10.03.2014
Incredibly harsh climatic conditions ice continent, low temperatures and stormy winds put the animals of this region on the brink of survival, but life exists here in all its diversity. Animal world This continent has no analogues in the world; only a few species of fauna can survive in such peculiar conditions.
The most common animals on the mainland are penguins. And the largest among its relatives is the emperor penguin, weighing up to 45 kg, its height is 120 cm. In harsh winter, these birds nest along the shores of the continent. Colonies during nesting can number more than 10 thousand birds. Penguins spend a lot of time in the sea; water provides more comfortable conditions, constant temperature, lack of wind, and an abundance of food.
Penguins are very touching when it comes to choosing a partner and incubating and raising chicks. If a female accepts a gift from a male in the form of a pebble, she becomes his friend for life. The male takes on the difficult task of hatching a single egg, losing half of his weight in the process. In addition to large emperor penguins, Antarctica is home to Adélie penguins, king penguins, golden-throated penguins and Galapagos penguins.
The waters of Antarctica are home to the largest mammals currently existing on earth - whales. Among the baleen whales, fin whales, blue whales, and humpback whales are well studied and are objects of whaling. Measuring from 26 to 35 meters in length, the blue whale produces 20 tons of fat and weighs 160 tons. The diet of whales consists of small crustaceans, which Antarctic waters are rich in; at one time, the blue whale absorbs up to 1.5 meters of black-eyed crustaceans.
Among the toothed whales there are bottlenose whales, sperm whales and killer whales. The killer whale is a terrible predator that attacks seals, fur seals, sperm whales, sea lions and dolphins, and uses ambush tactics when hunting seals. Hunting for penguins, a group swims under an ice floe and knocks several individuals into the water, dealing with them with lightning speed.
The seal family is represented in Antarctica by several species. The most common are the Weddell seal, leopard seal, southern elephant seal, crabeater seal, Ross seal and Kerguelen fur seal. The leopard seal is a true ruthless Antarctic predator. He is the only seal that constantly feeds on large warm-blooded animals - penguins, waterfowl and other seal species. With a weight of up to 380 kg and a body length of up to 3.5 meters, amazing dexterity and varied hunting tactics, it has no equal among seal predators.
Among the birds most common off the coast of Antarctica are the giant petrel and the great skua. Also found are white plover, snow petrel, Arctic tern, and Cape pigeon. Among the ice of Antarctica there are also invertebrate animals; worms, freshwater mollusks, crustaceans, jellyfish, large Starfish, Antarctic octopus.
In Antarctica, as nowhere else, the famous thesis of the evolutionary process “survival of the fittest” is confirmed. Life here is a daily struggle for survival with predators and natural conditions. The animals of Antarctica, formidable to their enemies, are strong and undaunted, but at the same time very friendly and caring in their colony or flock.
Antarctica is the southernmost continent on the planet. Geographically, the South Pole is located in Antarctica. The continent is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. Antarctica has an area of 14,200,000 square kilometers which is twice as much.
98% of Antarctica's landmass is covered in ice, which in some places is up to 4.7 kilometers thick, so the crust covers almost all but the northernmost regions. The icy deserts of Antarctica are characterized by extremely low temperatures, intense solar radiation and incredible dryness.
Almost all precipitation falls in the form of snow and is limited to only a small area, approximately 300 kilometers from the coast. Some regions may receive as little as 50mm of rain per year.
Interesting fact: Antarctica is the least densely populated continent on Earth, with only 0.00008 people per square kilometer.
The lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth was recorded in Antarctica at the Antarctic Vostok station, located on the Polar Plateau - -89.4°C. Even in such harsh conditions there is life, but it is only possible for extremophiles.
Antarctica - geography The temperature in the Southern Ocean does not change much throughout the year - it is constantly within 1-2°C. In summer, ice covers 4,000,000 square kilometers of ocean. The continental shelf of Antarctica extends 60 kilometers long and 240 kilometers wide. The depth in these areas averages 500 meters. The bottom is a mixture of sand, mud and gravel.
The climate of the main part of Antarctica is very dry, but the western part of the continent and the sub-Antarctic islands are more suitable for life, so this is where the fauna blooms and develops. These areas can receive up to 900 mm of precipitation annually - it also sometimes rains there. The Northern Peninsula is the only place in Antarctica where summer temperatures can rise above 0°C. It is the humidity and temperature that make the subantarctic islands home to a wide variety of unique animals.
The main representatives of the Antarctic fauna are extrophiles, which have to adapt to extreme dryness and extremely low temperatures. The climatic severity of the main part of the continent contrasts strongly with the softness that characterizes the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands - they have warm temperatures and relatively high humidity. The waters of the Southern Ocean that surround Antarctica are mostly covered with ice. Sea spaces are a more stable environment for life, both in the water column and at the bottom.
