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How animals adapted to life in Antarctica. Fauna of Antarctica - list, species, characteristics and photos of the fauna of the continent. Antarctica: animals of the seal family

Yulia Agapova
Summary of the lesson on familiarization with the outside world “Animals of the Arctic and Antarctica”

GCD according to getting to know the outside world in the preparatory group.

Educator (Agapova Yu. Yu.) MBDOU No. 379

Program tasks:

To consolidate children's knowledge about the various climatic zones of the globe and their characteristics;

Strengthen ideas about the world animals and plants.

Promote the development of interest in knowledge of the surrounding world;

Support the desire to study nature, provide all possible assistance in protecting its resources.

The teacher reads a poem (shows the globe to the children):

Do you know that somewhere

All year round – winter and summer –

The ocean is hidden from the light

A thick white layer of ice?

It's terribly cold there

Steamboats don't go there

Only large icebreakers

They get there.

Guys, in order to depict the vast territory of our Earth, scientists have compiled a map of the globe (shows map).

And in order to imagine not only the surface of the Earth, but also its shape, a model of the Earth was created - a globe, on which the dimensions were reduced tens of millions of times.

Our planet is a huge, enormous ball. So big that it takes many, many days, even months, to travel around it around.

Let's look at the model of our planet together. What is the name of its smaller copy? (Globe)

Guys, look carefully at the globe, what colors it is painted in. (Children's answers)

Please note that the color is white. It's not just like that. So marked on the globe(and on the map) two opposite polar regions of the Earth - the northernmost and southernmost - Arctic and Antarctica.

What means white color? White is the color of snow, ice, cold. Antarctica and Arctic- the coldest places on earth. There are never warm days or rain there. Only frosts crackle, snow falls, and blizzards blow.

Arctic washes the Arctic Ocean, and it is almost entirely covered with thick, strong ice. Here in the Far North, in Arctic, ice never melts. Because during the short polar summer the sun does not rise high; its cool rays are reflected from ice and snow. Such a sun cannot melt the ice. In winter it is dark here all day and night. Polar night.

Summer and winter Arctic white with snow and ice.

You won't find a colder place in the whole world. The icy wind brings down more and more mountains of snow. Under their own weight, snowdrifts compact and turn into ice. And so from century to century.

It's very cold in Arctic, but despite the huge ice floes and permafrost, there are inhabitants there that are not found anywhere else. (polar bear, seal, walrus, reindeer, arctic fox, arctic tern, sea narwhal)

Narwhal. The length of this animal is 4.5 meters for an adult animal, and 1.5 meters for the cub. Weight reaches up to 1.5 tons, of which more than half of the weight is fat.

Narwhals have a horn 2-3 meters long, otherwise this horn is called a tusk. The tusk is used by the narwhal to determine the temperature of the water. Narwhals feed on squid, octopus, and fish. Narwhals are listed in the Red Book.

Polar bears are the largest animals on earth They are good swimmers, they can stay in icy water for hours, they have membranes between their toes, and there are 5 long claws on each paw to prevent them from slipping on the ice. The bear has warm, thick fur, knows how to build a den out of snow, white fur makes it invisible in the snow, eats fish, seals)

The walrus lives in the seas of the Arctic Ocean. The length of its body reaches 4–5 meters. It weighs a ton and can even reach two tons; a walrus can have up to 300 kg of fat. Skin fat animal, strong. The mustache is thick, hard, and there are two fangs on the muzzle. With the help of these fangs, the walrus defends itself from enemies, attacks even a polar bear, and also plows the bottom, pulling out shells, octopuses, squids, that is, small animals that live in sea water.

IN Arctic There is a very beautiful bird - Tern.

Terns have a slender body, long pointed wings and short legs. Terns feed on fish. IN Arctic Terns live only in summer, when Winter is coming to the Arctic, Terns fly south.

Guys, what do you think helps? Animals can't freeze in the Arctic? (they feed on fish, have a thick layer of subcutaneous fat, can swim well, and dive well.

Guys, in Arctic Dwarf shrubs, cereals, and herbs grow. IN There are no trees in the Arctic.

