the water only to breathe in fresh air. Another one interesting feature of this species - the animals produce rather melodic loud sounds, which enliven the silence of the icy desert.

sei whale



The sei whale, also known as the sailor whale or willow whale, is a large mammal, the fourth largest member of the minke whale family after the blue, humpback and fin whales. Sei whales are found in most oceans and adjacent seas, and also prefer deep sea waters.

The largest known sei whale had a body length of 20 meters, although most whales average between 12.2 and 15.2 meters. Males are slightly smaller than females. The willow whale has a relatively slender body with a compressed tail that connects sharply to the body. The snout is pointed and the pectoral fins are short. The dorsal fin is sickle-shaped and ranges in height from 25 to 61 centimeters. The body is typically dark gray with irregular white ventral markings. Each side of the upper mouth contains 300-380 ash-black baleen plates. The small internal bristles of these plates have a whitish tint.

Little is known about the real social system sei whales. Groups of two to five individuals are usually observed, but groups of thousands of individuals are sometimes found in areas of great food abundance. However, these large aggregations of willow whales are not only dependent on food, but also often form during migration. Sei whales are among the fastest cetaceans, reaching speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour. Despite their speed abilities, they are not very good divers. These whales dive only to shallow depths and are able to stay underwater for no more than 5-10 minutes per dive.



Elephant seals are pinnipeds from the family of true seals. In their order, these animals are the largest and exceed the size of the well-known walruses. The closest relative of elephant seals is the hooded seal, with which they share some features. There are 2 types of elephant seals - northern and southern.

Elephant seals did not get their name by chance; these animals are truly gigantic in size. The body length of male southern elephant seals can reach up to 5 m and weight up to 2.5 tons! Females are much smaller and reach a length of “only” 3 m. Elephant seals differ from other seals in their overall heavy build and large amount of subcutaneous fat. The weight of the fat layer can be 30% of the total weight of the animal.

In addition to their size, elephant seals have another feature that makes them look like real elephants. The males of these animals have a thick, fleshy outgrowth on their nose, similar to a short trunk. During the mating season, the trunk is used for decoration, intimidation and as a resonator, enhancing the menacing roar. Females do not have a trunk.

The skin of elephant seals is thick and rough like that of a walrus, but covered with short, thick fur like that of real seals. Adult elephant seals are brown in color, while juveniles are silver-gray.

Geographically, both species are also separated: southern elephant seals live on the coast of Patagonia and the subantarctic islands, and northern ones live on the west coast North America– from Mexico and California to Canada. Both species prefer to settle on pebble beaches and gently sloping rocky coasts. Elephant seals, unlike other seals, form fairly large rookeries, numbering up to a thousand individuals.



The Emperor Penguin is the largest of the modern species penguin family. Together with king penguin belongs to the genus of emperor penguins.

Male emperor penguins reach a height of 122 cm and weigh on average 35–40 kg, but the maximum weight of a male can reach 45 kg. Females reach 114 cm in height and 28–32 kg in weight. This is the largest of all modern penguins. The emperor penguin's muscle mass is also the largest of any bird species (mainly due to its pectoral muscles). The plumage of the emperor penguin is black on the back and white on the chest, which makes it less noticeable to enemies in the water. They have a yellow-orange coloring under the neck and on the cheeks. The chicks are covered with white or grayish-white down.

The emperor penguin travels furthest south of all penguin species. About 300 thousand individual emperor penguins live on ice floes around Antarctica, but migrate to the mainland to mate and hatch eggs.

Until 2009, the number of emperor penguin colonies was estimated at 34 colonies. As a result of studying satellite images of Antarctica, scientists discovered 38 traces of droppings in the snow, which corresponds to 38 wintering sites of colonies, that is, the same number of colonies.

As a seabird, the emperor penguin hunts exclusively at sea. It feeds on fish, squid and krill. Emperor penguins hunt in groups. These groups swim straight into a school of fish and quickly attack their prey, pecking at everything that appears in front of them. They eat small prey directly in the water, and with larger prey they must swim to the surface to cut it up. When hunting, emperor penguins travel long distances and reach speeds of up to 3-6 km/h and depths of up to 535 meters. If necessary, they can spend up to 15 minutes under water. The more light, the deeper they dive, since their main guide when hunting is vision, and not hearing or echo sounder.