The Antarctic fauna is not particularly diverse compared to other continents. Life on land is concentrated mainly in coastal areas. The birds nest in the most climatically favorable parts of the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. The ocean waters are home to 10 species of cetaceans. Terrestrial vertebrates, although not distinguished by their diversity, take in their quantity. A high density of vertebrate species also lives in the ocean.
No less than 235 marine species animals, ranging in size from whales and birds to small sea snails, sea cucumbers and mud-dwelling worms. Antarctic animals have adapted to reduce heat loss by often having natural warm windbreaks and large layers of fat.
Animals of Antarctica
Antarctica is not like other continents. It is covered with a layer of ice 2000-2500 m thick. The guillemots nesting here lay their eggs on a downy bedding and do not leave them for a second, warming them with their warmth. But the cold is far from the only inconvenience that the few local inhabitants have to put up with. Antarctica has very dry air, little precipitation, but there is pitch darkness for many months. There are no land inhabitants here at all, except for penguins. The life of almost all species of animals and birds in Antarctica is connected with the ocean - with the Antarctic water basins and partly with the marginal strip of the continent.
Antarctica is poor in land animals; there are no mammals on the mainland at all. Some worms, lower crustaceans and wingless insects are found. The absence of wings is caused by constantly blowing strong winds: Insects cannot fly into the air. On the Antarctic islands there are several species of beetles, spiders, freshwater mollusks, and one species of flightless butterfly. Freshwater fish No. Among the birds known are the white plover, the pipit, and one species of duck that nests on South Georgia Island.
But the waters of Antarctica are rich in marine and semi-terrestrial animal species. Of the invertebrate animals, crustaceans are especially numerous, serving as the main source of food for mammals, birds and fish. Among the mammals, pinnipeds and whales are numerous. Pinnipeds are represented by various types of seals. The most common is the Wedell seal, reaching a length of 3 m. It lives in a strip of motionless ice. Other species of seals are found on floating ice. The largest of the seals, the elephant seal, is currently heavily exterminated. Almost all seals feed on crustaceans, mollusks and fish, and the leopard seal destroys large quantities penguins.
The largest mammals, cetaceans, are represented by baleen and toothed whales. Among baleen whales, blue whales and humpback whales stand out. The largest whale is the blue or vomiting whale, reaching a length of 33 m. It is heavily exterminated. It has been under protection since 1967. Large whale produces up to 20 tons of pure fat and weighs up to 160 tons.
Toothed whales of the Antarctic include sperm whales, bottlenose whales and killer whales. Killer whales - the most dangerous predators, equipped with a large sharp dorsal fin - a kosach.
The birds of Antarctica are exceptionally unique. They all live near the water and feed on fish and small sea animals. The most remarkable are penguins - birds with short wings, similar to flippers, which enable them to swim beautifully. From a distance, penguins, with their upright body position, resemble humans. Adult penguins eat only in water and generally feel much better there than on land.
Many species of penguins settle on the northern border of Antarctica, on the coasts of the subantarctic islands. These include the Sclater penguin, the golden-crested penguin, and the small Adélie penguin.
IN summer time Petrels, gulls, and cormorants fly to Antarctica. The largest of them are albatrosses, their wingspan reaches 3.5 m.
Some petrels fly farther inland than any other bird and live in isolated protruding areas not covered with ice and snow.
In summer, coastal cliffs and islands are covered with nesting sites of numerous varieties of petrels - gray, white, as well as Cape pigeons, storm petrels, and skuas.
Flying birds nest on rocks, forming colonies similar to bird colonies.
Seals
COMMON SEALS (true seals, family Phocidae) are well adapted to life in cold seas: their entire body, including a short tail and flippers, is covered with thick, coarse hair that protects them from icy water, wind, snow and ice. Under the skin there is a thick layer of fat.
Seals have no auricles at all. In their place, only a small hole is noticeable on each side of the head. But these animals are not deaf, and some of them even have good hearing, especially in water. The hind limbs are extended back, do not bend or tuck under the body, like those of eared seals, so they are not used when moving on land. On the front flippers, which serve mainly as rudders in the water, five fingers connected by membranes are clearly visible.
The harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) is often found in sea shores temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It never swims far from land and sometimes settles in fresh lakes and large rivers.
This is a relatively small animal. The body length of an adult seal is approximately 1.5 m and weight is 45 kg. The head is round, the eyes are large, the muzzle is as if chopped off, the body is stocky, with a short neck. The color varies from yellowish-gray with dark brown spots to almost black with white spots.