Russia is the first country to use polar stations.

Guys, what do you think, what can you use to get into Arctic(On the icebreaker.)

You're right guys, only on an icebreaker you can get to Arctic, why do you think? (Children's answers)

And now I suggest you go to the South Pole in Antarctica.

Guys, now I want to see how well you remember animals that live in Arctic. (Stand, on the stand there is a map of the earth with two poles, figures animals, which need to be attached.)

Physical education minute

If we turn the globe over, we will see another white area. Only here it’s not the ocean, but the earth, enshrouded in ice. "shell"- huge continent Antarctica.

Guys, Antarctica washed by the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. Temperatures in winter are from -60* to – 70*, and in summer from -30* to – 40*, On the coast Antarctica temperature in winter is from 8 to 35 °C, and in summer 0-5 °C.

IN Antarctica has plants, these are mosses and lichens.

IN Antarctica there are amazing animals(king penguin, elephant seal, seal, leopard seal, blue whale, albatross bird)

Seals have smooth skin and swim well. Seals hunt underwater and feed on fish, shrimp, and squid.

Penguins are birds, but they cannot fly, but they swim very well. Penguins walk awkwardly, waddling from side to side or hopping. Penguins eat fish.

Blue whale is the largest animal, up to 33 meters long. The blue whale has an elongated, slender body. The skin of a blue whale is quite smooth and even. Heart huge the animal weighs 800 kg. Whales feed on plankton. Whales release a fountain; the length of the fountain reaches a height of up to 10 m.

Albatross The largest seabird in Russia, its wingspan exceeds 2 meters. The birds are white, there is a yellow coating on the head and neck, the tops of the wings and the edges of the tail are black-brown. The beak and legs are light. Albatrosses feed on fish and shellfish.

Have you heard anything about icebergs? Icebergs are huge mountains of ice that broke away from the icy shores and were carried out to sea by the current. Iceberg shapes are the most amazing and bizarre: either a giant snow-white swan or a hilly island with wide valleys, or an island with high mountains, gorges, waterfalls and steep slopes. There are icebergs that look like a ship with wind-blown sails, a pyramid, or a beautiful castle with turrets.

Icebergs are very beautiful in sunny weather. They appear to be multi-colored.

How did these ice masses appear?

Sometimes off the coast Antarctica Huge heavy blocks of ice break off from the glacier and set off on a journey across the ocean. Most of the iceberg is also hidden under water. They float in the sea for 6-12 years, gradually melt and break up into smaller parts.

Are icebergs dangerous?

For whom?

Icebergs pose a great danger to ships. Thus, in 1912, the passenger ship Titanic sank after colliding with an iceberg. You've probably heard of him? Many people died. Since then, the International Ice Patrol has been monitoring the movement of icebergs and warning ships of the danger.

What happens to these pieces of ice? Float or sink (children's answers.)-

Today you learned a lot of new and interesting things. What do you particularly remember and like? (children's answers)

(To secure the material)

Guys, let's remember with you:

What are the names of the islands of the Arctic Ocean? (Arctic)

What is the name of the land in the extreme south of the globe? (Antarctica)

What bird can't fly? (Penguin)

What does a polar bear eat? (Fish, walruses, seals)

Why don't walruses freeze in cold water? (Because walruses have a lot of fat)

Well done boys, : Guys, I really liked how you listened carefully today, remembered, and answered questions. This is our class is over, thank you for your attention.

(If there is time left, you can invite the children to watch an interesting cartoon from Aunt Owl about Arctic and Antarctic.)

It is home to some plant species that have adapted to the natural conditions of the icy continent. Many species of algae and bryophytes are found here, but vascular plants also grow among them. Below are unique Antarctic plants that are found in this isolated ecosystem.

Kerguelen cabbage

This plant resembles regular cabbage in appearance and belongs to the cabbage family. The specific name is due to the fact that Kerguelen cabbage was first discovered on the island of Kerguelen.

But it is also found on other remote islands, including those near Antarctica. These locations include McDonald, Prince Edward and Marion Islands.