Emperor penguin colonies are located in natural shelters: behind cliffs and large ice floes with the obligatory presence of areas of open water. The largest colonies number up to ten thousand individuals. Emperor penguins often move lying on their bellies, using their paws and wings.

Southern giant petrel



The Antarctic expanses are the original habitat of birds such as the southern giant petrel. Its breeding area extends to the coast of Antarctica, the South Shetland Islands, the South Orkney Islands, the South Sandwich Islands, South Georgia Island, and the Prince Edward Islands. This bird has not ignored the Falkland or Malvinas Islands. It is also found on numerous Kerguelen Islands, but has a special predilection for Heard Island and the McDonald Islands - they are where the largest colonies of this bird are located. The petrel also nests on Bouvet Island, lost in the southern waters of the Atlantic, choosing areas that are free from eternal ice plots.

The body length of the southern giant petrel is 85-95 cm, sometimes a meter. Weight ranges from 5 to 8 kg. The wingspan is 185-205 cm. This bird has a large head and a short neck. The beak is very hard and strong. There are grooves along its edges, and at the end it is bent down and looks like a hook. On the upper side of the beak, almost two-thirds of the way, there is a hollow tube. There is a longitudinal partition inside it - it divides the tube into two parts. These are the nostrils. Thanks to them, the bird has an excellent sense of smell.

The bird has well-developed vision and excellent hearing. All these advantages are packed into spotted plumage. The feathers themselves are light, but have dark edges. This gives the impression that the upper part of the bird’s body is spotted. The chest and belly are most often white, the eyes are yellowish, the beak has a yellowish tint, and the legs are exactly the same. The plumage of young birds that have not reached sexual maturity is different. It has a uniform chocolate brown color. The eyes of the young are black, the beak is light, and there is a pale reddish coating on the tip. Legs are dark brown. Born chicks are wrapped in white fluff.

Blue (Blue) whale



Blue, or Blue, whale, living in the waters of the Southern Ocean, is not just one of the animals that has managed to adapt to life in harsh conditions. This is, first of all, the most gigantic of the animals that inhabit our planet now and have ever inhabited. Its length can reach four tens of meters, and its weight often exceeds 150 tons. Compared to humans, this animal looks like a giant floating mountain. A whale's heart alone can weigh more than a ton. Unfortunately, as a result of uncontrolled whaling, a huge number of blue whales were destroyed, but now their numbers are slowly recovering.

Snowy Plover



The white plover bird belongs to the plover family. As the name suggests, its plumage is white all over its body. The plover has a short but strong and wide beak, which helps the bird both in obtaining food and in defense. The skin above their beak is also covered with hair and is light pink in color. Externally, plovers look quite well-fed, as they have a dense body structure. For the first time, when people saw this plover, it was also called the case-billed plovers. It is important to note that the plumage is very thick, which helps them tolerate the cold more easily. The bird itself is medium in size, on average up to 42 centimeters in length. The weight depends on the time of year, and in males it is greater than in females, approximately 600-800 grams. Females are about 450-600 grams. This is the main difference between a female and a male.

Snowy plovers are considered omnivorous birds, as they can feed on both plant and animal foods. These birds very often eat fish, eggs, and chicks of other birds. They also feed on carrion, which is characteristic feature birds from the order of prey, namely such as the royal vulture and bald eagle. Mammals small sizes Can be their victims, as well as small aquatic invertebrates, such as tadpoles, frogs, worms, and mollusks.

Most representatives of the order Charadriiformes are polygamous birds. But the snowy plover is an exception, as it is monogamous and mates for life. IN spring period couples become more active and show special attention to the opposite sex, this is especially noticeable in males in relation to females. Once a pair has been created and mating has occurred, the pair builds a nest together. It is worth noting that plovers settle near the settlements of birds from the order Penguinidae and birds such as the great cormorant. The female plover lays from 1 to 4 eggs.

Kerguelen fur seal



The Kerguelen fur seal is a species of southern fur seal. Males reach a length of up to 190 cm, females up to 130 cm. Weight is 150 and 50 kg, respectively. The color of the skin is gray-brown. The male has a black mane, with many gray or white hairs.