The harbor seal does not form large colonies, it spends more time on the shore than other seals, and cannot sleep in the water. Families consisting of a male, several females and their young of different ages, often use the same place for overnight stays, which becomes their group territory. These are very friendly animals that are easy to tame.
Cubs (sometimes twins) are born in early spring. Newborns of the Far Eastern form are covered with fluffy white fur that lasts for 3–4 weeks (the pup stage). In other forms, this fur sheds immediately, sometimes even before birth. The baby's cry resembles the bleating of a lamb. His mother feeds him for about 5 weeks, after which he learns to forage for food himself. The harbor seal feeds on fish, as well as squid and octopus.
Seals live along the Atlantic coasts from southern New Jersey and the northern Mediterranean to the border polar ice, and along the Far Eastern and American coasts Pacific Ocean– from Kamchatka in the north to Baja California in the south. Seals include fur seals, sea lions, seals, elephant seals and walruses. Seals are mammals, and they are intermediate between typical mammals such as cows or dogs, and marine mammals what whales are.
Indeed, seals are descended from land mammals that once had to adapt to life in the water. They did not have to live in the water as long as whales, and as a result they were not as well adapted to life in the water.
Seals cannot live underwater permanently. In addition, they give birth on land. In most cases, seal mothers have to teach their babies to swim! Therefore, it is obvious that seals are at an intermediate level between land and sea mammals.
As they adapted to life in the water, certain changes occurred to them. So, they developed webbed hind limbs and fins. They also acquired a thick layer subcutaneous fat, which protected them from hypothermia. Over time, the ears decreased in size or disappeared completely to reduce the resistance of water when moving. And they began to eat sea food - octopuses and fish.
Although nature has largely adapted seals to exist in the water, they also have to spend a lot of time on land. They like to bask in the sun or sleep on the shore or on an ice floe. They crawl on the ground or pull their bodies up with their fins.
In the United States, the most famous species are California sea lions. They are active and smart. They can be taught to juggle a ball on the tip of their nose without much difficulty.
The habits of seals make them easy prey for humans. This especially applies to the feeding season of young animals, when it is very easy to get to them along the shore or along an ice floe. For many centuries, Eskimos have used seals for food, for making clothing, for extracting oil for cooking and for lighting.
SOUTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL - one of the largest seals: 5.5 m in length and weighing 2.5 tons. It has more subcutaneous fat than meat. When he moves on land, his body shakes like jelly. On the top of the elephant seal's face is a leathery sac.
The leopard seal is found in the cold waters of Antarctica more often than other seals. It has a long body, up to 3.5 m, and a small head, similar to a snake. The layer of fat on this animal is thinner than that of other seals from the same region.
SEAL UDELLA — large animal, up to 3 m in length. It is found quite often off the coast of Antarctica. He has short, hard hair without undercoat, and a layer of fat under the skin - up to 7 cm. Fat accounts for almost a third of the weight of the entire body! Weddell seals do not leave the coast of Antarctica even in winter.
ROSS SEAL - inhabitant of the Antarctic seas. It is found very rarely and in places where it is difficult for humans to reach. Stays alone on the ice. This is a very fat, clumsy beast. His neck is short and completely folded - he can completely pull his head into it. Screams loudly and melodiously. He is not afraid of people and allows him to come close. It feeds on squid, octopuses, other cephalopods, and crustaceans.
CRAB-EATING SEAL typical for Antarctica. It is up to 2 m long and adheres to floating ice floes almost the entire year. Only in summer, when the ice melts, can you see crabeater rookeries on the shore. They are very agile and, escaping from killer whales, jump out of the water onto high ice floes. These seals feed on crustaceans. Their teeth form a kind of sieve, which allows water to pass through and trap prey.
Penguins
There are 17 species of these birds, and they all live in cold waters Southern Hemisphere. Not only in Antarctica, but not on the coast either South America(Humboldt penguins, Magellanic penguins), Australia (small and white-winged) and even southern Africa (donkey, or spectacled, penguin), where cold currents pass. Only the Galapagos penguin, which lives on the equator, penetrated into the Northern Hemisphere, probably following the cold Peruvian Current.
Penguins spend three quarters of their lives in water. They are excellent swimmers, their wings look like flippers, and their feathers look like long scales. In the snow, birds can lie on their bellies and slide, pushing off with their wings and paws. Despite their external clumsiness, they walk tens of kilometers, climb rocks and piles of ice.
