It is generally accepted that mammals are able to live only at fairly comfortable ambient temperatures. But the animals of the Arctic deserts successfully refute this statement. Of course, among them there are not only mammals, but also birds.
The most famous representative of the local fauna is the polar bear. By the way, not so long ago it became known that the concept of “white” does not apply to it. His coat is almost colorless, and his skin is black. Fur hairs have a special structure: they are hollow, filled with air. Given that there are millions of hairs, they are very effective thermal insulation. So effective that on especially “hot" days (at a temperature of no higher than -5 degrees), the bear swims for a long time in the ocean, the water temperature in which barely reaches 5-6 degrees Celsius.
By the way, these animals of the Arctic deserts are a food taboo for the Eskimos. For a long time, scientists did not understand such a strange prohibition. After all, an adult male is almost a ton of meat! Later it was found out that their flesh is often affected by parasites, and the liver contains so much vitamin A that even a piece of 100 g can be fatal.
No less famous is the Arctic fox. These animals of the Arctic deserts perform the same function as our foxes. They are the orderlies of the area, eating weakened and sick individuals, collecting corpses thrown by the surf by the surf. Do not disdain even plant foods, gladly eating berries and berries cloudberries.
In addition, there are many seals in the Arctic. Their number was greatly reduced as a result of predatory fishing in the 19-20th centuries. It is assumed that some subspecies (or even species) in those years were completely destroyed. Be that as it may, today these animals of the Arctic deserts have noticeably increased their population.
They are known for bringing their young on the shore. In the breeding season, vast territories of the previously deserted coast turn into a real kindergarten. It is very noisy here, as thousands of males converge in fights for females every minute.
Their relatives are walruses. These Arctic animals generally nearly died out due to their exorbitant extermination. They were killed not so much because of meat and fat, but for the sake of their fangs. At their cost, they have already overtaken the elephant tusk. Stunningly beautiful carved figurines stand out from them, and local peoples pass this skill from generation to generation. In addition, there are many stupid beliefs that crushed walrus fangs can be treated for anything: from prostatitis to Alzheimer's. This stimulates poachers to prey on them, as wealthy customers are willing to pay any money for this "miraculous" drug.
Thus, the Arctic desert, whose animals are so diverse, is not a desert place at all. Thousands of birds (famous bird markets) nest on the rocky slopes, hundreds of species of fish and large mammals live in the sea.
Yes, their life does not seem easy, but with their stubborn desire to survive in this harsh land, they testify to the diversity and adaptability of life forms.