The Kerguelen fur seal lives along the perimeter of Antarctica. The largest colonies are found in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, on the Prince Edward Islands, on the South Shetland Islands, on the South Orkney Islands, on the Bouvet, Kerguelen, Heard and MacDonald Islands, Crozet and Macquarie.

Typically, Kerguelen and subtropical fur seals live separately from each other. Only on Prince Edward Island and the Crozet Islands do they form common colonies. Sometimes even matings between representatives of both species are observed.

Nomadic individuals of the Kerguelen fur seal can also be found in significant numbers on Tierra del Fuego, but this species does not form colonies there.

Back in the 18th century, colonies of the Kerguelen fur seal contained several million animals. In the 1790s, large-scale hunting began for them. In the summer of 1800 alone, 112 thousand seals were killed in South Georgia. Industrialists destroyed colonies from island to island. The colonies on the South Shetland Islands were opened only in 1819 and numbered about 400 thousand animals, which were exterminated within just two years. In the 1830s, the species was already considered extinct. However, due to the fact that such a huge range cannot be completely controlled, Kerguelen fur seals still survived in some places.

In the 1930s, a colony of several hundred individuals began to exist again in South Georgia. Thanks to strict conservation laws, it increased every year and by the early 1990s there were already 1.6 million seals. On other islands of the former range, the situation with the number of Kerguelen fur seals remains more critical. Only 50 thousand individuals live outside of South Georgia.

wandering albatross



The wandering albatross is a unique bird: it is the only bird that spends most of its life in flight, covering distances from 200 to 1000 kilometers per day. Several factors contribute to this: hollow bones and air sacs, which greatly reduce body weight, as well as incredibly large aerodynamic wings on which the bird soars for hours on end. Only during the breeding season do wandering albatrosses land on land, and can be found on some rocky islands of the subarctic zone.

The bird got its name thanks to Spanish sailors who, when they first saw the bird, called it “alcatraz” (that’s what they called all large seabirds). The English distorted this word, resulting in the appearance of the albatross. Although the wandering albatross’s body size is not the largest (about 115 cm), its wingspan reaches 325 cm, which is an absolute record in the bird world. The plumage of adults is usually white, and only a few black stripes on the back of the wings spoil the snow-white outfit. The legs and beak are painted pale pink.

Wandering albatrosses have a two-year breeding cycle, so pairs with the previous year's adult chicks and pairs incubating eggs can be seen in the same colony. By the way, birds form monogamous pairs, which, however, can break up if they fail to breed offspring.

To the offensive mating season, which falls in December, the males fly to the old nesting sites, and after a few weeks the females join them. A pair of wandering albatrosses builds a nest of branches and earth directly, under the protection of grass and bushes, and is preceded by a special ritual: the female lays only one egg weighing about 0.5 kg, which is then incubated by both parents for 78 days. After hatching, the chick remains under watchful supervision for 4-6 weeks, after which the adult birds leave it alone while they forage for food.

Southern elephant seal



The southern elephant seal belongs to the family of true seals. In terms of size, it ranks second among all pinnipeds, second in size only to the northern elephant seal. Even the indigenous inhabitant of the Arctic, the walrus, loses in all respects and is in an honorable third place. The most major representatives Southern giants reach a length of 6.5 meters and weigh 3.5 tons. The usual length of a male is 5.5 meters and weighs 2.5 tons.

Females are noticeably smaller. Their length does not exceed 3.5 meters, their weight rarely reaches one and a half tons. The distinctive sign of this huge seal is its trunk: a leather fold located on the upper part of the muzzle in males - females do not have such a formation. In a calm state, it reaches a length of 10 cm. When the elephant is excited, the fold muscles tense, and the trunk increases to 25-30 cm. Due to its size, as well as the trunk, this animal is called the elephant seal.

The animal has rough, wrinkled skin. On top it is covered with sparse, hard and short fur of a dark brown color. During molting, which begins in December and lasts a month and a half, the old skin becomes blistered and slides off the body in long, wide strips. This process is very painful and unpleasant. The elephant lies on the ground and does not eat anything. He is losing a lot of weight and weakening. But after renewing the skin, it immediately rushes into the sea, where it quickly restores its strength.