An indigenous inhabitant of Antarctica - EMPEROR PENGUIN. This strange creature manages to feel comfortable on the winter polar night, during incessant snow storms and hurricane winds, at an air temperature of -60 C! The chicks hatch in July, in the midst of the Antarctic winter, in complete darkness. But it will only warm up the summer! December sunshine, penguins leave the coast for the sea to stock up on fat for next winter.
Penguins do not have many enemies, but they wait for birds both on land and at sea. In the water these are sharks, killer whales, seals - leopards - birds escape from them by jumping out on ice or stones in time. On the shore, eggs and chicks are carried by skuas and petrels. If you are very unlucky, then some stray dog or rat will kill the cub. On continents, where there are predators, penguins make nests in shelters, and on islands they settle openly. Adult penguins sometimes become victims of poachers, and although the bird knocks a person down with a blow from its flippers, it cannot resist armed people.
GALAPAGOS PENGUIN lives north of the other penguins, in the tropics. In the coldest time of the year, the penguin lays two eggs on the island, in a rock crevice.
GOLDEN-HAIRED PENGUIN got its name from the tuft of golden-yellow feathers above its eyes. It is easy to recognize him by this crest. It grows up to 76 cm. It is found in the southern part of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. It nests on islands near Antarctica. Colonies number up to 60 thousand birds.
ADELIE PENGUINS the most numerous among relatives. They are 80 cm tall, extremely mobile, fussy and curious. They nest on the coast of Antarctica and nearby islands, in places where storm winds blow away snow and expose the soil. There are up to half a million birds in the colonies.
ROYAL PENGUIN lives north of Antarctica, in more warm waters. It is similar to the largest among penguins - the emperor, but is brighter in color and smaller: about 90 cm tall. It nests on islands among the rocks. Breeds in summer. The egg is held on the paws, covered with the abdominal fold. Both parents incubate it alternately.
Whales and sperm whales
BLUE WHALE refers to baleen whales. This is the largest animal on Earth. The length of his body is up to 33 m! Weight - 150 tons: heavier than 50 African elephants. Heart of a large blue whale weighs more than half a ton. However, this giant, like all baleen whales, feeds on plankton - small crustaceans and other tiny sea creatures. Instead of teeth, baleen whales have a giant sieve in their mouths called baleen. It consists of 140 pairs of horny triangular plates. The base of the plate is fixed in the whale's gum so that one side of it faces outward, and the other faces inside the oral cavity. This second side is fringed. The whale, having captured water in its mouth, with the help of a huge 3-ton tongue, squeezes it out through the whalebone, like through a sieve. Plankton crustaceans get stuck in the fringe, and the whale swallows them. The stomach of a blue whale can hold up to 2 tons of crustaceans! When a whale emerges from the water to exhale and inhale, it releases a fountain up to 12 m high. On the surface of the water, the blue whale is calm and slow, but under water it can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h. Blue whales swim alone or in pairs.
SPERM WHALE swims in all oceans except the Arctic. This is a large toothed whale, up to 20 m long. Its head is huge: a third of the whole body. There are up to 60 teeth on the lower jaw. The sperm whale feeds on fish, squid, and octopuses: it grabs them with its teeth and pushes them down its throat with its colossal tongue. In pursuit of prey, it dives to a depth of 2 km! A sperm whale can stay underwater without air for an hour and a half: it only has enough reserves, which it grabs from the surface before diving. If a sperm whale is excited, it jumps out of the water completely, falls back with a deafening splash and hits the water with its tail. Sperm whales navigate well under water. They have excellent hearing, and the sounds they emit return to them, like an echo reflected from an obstacle. The mother gives birth to one sperm whale every three years, in warm waters. From the first day, a baby weighing about a ton swims next to her. He grows slowly, and his mother for a long time as if towing it - in this case, the cub spends less energy on overcoming the aquatic environment.
ALBATROSS feels equally good both on water and in the air. It can only take off from the crest of a wave or from a coastal slope. Walks poorly on the ground. Gliding easily and for a long time over the ocean, albatrosses look out for prey: fish, squid, octopuses. They often accompany ships and feed on garbage around them. These birds are constantly on the move. The largest of their family are called wandering. They have a wingspan of more than 4 m, and they themselves are the size of a swan. Albatrosses nest in flocks on small uninhabited islands in the Southern Hemisphere. To attract a friend, they organize dances: they take fancy poses, scream loudly, and rub their beaks. All albatrosses have one egg in their clutch. Both parents incubate him in turn, for a very long time. Wandering albatross chicks, having hatched, do not leave the nest for another 8-9 months. And in dark-backed albatrosses they are covered with down for up to four months, although they are already as tall as their parents. Only two months later, when the chicks fledge, the whole family flies off the island.
