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Reckless the Bear |
Wildlife and Survival in Antarctica
When Reckless the Bear first found out he was going to Antarctica, he was sure he would meet some polar bears there. But polar bears don't live in Antarctica; they live in the Arctic. As part of his expedition to Antarctica, Reckless the Bear needs to learn to identify the types of animals that live there, as well as understand why it is too cold for polar bears to live there. Can you help him?
No big land animals live in Antarctica because it is just too cold and windy for any of them to survive. In fact, the largest animals that live in Antarctica are mites, midges, lice and springtails. These animals are invertebrates - what does that mean?
However, the Southern Ocean is home to many animals. Penguins, sea birds, whales, fish, krill and seals survive in the Southern Ocean because they are dependent upon each other as food. This structure is called a food chain and by building your own food chains you can see this for yourself.
Elephant Seals
Crabeater Seals
Study the Antarctic animals in
"Who's Eating Who". Then start your food chain by drawing a picture of one of the animals, followed by a picture of what eats that animal, and so on.
Food chains also show us how fragile life is in Antarctica. If only one of the links in the animal food chain is removed, we can see how the other parts are affected. "Who's Eating Who" is about an Antarctic Murder Mystery - can you spot which animal has been removed from the Antarctic food chain?
Research the size of the animals in your food chain and then draw them to the correct size. Use paper or chalk, outside. Make sure the dimensions are correct - including those for krill (3cm long) and the Blue Whale (33 metres long)!
What do you think might happen to your food chain if whales became extinct? Research some of the ways in which Antarctic food chains could be broken. What would happen if all the krill were removed from the food chain?
The Southern Ocean just f-f-freezing cold. If a human fell into the Southern Ocean, their insides would freeze solid in a matter of minutes because it is so cold! So how do you think animals, like penguins, cope with the freezing cold temperatures?
Over thousands of years, the animals in Antarctica have adapted to living in their environment. What does the word adapt mean? There are four species of penguin which breed in Antarctica. They are the:
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Emperor Penguin | Gentoo Penguin |
| Adelie Penguin |
Chinstrap Penguin |
Gentoo Penguin
Emperor Penguins
Find out all you can about one of the species and turn your information into a poster. Remember to include where it lives, what it feeds on and how it breeds. All penguins have adapted to the cold conditions of Antarctica because:
They have a thick layer of fat (blubber) under their skin - for insulation.
They have overlapping feathers - to provide waterproofing.
Their flippers (modified wings) propel them through the water.
The thick layer of fat on penguins acts like a blanket and helps to protect their internal organs from the cold. Penguins aren't the only animals in Antarctica that have a thick layer of fat under their skin. Find out which other animals in Antarctica have blubber under their skin?
How do you keep warm in very cold weather? What types of clothing do you wear? How have humans adapted to living in Antarctica?
Imagine you have been invited to visit a base in Antarctica for a month. But you are only allowed to take one trunk. What will you take? (Be prepared to tell why).
Imagine you are a Scientist in Antarctica and you have just discovered a new animal, either in Antarctica or in the Southern Ocean. Describe how you found it, what it looks like and how it survives the cold. In the Antarctic food chain where would it fit in? What is your animal called?
Resources
Who's Eating Who
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