Polar Habitats The polar regions surround the North and South poles at the very top and bottom of our planet These frozen areas are the harshest environments on earth O Tundra Taiga ic Circle The Arctic The Arctic is the region that lies within the Arctic Circle an imaginary line around earth close to the North Pole To a the south of the Arctic Ocean is an area called in U the tundra The land is always frozen here South of the tundra is a 1 Cold forest area known as the taiga where bears deer and many small animals live North Pole Arctic Ocean A The Arctic is mostly ocean covered in ice Polar bear page 8 Caribou page 12 EXTREME ANIMALS Elephant seals of the Antarctic are the largest seals in the world Adult males can weigh more than a
Antarctica is a whole continent surrounded by the Southern Ocean Antarctic Circle The Antarctic Within the Antarctic Circle close to the South Pole lies Antarctica the coldest continent on earth There South Pole Emperor penguin page 20 are almost no living creatures on the land there but the Southern Ocean that surrounds Antarctica is teeming with life Southern Ocean LA Life at the Poles It is so cold at the poles that both land and sea are frozen for most of the year This makes it hard for anything to live there but some creatures have adapted to life in these tough conditions They often have white coats so they blend in with their snowy habitat and thick layers of body fat keep them warm Some humans even live in the Arctic including the Inuit people who survive by fishing and hunting Arctic animals Leopard seal page 16 Humpback whale page 24 The Inuit build temporary homes called igloos out of snow when they are on hunting
Polar Regions under Threat Once the biggest threat to polar animals was hunting by humans for their fur fat or just for sport Hunting is still a danger but now there are other factors affecting the animals chances of survival Melting Ice All polar animals rely on Global warming is having a more dramatic effect at the others for their food This leopard poles than anywhere else on earth As it gets warmer the seal in Antarctica is eating an He ice melts so animals have to survive on smaller areas of emperor penguin E land As the polar oceans warm up some fish and other sea creatures die out This affects animals further up the food chain which rely on them as a source of
Human Activity Humans are settling in areas where animals had previously lived undisturbed Experts also believe there is oil beneath the Arctic ice Drilling for oil disturbs native animals and can cause pollution Saving Polar Animals over thousands of years the animals that live in polar regions have adapted to their environment They will not survive if changes to their habitat continue If people do not work to save them many species will be lost WHAT DO YOU THINK Searching for oil in the Arctic could provide humans with an important resource but some experts are worried that it would scare away the animals and cause pollution What ways might there be of meeting the needs of humans while protecting wildlife Humans are settling in what were once uninhabited polar regions This is Murmansk the largest town within the Arctic Circle ENDANGERED ANIMALS The International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN see page 28 lists animals according to how endangered they are Extinct Died out completely Extinct in the wild Only survive in captivity Critically endangered Extremely high risk of becoming extinct in the near future Endangered High risk of becoming extinct in the wild Vulnerable High risk of becoming endangered in the wild Near threatened Likely to become endangered in the near future Least concern Lowest risk of becoming endangered
