E C E To my dad for three years in Yellowknife that sparked my enduring love of the North L For Kelly B ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thanks to the fabulous team at Kids Can Press and especially Katie Scott for keeping me focused Special thanks to the scientists who took the time to answer my many questions Biggest thanks to all the readers who want to know more about amazing polar animals both today and as the scientists of tomorrow
CONTENTS Welcome to the Ends of the Earth Where Are the Polar Regions A Warm Blanket On the Move Keeping Time Ice Cold Insects Polar Seasons Hide and Seek Baby Food In Sync Cuddle Up A Long Winter's Sleep Snowy Lands and Icy Seas Speaking Up Stride or Slide Working Together Fighting for the Future Climate Change and the Polar Regions How Polar Regions Affect Our World Glossary Resources Index
12000 WELCOME TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH Some of the harshest habitats on the planet are found in the polar regions In the far north the Arctic is an ocean surrounded by land In the far south Antarctica is a land surrounded by ocean The Arctic as we know it today emerged at the end of the Ice Age approximately years ago Antarctica is much older having existed in its current form for almost 20 million years In summer the Arctic gets warm enough for plants to grow while almost all of Antarctica remains a frozen barren landscape While different in many ways the polar regions are also a lot alike They are bitterly cold freeze dried wildernesses where the wind can blow harder than hurricanes They are also the only places on Earth where daylight and darkness lasts up to six months And yet many animals not only survive in the polar regions they thrive Over thousands or even millions of years these species have adapted to the challenges of polar life Animal adaptations include body parts such as snowshoe paws and body functions such as making antifreeze Or they may be behaviors such as migration which some species use to escape deadly winters Adaptations help polar animals stay warm find food and raise their babies all in two of the most extreme environments on Earth
