9/25/2023 0 Comments Penguin natural predators![]() Orcas, or killer whales, live in many oceans worldwide, including those around Arctic and Antarctica. ( Read about a new species of see-through fish discovered in Antarctica.) Orcas are bipolar. The icefish species Chaenocephalus acteratus are also notable as the only vertebrates with no red blood cells their white blood gives them a ghostly appearance. Some fish do live in Antarctica, such as notothenioids, which produce their own “antifreeze,” proteins that bind to ice crystals in their blood to prevent them from freezing solid. The predators, which have a life expectancy of at least 272 years, eat whatever they catch or scavenge, from unwary fish or seals to carcasses of polar bears or caribou. The Greenland shark is one of the most mysterious: A live specimen wasn’t photographed until 1995. ( Read more about the mystery of the sea unicorn.) There are no sharks in Antarctica-but plenty in the Arctic.Īntarctica’s waters are too cold to sustain sharks, but half a dozen or so species ply the Arctic seas. They use cracks and openings in the ice to breathe. When faced with impenetrable coastal ice, these marine mammals move offshore, into deeper waters, to feed under shifting pack ice. ![]() The narwhal is a year-round Arctic resident, summering in ice-free coastal waters. ( Read about penguin mega-colonies discovered in Antarctica.)įor the past year, a research team has developed a new strategy to study the near threatened bluntnose sixgill shark in deep waters. Adept swimmers that chase after krill, fish, and squid, penguins have no need to fly thanks to a lack of natural predators on the Antarctic ice. Other species, such as chinstrap, gentoo, and macaroni, breed on the Antarctic Peninsula or sub-Antarctic islands. Penguins are synonymous with Antarctica, yet only emperor and Adélie penguins are permanent residents of the continent. There are loads of species and very high abundance in places,” says Phil Trathan, head of conservation biology for the British Antarctic Survey.Īntarctic waters brim with krill, a tiny crustacean that feeds large whales, including blue, humpback, and minke whales, as well as penguins. ![]() “In the whole of Antarctica, the ocean is the really productive, biodiverse realm. With such an inhospitable interior, Antarctic wildlife instead thrives in, out of, and around frigid ocean waters. Meanwhile, “the south has no terrestrial predators,” says Andrew Derocher, an ecologist at the University of Alberta. The Arctic boasts other land predators, including the Arctic wolf, a subspecies of the gray wolf, and the Arctic fox. ( See incredible photographs taken at both poles.) “Put simply, polar bears have just evolved to take advantage of the richest food source available … seals,” says Ian Stirling, emeritus scientist at Environment Canada and adjunct professor at the University of Alberta. Ice is essential to polar bears, which use it as a hunting platform for catching seals when they surface to breathe. These giant ursines range widely across the region and live year-round as far south as James Bay, which is at the same latitude as London. When it comes to Arctic predators, there’s one beast that rules them all-the polar bear. ( See the real story behind the amazing photo of a puffin gorging on fish.) Like penguins, puffins are excellent swimmers and divers-equipped with waterproof feathers and an ability to drink seawater-and breed in large colonies along the shore. These colorful birds dress up their black and white plumage with an orange, parrot-like beak and feet. In fact, this penguin-free region is home to another charismatic bird-the Atlantic puffin. One of the most common mistakes is that penguins live in the Arctic. There are no penguins in the Arctic or the South Pole. Polar misconceptions and myths abound, so we’re setting the record straight on what cold-dwelling creature actually lives where. ( See amazing pictures of animals in the coldest places on Earth.) And one incredible animal-the Arctic tern-lives at both ends of the Earth, thanks to the longest known migration on the planet. Some species, like polar bears, evolved to hunt and breed on the ever-shifting ice pack of the Arctic, while other types of closely related species, such as ringed seals and Weddell seals, have adaptations specific to life in the north or south. These unique characteristics are reflected in the wildlife living in each place. The Arctic is also characterized by an ice cover that fluctuates with the seasons. At the top of the planet, the Arctic is made up of the Arctic Ocean and other bodies of water, all located near the highly populated continents of Europe and North America. But they’re actually worlds apart.Īntarctica is an ice-covered continent in splendid isolation at the bottom of the world, surrounded by oceans teeming with life. With their vast, icy landscapes and long periods of darkness or daylight, the polar regions can appear pretty much the same.
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