The ice kingdom of planet Earth, almost completely hidden under permafrost, is the mainland of Antarctica. A certain animal world lives here, which is able to withstand harsh winds and low temperatures. This peculiar, but extremely poor fauna of Antarctica is unique. There is no other such nature.
The most common animals are penguins. A species such as Adélie penguins spend more time in the ocean than on the surface, since the water is slightly warmer than the climate on the mainland. On the ground, that is, on ice, they are selected only to create nests.
Penguins are very responsible and very scrupulous in choosing a partner. These are very interesting animals of Antarctica. When choosing a female, the penguin observes a certain ritual. He specifically for his beloved finds a pebble and gives her a gift. If the female accepts him, then she becomes his faithful companion for life.
Newborn chicks gather in small flocks, where they spend two months together, after which they become adults and independent, ready to earn their own food. These animals of Antarctica have a special adaptation in the body, which makes the best use of the energy received with food.
The animal kingdom of Antarctica is also represented by cetaceans: vomiting or blue whale, humpback, finwale and real whale. Cetaceans are the largest mammal species in the world. They are divided into toothed and baleen whales. Baleen whales are whaling; these whales are better understood.
The blue whale is the largest among the whales. Finwal and vomiting are the most interesting for industrial consumption. The weight of a large whale reaches 160 tons, its pure fat reaches 20 tons. These giants feed on small crustaceans, which the Antarctic ocean is very rich in. A whale can absorb up to one and a half meters of such crustaceans at a time. Young whales feed on breast milk. Interestingly, babies gain 100 kg in weight daily.
How vast expanses is Antarctica! Animals in this area are very rare. This is the silent edge of ice hummocks, and in such conditions it is extremely difficult to survive. Only animals adapted to such conditions are able to withstand the conditions of this region.
This icy continent attracts scientists who are trying to unravel all its secrets, but so far Antarctica is not fully known. The animals typical of these parts are seals. Several species live on this continent. Weddell seal is the most numerous representative of this species. Large beast with a thick subcutaneous fat layer, which is an excellent adaptation for living in places with low temperatures.
Antarctic animals, such as seals, feed mainly on fish and cephalopods. These animals are practically not afraid of humans. Having come close to him, they react to a person only by raising their heads. Fishing is almost not developed for seals.
Antarctic animals like the Ross seal are much smaller than their counterparts. Its weight reaches about 200 kg, with a very thick fat layer. He has very large folds on his neck in which he hides his head. So it is very similar to a barrel. It is rather poorly studied due to its residence in very inaccessible places.
Antarctic animals such as crabeater seals are the largest group of seals in the world. Despite its name, the seal feeds on krill, but not crabs. Thanks to its jagged teeth, it can filter krill. The only enemy of these seals are killer whales, which chase these peace-loving animals.
Sea elephant is the largest species of seals in the world. Their weight reaches 3.5 tons and a size of about 6 m. Another species of animals of this region is interesting - the sea leopard, which lives around the perimeter of Antarctic ice and seas. It is the dominant predator in this region, which feeds on krill and small marine animals.