Polar Ice By: Amber Drew

Description There are two polar habitats on our planet. They are located at the North and South Poles. At the North Pole, you don't see much land. Most of the Artic is a frozen ocean of ice. Located at the South Pole is the continent we know as Antarctica. Antarctica is land covered by a thick layer of ice. There are very few plants and animals living in Antarctica.

Location The North and South Pole are both polar ice. The land is covered by ice all year round. These regions are very cold: the coldest temperature ever known on earth (-88 degrees C (- 126 degrees F

Polar Bear The polar bear has a great sense of smell. The polar bear can smell a seal more then 20 miles away. A polar bear’s skin is black. The polar bear is completely furred except for its nose and footpad. A polar bears coat is 2-5 cm thick.

Adaptations Polar bears are able to swim in the icy Arctic Ocean without freezing. They have thick oily fur coats and a layer of fat under their skin. The bear's large feet are like snowshoes. The hair on the soles of their feet help the bear walk on the slippery ice and snow. They walk with toes pointing inward, to avoid slipping.

Beluga The beluga whale is a small, toothed whale that is white as an adult. The beluga's body is stout and has a small, blunt head with a small beak, tiny eyes, thick layers of blubber, and a rounded melon. The beluga is also called the white whale, the white porpoise, the sea canary and the squid hound. Unlike most other cetaceans, the beluga's seven neck vertebrae are not fused, giving it a flexible neck.

Adaptations The absence of a dorsal fin reduces heat loss. The top of the beluga's head has thick skin and thin blubber so the whale can ram through ice to make breathing holes.

Penguin Penguins are designed for life at sea. Some species spend up to 75% of their life in the water. They raise their eggs on land. Penguins can swim up to 15 mph. The penguin can’t fly like most birds. That’s because they have so many layers of feathers and burbler. As many as 24 million penguins visit Antarctic! Emperor penguins don’t build nests they hold their egg on their feet.

Adaptations A streamlined body, paddle-like feet, insulating blubber, and watertight feathers all add to their efficiency and comfort underwater. They also have a remarkable deep-diving ability. In addition to blubber for insulating warmth, penguins have stiff, tightly packed feathers that overlap to provide waterproofing. They coat their feathers with oil from a gland near the tail to increase impermeability. Black and white countershading makes them nearly invisible to predators from above and below.

Arctic Fox The arctic fox is found farther north than any other land mammal. This mammal is about 20 inches long plus a tail 12 inches long. Foxes have sharp, curved claws, sharp teeth, and thick, insulating fur. Arctic foxes are carnivores who hunt alone. Foxes eat small mammals like eggs, birds, insects, fish, and carrion. The fox sometimes follows a polar bear in order to feed on the remains of its kills.

Adaptations The fur of the arctic fox is white during the winter and gray-brown in the summer. There is also a blue morph.This is effective camouflage for the fox. The long, bushy tail, helps the fox change direction quickly and keeps the fox's feet and nose warm when it curls up to sleep.

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