Unlike other plants that require insect pollination, Kerguelen cabbage is unique in that it can self-pollinate. It was this feature that allowed it to take root on the windy islands of Antarctica.

Lyallia kerguelensensis

This low-growing perennial grass from the Montiaceae family is the only vascular plant of Antarctica. It is well adapted to survive in very cold climates.

Lyallia Kerguelen can be wind-pollinated and self-pollinate. This hardy plant can grow in harsh conditions for at least 16 years.

Antarctic meadow grass

This herbaceous plant of Antarctica is one of two flowering species that grow in the harsh conditions of the snowy continent. The plant blooms during the summer, growing well over a wide area as the air temperature rises.

This perennial plant, withering, acquires a yellowish-white color. It is also a self-pollinating species, and its seeds are formed in the summer. The plant is covered with small ice crystals during particularly extreme cold, which prevents damage to its cells.

Colobanthus Quito

It is the second flowering plant in Antarctica and produces beautiful yellow moss-like flowers. It is also called the “Antarctic pearl”.

Colobanthus Quito grows in areas with high rainfall and a temperate climate. This plant is mainly distributed in the northern and western regions of Antarctica.

Mosses of Antarctica

Other flora found in Antarctica include varieties of moss.

Sarconeurum glaciale is a species of moss native to Ross Island and South Victoria.

Schistidium Antarctica is a moss that is yellowish-green in the upper layers and brown-black in the lower layers. It grows in compact groups both on soil and on bare rocks. This type of Antarctic moss is most common on the Wilkes Land islands.

If it grows in places with high humidity, it can form a creeping “carpet”. If the soil is dry, then this moss takes on a short “cushion” appearance. It grows abundantly on Signy Island and other areas of northern Antarctica. Each capsule of this moss releases from 250 to 520 spores.

Grimmia antarctici is a species of moss that is native to the Windmill Islands. It is found in uniced areas, mainly in the northern part of the peninsula. A curious fact is that the highest carbon dioxide content was recorded near this type of moss.

Antarctica's plants are not in danger of extinction as a result of human activity or environmental threats. But global warming, Antarctic tourism and general air pollution in the atmosphere are not having the best effect on the flora of Antarctica.

Animals of Antarctica represent a unique and inimitable fauna of the southern hemisphere. There is nothing like it anywhere else on the planet. Even the animals of the Arctic bear little resemblance to their distant southern counterparts. There are no four-legged predators living in the vast Antarctic region. This is the world of pinnipeds, marine mammals and huge southern birds.

Antarctica itself is practically uninhabited. Its vast territories are almost completely lifeless and bound by eternal ice. Life glimmers only in the coastal strip and on the Antarctic Peninsula. The islands surrounding the southern mainland are also unsuitable for normal life. Only birds and seals can exist on them, capable of obtaining food for themselves in the sea. It is these amazing inhabitants of Antarctica that we will talk about.

Birds

The most remarkable bird of Antarctica is undoubtedly the penguin. He can't fly, but he walks like a man. There are many types of penguins. Biggest - emperor penguin. His height reaches the height of an adult. It is 160 cm, and the weight of this bird reaches 60 kg. His closest relative king penguin grows up to a meter. These two birds are very similar to each other. Fabulous And chinstrap penguins smaller - their height reaches 70 cm. They have a peculiar appearance crested penguin, having an original crest on the head. The most numerous of these birds are Adelie penguins, and the smallest - little penguins. They grow up to 50 cm in height, and their weight does not exceed 3 kg.

Animals of Antarctica are also famous for such birds as albatrosses. These are giants: their wingspan exceeds 3 meters, and their body length reaches 130 cm. They are eternal wanderers, plowing the endless expanses of air in the Southern Ocean. The skua does not lag behind the albatross. He also loves to travel and even flies far to the north, crossing the equator. This bird often takes fish from its smaller brothers. She may also feast on other people's chicks if their parents are not nearby.