Southern elephant seals make their rookeries on the Falkland, South Orkney and South Shetland Islands. They also love South Georgia, Heard and the Kerguelen Islands. Macquarie Island in the south Pacific Ocean also lies in their area of ​​interest. The animals spend six long months on the shores covered with pebbles and sand. Up to 10 thousand individuals gather in one place, forming huge rookeries.

Southern minke whale



The southern minke whale is the second largest species of whale in the minke whale family after the minke whale. The southern minke whale numbers hundreds of thousands of individuals, making it the most common species of the baleen whale suborder.

The average length of males is 8.36 meters and a weight of 6.85 tons, but individuals with a length of 9.63 meters and a weight of 11.05 tons are also found. Females are slightly larger than males. Like northern minke whales, southern right whales have dark gray backs and light underbellies. Home distinctive feature The difference between northern and southern minke whales is the absence of a white stripe on the pectoral fins. The dorsal fin has a hook-shaped shape. The southern minke whale has a larger skull than its northern relative.

In Antarctica, the diet of southern minke whales consists of almost 100% krill. They feed mainly early in the morning and late in the evening, and the greatest feeding activity is observed near the ice edge. Daily food intake during the summer months ranges from 3.6 to 5.3% of total body weight. Body fat becomes thicker during periods of greatest food availability, but average body fat thickness decreased between 1987 and 2005. This may signal a reduction in the food supply in Antarctic waters.

Southern minke whales form small groups or prefer a solitary lifestyle. As a rule, they are found in groups of 2 to 4 individuals. In relatively closed waters (for example, bays), the number of group members may be larger. The southern minke whale sometimes uses its head to break through the ice for breathing holes. The distance between adjacent holes usually ranges from 200 to 300 meters. The bulk of the southern minke whale population migrates between summer and winter habitats, but some groups remain in Antarctic waters throughout the year.

Arctic tern



The Arctic tern is a species of bird, a member of the tern family, which lives in the cold Arctic lands. Terns fly well, live off the sea coast or near fresh water bodies, and eat fish and other aquatic animals. All representatives of the tern family are distinguished by a straight, long beak with a hooked end, on which there is no wax.

Externally, the arctic tern resembles a gull, but its body is shorter and its wings are longer. The bird's body length is from 35 to 40 cm. The wingspan is in the range of 75-85 cm. Weight is 90-130 g. Visually, the polar tern appears larger due to its elongated wings. The head is black on top. The body is mostly white.

In winter, the Arctic Tern's forehead turns white. In the first year of life, young birds have a noticeable brownish-motley tint on the back, and their tail is shorter than that of adults. By the second year, the young birds acquire all the characteristics of adult birds.

The Arctic tern's diet consists of fish, krill, mollusks and crustaceans. The bird hunts by flying at altitudes of about 10 m above the water and below. At the same time, she carefully looks for prey and can hover in one place, quickly flapping her wings. Having seen the target, the tern sharply rushes down and grabs the prey with its beak. This throw is known as a diving flight. Interestingly, only every third such attempt usually ends successfully. But if the first throw is unsuccessful, the tern continues to pursue its prey under water: the bird dives well to shallow depths, where it manages to grab the fish.

Arctic terns, like gulls, monitor the hunting grounds of their relatives and other species of seabirds, and thus find schools of small fish. During the nesting period, the bird's diet consists of aquatic insects, larvae, and small fish. In addition, on the shore, terns can feast on berries.

Antarctic Blue-eyed Cormorant



They live on sea ​​coasts continents and islands, along the banks of rivers, lakes, and wetlands. A monotypic species that does not form subspecies.

• body length – 75-77 cm
• the neck is elongated, the wings are relatively short
• legs set far back
• the beak is elongated, narrow, with a hook at the top of the beak
• paws have four toes connected by swimmer membranes
• the plumage is thick and dense
• The top of the plumage in adult birds is black, including the cheeks and wings
• in the breeding plumage there is a tuft of feathers curved forward on the crown of the head
• around the eyes there are rings of unfeathered skin of bright blue color
• at the base of the beak there are two knob-like growths of bright orange color

They nest in colonies on the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula and on the South Shetland Islands.

They feed mainly on fish, as well as crustaceans and cephalopods. For better digestion, small pebbles are swallowed. They feed only in the sea, mainly in the coastal zone, diving into the water for prey. The skin on the throat of this bird is elastic and stretches well, which gives it the ability to swallow large prey.

