Page 69 - World of Animals - Issue #30

Snap a scavenging skua Unusual Antarctic
inhabitants
South polar skuas are the petrels are known to fly high
pirates of the bird world. Tough over the land to avoid bumping
and scrappy, they chase after into them. Skuas are noisy
other sea birds and harass them during the breeding season,
until they drop their fish. Snow making high-pitched shrieks.

Toothfish
Toothfish live in some of the coldest waters on the
planet. Their bodies produce special proteins that
prevent their blood from freezing.

Krill
These tiny animals are one of the most important
species in the Antarctic food chain. They are eaten by
petrels, penguins, seals, whales and a whole host of
other species.

Watch out for whales

Find the largest land animal
There are many different species of varied buffet of marine life. Some of the ABOVE Very few animals live permanently on land in the
cetaceans – whales and dolphins – found most common are humpback whales, Like all Antarctic Antarctic. In fact, the largest is just a few millimetres in
in the waters around the Antarctic during minkes, and orcas. Many species were whales, the length: the Antarctic midge, or Belgica antarctica.
the summer. They are attracted by the hunted to the brink of extinction in the minke migrates
north to breed in
nutrient-rich waters, which support a 20th century, but numbers are recovering. the winter

Marvel at the

magnificent

albatross Imperial cormorant
These birds are underwater hunters, able to dip
beneath the surface of the ocean to pursue their prey.
The wandering albatross has the largest wingspan Heavy bones and low body fat also help them to dive.
of any bird, measuring over three metres (9.8 feet)
– almost twice the height of the average woman.
With such impressive wings, it is no surprise that
they spend most of their lives in the air.
Wandering albatrosses can live for decades,
with some birds reaching their 50s or 60s. They
mate for life, and return from the ocean to breed
on land. Raising a chick is labour intensive, and
takes about nine months, so parents will often take
a year off in between successful births to recover.
ABOVE The appropriately named Bird Island is one of Water bears
Albatrosses can cover the best places to see albatrosses in the Antarctic,
thousands of miles in just but they can also be spotted around ships, where Tardigrades, or water bears, are some of the toughest
a few weeks animals on the planet. They can survive being dried,
they glide over the water, waiting for fish. frozen, irradiated, and even being sent into outer space.

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