It is impossible not to say a few words about petrel, which is rightly called the southern giant petrel. He is slightly smaller in size than the albatross and never refuses to try the carcasses of seals and penguins. That is, it is a real predator that feeds on carrion. A very beautiful snow-white bird also lives in Antarctica. It is called the snow petrel, and it breeds its chicks on an icy continent 500 km from the coast.

For seals, Antarctica is their home. The largest of them is the southern elephant seal. Its body length is more than 5 meters, and its weight reaches two and a half tons. The male has a peculiar leather fold on his muzzle. It somewhat resembles an elephant's trunk. Thanks to this formation, the animal got its name. The harsh Antarctic ice is home to the Weddell seal. This is a calm large animal that does not like to travel. In winter, it does not migrate to warm regions, but remains off the coast of the icy continent. The seal spends the entire cold season in the water, and gnaws a hole in the ice through which it breathes, periodically appearing above the water surface. But the crabeater seal is a real traveler. In winter, he makes himself comfortable on an ice floe and floats as far north as possible, waiting in warmer climes for the end of the cold weather.

Among the clumsy and good-natured seals there is also a dangerous predator. His name is Leopard Sea. It reaches 4 meters in length and weighs about half a ton. He attacks both penguins and his fellow seals. Antarctic animals are in constant tension and fear, as the predator has great strength and agility. In water, a leopard seal reaches a speed of 40 km/h, that is, it swims as fast as a killer whale. He has powerful jaws with long fangs, with which he tears the skins of his victims.

But the Ross seal is the complete opposite. It lives in inaccessible areas of the southern region, never offends anyone, and very little is known about it. This animal is prone to vocals. It is capable of producing loud melodic sounds, somewhat reminiscent of a musical melody. A distant relative of real seals, the Antarctic fur seal, has also found refuge in the Antarctic region. This is an eared seal. He chose the islands closest to Antarctica as his habitat. In the summer, the animal makes rookeries on rocky shores, and spends the winter months in the Southern Ocean, moving north - closer to the warmth.

Cetaceans

Antarctic waters have been chosen by the largest living creature on the planet - the blue whale. The length of its body reaches 30 meters, and its weight is 150 tons. This mighty mammal navigates the vast waters of the Southern Ocean like a huge ocean liner. During the cold winter months, it moves north and ends up in the latitudes of Australia and Madagascar. But in the spring it hurries south to fully enjoy the pleasant coolness of Antarctic waters.

The humpback whale also lives in the Southern Ocean - humpback whale. It is half the length of the blue whale and weighs five times less. But its size is still impressive, and its violent temper forces people to behave more carefully if they find themselves dangerously close to this mammal.

The ubiquitous killer whale is also a regular in Antarctic waters. It represents the most formidable and powerful predator in this region. Both whales and seals suffer from it. But Antarctic animals suffer much greater damage from human predatory activities. For the last 200 years, he has mercilessly and purposefully exterminated the rich fauna of the cold south. The result was not long in coming. Many species are on the verge of extinction. Nowadays, thanks to laws and prohibitions aimed at saving animals, the situation is slowly but steadily improving.

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Severe and regal, mysterious and alluring, Antarctica has a very limited species diversity of fauna. However, even in the extreme climatic conditions of Antarctica, some animals feel excellent.

Representatives of the local fauna inhabit the coastal strip of the mainland and live in coastal waters.

Terrestrial animals of Antarctica are leopard seals, crabeater seals, elephant seals, 17 species of penguins (Adélie penguins, emperor penguins and others), two species of skuas and several species of petrels. Nematodes live in the soil, and up to 70 species of arthropods, including arachnids and insects, can be found on the surface.

Leopard seal- a species of seal whose habitat is the sub-Antarctic regions of the Southern Ocean. Male leopard seals reach a length of 3 meters and weigh approximately 270 kg, and females grow up to 4 meters and have a body weight of up to 0.4 tons. The animals' body has a smooth, streamlined shape, making it possible to glide unhindered through ocean waters at speeds of up to 40 km/h. The diet of these animals includes warm-blooded vertebrates, including young seals and penguins.