Nesting usually begins in late September - early November. The nest is built on open ground. It has the shape of a truncated cone, composed of moss, grass fragments, lichens, large feathers of penguins, cormorants and skuas. Both partners take part in incubation. The chicks are fed food regurgitated by their parents. Small chicks peck food from the open beak of the parent, and older chicks completely stick their heads there.

Cormorants are excellent fishermen. The people of South Asia learned to use them. They put a tight ring on the throat of the tame cormorant, which prevents it from swallowing the fish. A cormorant tied by the paw is released to hunt, and then returned to the boat and the prey taken away. The bird usually brings a good catch to its owner and receives its share of fish for this.



The sperm whale is the largest of the toothed whales, the only modern representative of the sperm whale family. These sea giants have well-defined sexual dimorphism. Female sperm whales are smaller in size than adult males and have different body shapes and head shapes. Males grow up to 20 m in length and weigh about 50 tons, females reach a length of only 13-15 m with a body weight of 20 tons.

Sperm whales have a huge rectangular head, strongly compressed at the sides. It occupies a third of the whale's entire body. At the bottom of the head there is a mouth with cone-shaped teeth. The lower jaw of these animals is mobile and can open almost 90º, which helps sperm whales capture large prey. Spermaceti whales have one blowhole, located not in the center of the head, but in the front part. It is slightly shifted to the left.

On the sides of the whale's head are large eyes. The diameter of the eyeball reaches 15 cm. Slightly behind, below eye level, there are small ear openings.

Sperm whales have the largest brains in the entire animal kingdom. It can weigh up to 8 kg. dimensions whale hearts are about a meter wide and high. The organ itself is highly developed muscle tissue. This is vital for pumping the sperm whale's huge volume of blood.

Sperm whales unite in numerous herds of several hundred and sometimes thousands of individuals. During seasonal migrations, males group bachelor herds. Old males often stay solitary.

Whales spend most of their lives in search of food. They often dive to great depths where they live cephalopods- their main food. Scientists have recorded several cases when sperm whales acted in small groups of 10-15 individuals, organizing prey into one place. The whales showed close interaction. The team hunt took place at a depth of 1.5 km.

Pintado



The Cape dove, or Cape pigeon, or Cape petrel, or Cape fulmar is a relatively large bird and belongs to the order Tubenoses. Its body dimensions range from 30 to 38 centimeters, and its weight is 220-300 grams. The body, although not particularly large, is dense, the head is small, and the neck is very short. The legs are short, three-toed, and there are membranes between the toes and sharp claws. The tail is wide and short, rounded at the end and trimmed straight. The beak is also short, slightly swollen, and there is a small notch in the middle of the beak. At the end the beak is slightly curved down. The wings are of medium length, their span is about 80-90 centimeters. The plumage is dense and relatively soft. The color is predominantly black and white. White flight wings, and the edging is black.

Just like the fork-tailed storm petrel, the Cape dove feeds on sea food. Its diet consists of shrimp, crustaceans, squid, and small fish. Also, like representatives of the predatory order, they do not disdain to feed on carrion. They also often monitor sea vessels, from which fish and food waste are often thrown out. During feeding, they behave extremely aggressively, and often snatch prey from each other.

This bird inhabits the Southern Hemisphere and is often found over the oceans of Africa, Australia and America. They often lead a migratory lifestyle and fly to Brazil for the winter. New Zealand or to Argentina. Since it is a seabird, it spends most of its life in the open sea or ocean.

These birds are easy to recognize by their special flight: in the air they make several energetic strokes, and then soar freely in the air for a long time.

Antarctic toothfish



Antarctic toothfish is an Antarctic endemic. A very large species - the largest among all nototheniformes and the largest among all south polar fish living in the marginal seas of Antarctica, reaching a total length of about 2 m and a weight of up to 135 kg. Distributed in the high latitudes of the Southern Ocean and known to depths of 2200 m. According to the scheme of zoogeographic zoning for bottom fish of the Antarctic, proposed by A.P. Andriyashev and A.V. Neyelov, the above area is located within the boundaries of the glacial subregion of the Antarctic region.

