Antarctic animals

Antarctic animals

By Rose

Antarctica is a very cold place, so animals have to adapt to it in

special ways

Not many people go there because it is to cold. But when you see the wildlife you know it is worth it!

Antarctica has an abundance of natural wildlife

Animals in Antarctica have to be very strong to survive the cold weather.

Antarctic Whales

Antarctica has a wide variety of whales. Antarctica is a home for the biggest animal alive on Earth today, the Blue whale.

Orcha Whales

Orcha whales (sometimes known as killer whales) eat seals. They have black bodies with white splodges on them. Orcha whales are mammals, like Humpback whales.

Humpback Whales

Humpback whales are very big mammals. Humpbacks are big and blue. Humpback whales like to jump out of the water and make a big splash. They live in Antarctica but migrate around the East coast of Australia to breed.

Blue whales

Blue whales are the biggest animals alive on the Earth today. They weigh 100 tonnes. Blue whales eat krill.

Minke whales

Minke whales can dive underwater and stay there up to 20 minutes. Like all wales, Minkes are mammals. Minkes weigh up to 15 tonnes!

Crustaceans

Crustaceans are animals that have a hard exo-skeleton covering their bodies. Antarctica has a crustacean called krill.

Krill

Krill are very small animals that eat single-celled creatures called phytoplankton. Blue whales can eat 4 tonnes of krill per day!

Antarctic Penguins

Antarctica has lots of species of penguin. Penguins are flightless birds that lay eggs. Even though they look funny on land they are very good swimmers.

Adelie penguins

Adelie penguins are small penguins with black backs and beaks. Adelie penguins weigh up to 5kgs.Like humpback whales, Adelie penguins eat krill!

Emperor penguins

Emperor penguins are the biggest species of penguin. They can grow up to 1 metre long! Emperors eat small fish and squid.

Chinstrap penguins

Chinstrap penguins are called chinstrap penguins due to the colouring around their chins. Chinstrap penguins eat krill.

Antarctic seals

Antarctica has lots of species of seal. Seals are mammals. They eat krill and seabirds and penguins.

Weddell Seals

Weddell seals were discovered by James Weddell who named them after himself. They are under threat from killer whales.

Elephant seals

Elephant seals are the biggest species of seal. They have small trunks in front of their mouths. They eat penguins, sea birds and are very dominent. They lounge around on beaches.