What are Polar Animals? ‒ Polar Region Animals
The word “polar” means an area of or near the North Pole or South Pole. Polar region animals are found in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Here, the Arctic region is a polar region located at the northernmost part of the Earth. However, the Antarctic continent is the fifth-largest and the Earth’s southernmost continent that is situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole.
Polar animals are found in both of these regions and the category of each animal varies in these two. We will discuss the polar animals' names in both the Arctic and the Antarctic circle separately along with their appearance.
What are the Arctic Regions?
Talking about the Arctic region, it has the following salient features:
The Arctic is featured in cold winters and cool summers.
The precipitation mostly comes in the form of snow and is low, with most of the area receiving less than 50 cm (20 in).
High winds help in stirring up snow, thereby creating the illusion of continuous snowfall.
Average winter temperatures can go as low as − 40°C (− 40°F), and the coldest average temperature goes around − 68°C (− 90°F).
Lastly, coastal Arctic climates are lessened by oceanic influences, having generally warmer temperatures and heavier snow falls than the colder and drier interior areas.
The Arctic regions comprise the following:
The Arctic Ocean,
Adjacent seas,
Parts of Alaska (United States),
Canada,
Finland,
Greenland (Denmark),
Iceland,
Norway,
Russia, and
Sweden.
Land within this region has seasonally varying snow and ice cover, with mainly treeless permafrost (permanently frozen underground ice) containing tundra.
Polar Animals in the Arctic Circle
Below is a list of the Arctic Animals that are predominant in the Arctic Circle:
What Are the Antarctic Regions?
The Antarctica Circle is on average the coldest, driest, and windiest of all the continents and has the highest average elevation. It has the following salient features:
The region is mainly a polar desert, with annual precipitation of 200 mm (8 in) along the coast and far less inland.
About 70% of the world's freshwater reserves are frozen there, which if melted would raise global sea levels by over 60 metres (200 ft).
The Antarctic Circle holds the record for the lowest measured temperature on Earth, which is around − 89.2 °C (−128.6 °F).
Native species of animals include mites, nematodes, penguins, seals, and tardigrades. Vegetation consists of tundra.
Countries in the the Antarctic Region
The countries in the Antarctic region are given below:
Argentina,
Australia,
Belgium,
Chile,
France,
Japan,
New Zealand,
Norway,
South Africa,
The U.S.S.R. (Russia),
The United Kingdom, and
The United States
Antarctic Circle Animals List ‒ South Pole
The table below shows the polar animals found in the Antarctic region of the South Pole.
This was all about the names of countries in the Arctic and the Antarctic regions. Also, we studied the various polar animal names in both of these regions separately. Going through the table, you can see the names along with their appearances. See how many you know or can identify. If you wish to read more information about such interesting topics, check out the plethora of articles for kids on our website.
FAQs on Polar Animals ‒ Exploring the Facts of Arctic and Antarctica Animals
1. What animals live in Antarctica?
The most plentiful and renowned animals from the southern continent incorporate the following:
Penguins,
Whales seals,
albatrosses,
Other seabirds, and
a variety of invertebrates such as krill that form the basis of the Antarctic food web.
2. Can humans stay in Antarctica permanently?
Well, staying permanently in Antarctica is still a question today because it is a continent with no permanent human habitation. However, there are human settlements for people such as scientists who live for a part of the year on a rotational basis.