The scales on the body are small, cycloid, except for the areas of the body covered by the straightened pectoral fins, on which there are ctenoid scales. The head is also largely covered with scales, with the exception of a completely bare snout and lower jaw. The caudal fin is truncated or somewhat notched.

The general body color of adult fish is very variable and varies from gray to brown and sometimes almost black. There are irregularities on the sides of the body dark spots or wide transverse stripes. Small immature specimens living on the shallow shelf have a characteristic yellowish or grayish body color with very contrasting dark, sometimes almost black, vertical stripes on the sides.

Distributed circumpolar-Antarctic in the high latitudes of the Southern Ocean south of 55–60 degrees south latitude. Juveniles live at shallow depths on the Antarctic shelf; those close to maturity and mature individuals migrate to deep-sea zone bathyal depths, where they are found near the bottom at depths of up to 1500–2250 m.

Flat-faced bottlenose



Bottlenose whales are a genus of toothed whales of the beaked whale family. It consists of two very similar species - the high-browed bottlenose and the flat-browed bottlenose. It is interesting that the range of these two species is separated by many thousands of kilometers and never intersects - the first species is found in the Arctic, and the second, on the contrary, in the cold waters of the Southern Hemisphere.

When reading English-language sources, confusion should be avoided, since English language, in addition to the bottlenose dolphin itself, there is also a “bottlenose dolphin” - this is what the bottlenose dolphin is called in English.

Bottlenose whales are large whales with a long conical beak (rostrum), high jaw ridges and a very developed “forehead” that accommodates a sac of spermaceti. Two pairs of teeth. Males are larger than females: the length of males is up to 9.4 m, females up to 8.7 m. Weight is 6-8 tons.

The color of both species is similar. The body of whales is more or less monochromatic, gray, and the color becomes somewhat lighter with age, especially on the head. In the navel area and between the pectoral fins - White spot. Females and young animals are much lighter than males, often they are not gray, but dirty white.

The main food is cephalopods, the secondary food is fish, and the rare food is sea cucumbers and sea stars; Up to 10 thousand squid were found in the stomachs of bottlenose fish. They dive deep and can stay underwater for up to an hour. Studies with tagged whales showed that the record dive was one in which the bottlenose was underwater for 1 hour and 10 minutes. and reached a depth of 1 nautical mile, i.e. 1850 m. Other whale dives were also distinguished by significant depth and duration. Pregnancy in bottlenose whales lasts from 12 to 15 months. Cubs are born in spring and summer, 3-3.5 m long, and grow to adult size in 3 years.

The voice of bottlenose whales is characteristic of cetaceans. These are grunting, whistling and other similar loud sounds. In addition, a swimming whale very often flaps its tail fin and slaps it in the water, which may also be one of the signals to its relatives. Bottlenoses live in flocks. Schools of bottlenose bats form when small (about five heads) groups begin to stick together. The most noticeable in such groups are adult males.

Crested penguin



The crested penguin is a swimming, non-flying bird. The crested penguin genus includes 18 subspecies, including the southern crested penguin, eastern crested penguin and northern crested penguin.

The southern subspecies lives on the coasts of Argentina and Chile. The eastern crested penguin is found on Marion, Campbell and Crosette Islands. The Northern Crested Penguin can be seen in the Amsterdam Islands.

The crested penguin is a rather funny creature. The name itself literally translates as “white head”, and several centuries ago sailors called these birds “fat” from the Latin word “pinguis”.

The bird's height does not exceed 60 cm, and its weight is 2-4 kg. But before molting, the bird can “recover” up to 6-7 kg. Males can be easily distinguished among a flock - they are large in size, females, on the contrary, are smaller in size.

The penguin is attractive for its coloring: black and blue back and white belly. The entire body of the penguin is covered with feathers, 2.5-3 cm long. The unusual coloring of the head, upper throat and cheeks is all black. But there are round eyes with dark red pupils. The wings are also black, with a thin white stripe visible along the edges. The beak is brown, thin, long. The paws are located closer to the back, short, pale pink. The crested penguin is a social bird that is rarely seen alone. They usually form entire colonies, which can number more than 3 thousand individuals.

They prefer to live at the foot of cliffs or on coastal slopes. They need fresh water, so they can often be found near fresh springs and reservoirs. Birds are noisy, making loud and noisy sounds through which they communicate with their fellows and warn each other of danger. These “songs” can also be heard during the mating season, but only during the day, and at night the penguins do not make a sound.