Crabeater seal- a species characteristic of Antarctica, characterized by large numbers. The body length of an adult seal is on average 2-2.5 m, females and males are almost identical in appearance to each other, and both of them go through a molting process every year in early spring, changing the color of their fur from silver-gray to grayish-brown. a few light spots. The food for these seals is small crustaceans.

Adélie Penguins- typically Antarctic birds, in whose nests there are up to 700 thousand individuals. These penguins make up 2/3 of all birds in Antarctica. They spend most of their lives in the ocean, and come ashore only during the nesting period. Penguins are called birds only conditionally - they cannot fly, but they can swim very well at speeds of up to 20 km/h. Almost the entire body of Adele is covered with waterproof feathers, and under the skin there is a thick layer of fat that protects from severe frosts. Adélie penguins feed exclusively on krill, cephalopods, mollusks and small fish. The daily amount of food eaten for an adult reaches 2 kg.

Emperor Penguins- the largest penguins currently living on Earth, reaching 1.3 m in length and weighing up to 45 kg. These birds have rounded shapes, disproportionately small heads and legs. The body color is black and white: black plumage on the back and white on the chest is the birds’ natural protection from enemies. Emperor penguins have yellow-orange patches of plumage on their cheeks and below their necks. Penguins spend most of the year on drifting ice floes and in the sea, but during mating they return to the mainland. The main food of emperor penguins is krill, shellfish and fish, which they hunt in groups.

King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonica)

Lives further north, in warmer places. Breeding colonies are located on the islands of South Georgia, Kerguelen, Marion, Crozet and Macquarie.
Body length is 91-96 cm. Colonies are located on hard rocky soil. Reproduction occurs in summer: eggs are laid mainly in December - January. Each female lays only 1 large egg. Both parents incubate alternately. Incubation duration 54 days

Rockhopper penguin or rock climber penguin, rock penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome)

It lives on the rocky islands of the subantarctic region, but is sometimes found further north, on the southern tip of Africa and South America, as well as on the southern coast of New Zealand.
Reaches 45-58 cm in height, weight 2-3 kg.

It nests in large colonies on the barren and very harsh islands of Tristanda Cunha and Heard Island. In a noisy and crowded colony, the small first egg is usually lost in quarrels with neighbors. The chicks go to the nursery, but return to the nest when their parents call them to feed them. The chicks grow quickly and at the age of 10 weeks are ready to go to sea.

Victoria penguin or crested thick-billed penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus)

It nests only on the rocky, creviced coast of South Island in New Zealand, as well as on two small offshore islands - Stuart and Solander.
Reaches 60 cm in length, weighing about 3 kg.

Golden-haired penguins (eng. Macaroni Penguin) – Colonially nesting near Antarctica, low (up to 76 cm) penguins have a tuft of golden-yellow feathers above their eyes.

Little penguin, elf penguin, little blue penguin, little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor)

It stays off the southern coast of Australia, along the coasts of Tasmania, New Zealand and Chatham Island.
It has a body length of only 40 cm. Usually lays 1-2, sometimes 3 eggs.

Chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica)

It lives mainly on the barren islands of the subantarctic region.
It reaches a height of 71-76 cm and weighs 4 kg.
These penguins are quite aggressive. There are known cases of these birds attacking people approaching the colony. Unlike other species, they feed both their chicks.

Giant petrels

birds nesting on Antarctic islands, feeding on marine animals and sometimes young penguins. The size of the wings of these birds reaches half a meter. Scientists have found out that petrels, using the power of a tailwind, are able to fly around the entire planet and return to their nesting place.

Great Skuas

Closest relatives of seagulls. Their wings reach 40 cm in length, but they walk on the ground as well as they fly. Skuas feed on fish, small animals and birds, and can also be content with carrion.

Skuas are bandits, and that's all. There are four types of them, and all of them - some more, some less - commit robbery. Eggs and chicks are stolen from neighbors. Penguins are especially affected by great skuas. Great skuas, which are as tall as a large herring gull, use their strong beaks to kill even adult birds that they can overpower.

New Year's greetings from penguins