But despite this, crested penguins are quite aggressive towards each other. If an uninvited guest has entered the territory, the penguin bows its head to the ground, while its crests rise.

Snow petrel



Snow petrel - sea bird small size, forming the only species in its genus in the petrel family.

It lives in the high latitudes of Antarctica and has nesting grounds in the heart of the icy continent. This snow-white bird, despite the harsh Antarctic cold, moves more than 300 km from the coastline and breeds its offspring.

The bird has a characteristic bright white plumage with black eyes and beak that stand out against its background. The bird's legs are bluish-gray in color and are webbed for swimming.

The strong beak is curved at the end. In the upper part of the beak there is a small hollow tube, divided inside into two halves, which is why these birds are called tube-nosed. This tube is a kind of nostril. The ingenious device allows the snow petrel to have a good sense of smell. He has excellent eyesight and keen hearing.

The bird has practically no enemies, living in icy desert. The population size is very high. According to scientists, there are now about 5 million individuals of this species. The bird's diet consists of small fish, crustaceans, mollusks and even carrion. The icy waters of the Southern Ocean are the native element for representatives of the species - the birds swim well. After the chicks have grown up, the petrels fly to the Arctic coast and spend all the time there until the next nesting.

Snow-white birds often accompany sea vessels and pick up food waste from liners. However, the main food is still fresh fish, which is abundant in the upper layers of the Southern Ocean. This species is considered the southernmost bird on earth because it never crosses the equator.

On our planet there is an ice kingdom - Antarctica. This is a continent that is almost completely covered with ice; there is no ice only on the mountain ranges.

There are always low temperatures and harsh winds blow, so such weather conditions affected the appearance of the animals.

In general, the flora and fauna of Antarctica is very poor and unique; it has no analogues in the world.

Adelie Penguins

The most common inhabitants of Antarctica are Adélie penguins. They are mostly found in water, since water is warmer than air. They come to the surface only for nesting.

The males of these penguins are very careful about finding a mate and caring for their offspring. The male finds a suitable pebble and brings it to his chosen one; if the female likes the pebble, then she becomes the male’s partner for life.

All newborn chicks are collected in a “nursery”, and after 60 days all the babies become adults and can search for food on their own. Each adult requires 2 kilograms of food daily.

Baleen whales of Antarctica

The wildlife of this rugged area is not limited to just penguins. The Antarctic ocean is home to the largest mammals - cetaceans. There are two types of whales in Antarctica: baleen and toothed.

Baleen whales are the best studied, because they are the object of whaling. This group includes humpback whales, fin whales, blue whales and true whales. The largest is. They and fin whales are what people hunt the most. The body length of the largest individual killed in Antarctica was 35 meters, but on average blue whales are about 26 meters long. A large whale can produce up to 20 tons of blubber, and its total weight is 16 tons.

The great blue whale is a member of the baleen whale family.

The diet of baleen whales consists mainly of small crustaceans, which are found in abundance in the icy Antarctic waters. Female whales feed their babies with milk, and every day they gain more fatty foods 100 kilograms each.

Toothed whales of the ice kingdom

Toothed whales include bottlenose whales, killer whales and. The most the most dangerous predators are killer whales. With the help of its powerful and sharp killer whale fin, the killer whale is capable of inflicting serious wounds even on a whale.

The diet of killer whales is very diverse, but each individual population has its own specialization.

For example, killer whales living near Norway hunt for schools of herring, which are abundant in those waters. Killer whales hunt in packs, and they do it in a sophisticated manner, so the hunt always ends in success.

These killers attack seals, fur seals, dolphins, sea lions and even sperm whales. When hunting for seals, killer whales make ambushes, hiding behind ice ledges. When penguins become their prey, the killer whales jump onto the ice floe, turning it over and throwing the prey into the water.

Large whales are hunted primarily by male killer whales. They all attack the prey together, snatching pieces of meat from the fins and throat, while preventing the whale from rising to the surface. And if they attack a sperm whale, then, on the contrary, they do not allow it to dive into the depths.

Killer whales are huge, social Antarctic creatures.

Killer whales have an excellently developed social structure. The maternal group includes a female with a baby, matured sons and several families consisting of direct relatives of the main female. Such social groups may consist of approximately 20 individuals. All of them are quite tightly attached to their relatives. Each pack has its own way of communicating. Killer whales do not allow their crippled or old relatives to die. Relations within the pack can be called very affectionate and friendly.

Severe and regal, mysterious and alluring, Antarctica has a very limited species diversity of fauna. However, even in extreme conditions climatic conditions In Antarctica, some animals feel excellent.

Representatives of the local fauna inhabit the coastal strip of the mainland and live in coastal waters.

Terrestrial 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 the soil, and up to 70 species of arthropods, including arachnids and insects, can be found on the surface.

Leopard seal- a species of seal whose habitat is the sub-Antarctic regions of the Southern Ocean. Male leopard seals reach a length of 3 meters and weigh approximately 270 kg, and females grow up to 4 meters and have a body weight of up to 0.4 tons. The animals' body has a smooth, streamlined shape, making it possible to glide unhindered through ocean waters at speeds of up to 40 km/h. The diet of these animals includes warm-blooded vertebrates, including young seals and penguins.

Crabeater seal- a species characteristic of Antarctica, characterized by large numbers. The body length of an adult seal averages 2-2.5 m, females and males each appearance Almost identical to each other, both of them undergo a molting process every year in early spring, changing the color of their fur from silver-gray to grayish-brown with a few light spots. The food for these seals is small crustaceans.

Adélie Penguins- typically Antarctic birds, in whose nests 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 come ashore only during the nesting period. Penguins are called birds only conditionally - they cannot fly, but they can swim very well at speeds 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, mollusks and small fish. The daily amount of food eaten for an adult reaches 2 kg.

Emperor Penguins- the largest penguins currently 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. The body color is black and white: black plumage on the back and white on the chest is the birds’ natural protection from enemies. Emperor penguins have yellow-orange patches of plumage on their cheeks and below their necks. 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 of emperor penguins is krill, shellfish and fish, which they hunt in groups.

King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonica)

Lives further north, in warmer places. Breeding colonies are located on the islands of South Georgia, Kerguelen, Marion, Crozet and Macquarie.
Body length is 91-96 cm. Colonies are located on hard rocky soil. Reproduction occurs in summer: eggs are laid mainly in December - January. Each female lays only 1 large egg. Both parents incubate alternately. Incubation duration 54 days

Rockhopper penguin or rock climber penguin, rock penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome)

It lives on the rocky islands of the subantarctic region, but is sometimes 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.

It nests in large colonies on the barren and very harsh islands of Tristanda Cunha and Heard Island. In a noisy and crowded colony, the small first egg is usually lost in quarrels with neighbors. The chicks go to the nursery, but return to the nest when their parents call them to feed them. The chicks grow quickly and at the age of 10 weeks are ready to go to sea.

Victoria penguin or crested thick-billed penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus)

It nests only on the rocky, creviced coast of South Island in New Zealand, as well as on two small offshore islands - Stuart and Solander.
Reaches 60 cm in length, weighing about 3 kg.

Golden-haired penguins (eng. Macaroni Penguin) – Colonially nesting near Antarctica, low (up to 76 cm) penguins have a tuft of golden-yellow feathers above their eyes.

Little penguin, elf penguin, little blue penguin, little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor)

It stays off the southern coast of Australia, along the coasts of Tasmania, New Zealand and Chatham Island.
It has a body length of only 40 cm. Usually 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 these birds attacking people approaching the colony. Unlike other species, they feed both their chicks.

Giant petrels

birds nesting on Antarctic islands, feeding on marine animals and sometimes young penguins. The size of the wings of these birds reaches half a meter. Scientists have found out that petrels, using the power of a tailwind, are able to fly around the entire planet and return to their nesting place.

Great Skuas

Closest relatives of seagulls. Their wings reach 40 cm in length, but they walk on the ground as well as they fly. Skuas feed on fish, small animals and birds, and can also be content with carrion.

Skuas are bandits, and that's all. There are four types of them, and all of them - some more, some less - commit robbery. Eggs and chicks are stolen from neighbors. Penguins are especially affected by great skuas. Great skuas, which are as tall as a large herring gull, use their strong beaks to kill even adult birds that they can overpower.

New Year's greetings from penguins