NORTHERN WILSON'S PETCHER - a relative of petrels, it is the size of a swallow, weighs 40 g. It has webbed feet: the bird swims well. It feeds on various sea crustaceans and mollusks. Then she flies low over the water, fluttering her wings: she lifts them up a little - and grabs prey from the surface! Otherwise it looks for food afloat, with its head in the water. The storm petrel walks clumsily on the ground. Another thing is in flight: here it is light and swift. Storm petrels nest in colonies in rocks. There is one egg in the clutch. Both parents incubate it, replacing each other every four days.
GREAT SKUA - a relative of the seagull. It flies well, accelerating and decelerating easily. It can stop in place, flutter its wings, quickly turn and fall like a stone on its prey. The wing length of the great skua is about 40 cm. It spends its life wandering in the ocean. Robbery - takes prey (mostly fish) from other birds. Catches both small birds and small animals. Doesn't disdain garbage. When the time comes to have chicks, large colonies of skuas gather on islands and sea coasts. The nest of a pair of birds is a small hole in the soil. There are two eggs in the clutch. They are incubated by both parents. The hatched chicks leave the nest after a week. Like adult skuas, they walk well on land.
GIANT STORMER nests on islands near Antarctica. It feeds on sea animals. Sometimes he goes robber: he kills penguins and storm petrels. Its wings are up to 50 cm long. During its migrations it reaches the Southern Tropic. Sometimes, using wind energy, it flies around the globe.
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:
Strengthen children's knowledge about various climatic zones the globe and their features;
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)
Pay attention to White color. 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 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 ice water, they have membranes between their toes, and each paw has 5 long claws to prevent them from slipping on the ice. The bear has warm, thick fur, can build a den out of snow, white fur makes it invisible in the snow, feeds on 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.
At Krachek's 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 Indian Ocean. Temperatures in winter are from -60* to – 70*, and in summer from -30* to – 40*, On the coast Antarctica the 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.)
Antarctica is the coldest continent. However, the animal and vegetable world, although sparsely, is presented and has its own magical beauty! So what animals live in Antarctica?
Features of the animal world of Antarctica
Due to the harsh living conditions on the mainland, there are not many species of wildlife. Most of them are migratory, that is, when cold weather sets in, they move to a warmer area. The living world is connected to the oceans and only a little to the coast. Completely land dwellers cannot be found here. The waters are rich in plankton - a food source for cetaceans (blue whale, fin whale, sperm whales, killer whale), pinnipeds (seals, elephant seals), fish, and birds.
Mammals of Antarctica
The order of mammals includes cetaceans, which include whales, porpoises, and dolphins. Yes, yes, whales are not fish at all, but representatives of mammals, like humans. They feed their baby milk for more than six months.
Most famous representative cetaceans in Antarctica - blue whale. This animal, living in the waters of the Southern Ocean (southern borders of the Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Oceans), is the largest inhabitant on Earth. The length of its body is on average 25 meters, but can reach 40 meters. The weight of this giant ranges from 100 to 120 tons.
Rice. 1. Blue whale in Antarctica.
The fin whale is also a cetacean. This large animal of Antarctica ranks second after the blue whale in size. Its weight can reach 70 tons.
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Common in Antarctica different kinds seals: Weddell seals, crabeater seals, elephant seals. The Weddell seal lives on ice and weighs 400-450 kg. This animal feeds mainly on fish and also squid. It is quite difficult to calculate the population of this type of seal, since they live in places where it is difficult for humans to get close.
The crabeater seal, despite its name, does not eat crabs. Their diet includes Antarctic krill, fish and squid.
The largest seal is the elephant seal. Its weight can vary from 1.5 to 3.5 tons.
The largest predator in Antarctica is the leopard seal. It gets its name from the spots all over its body, which are very similar to the spots of a real leopard. This animal is unique in that it is an omnivore; it can eat any animal it can kill.
Birds of Antarctica
The most important bird of Antarctica that is associated with this continent is the penguin. Several species of this interesting bird live in Antarctica. The most major representative bird on planet earth is the emperor penguin. its height can reach 122 cm. Their habitat is cliffs and rocks, where they live in large colonies.
The emperor penguin is endemic to Antarctica, meaning these animals live exclusively in the South Pole and are not found anywhere else.
Rice. 2. Emperor penguin.
The king penguin also lives in Antarctica. This is also a fairly large species, but it is inferior in size to the emperor penguin. His maximum height is 100 cm and weight is 18 kg. from emperor penguin In addition to their size, these penguins are distinguished by their bright and colorful plumage. The main food is fish and squid.
Subantarctic penguin - another inhabitant natural world"cold continent" Its second name is Gentoo penguin. These birds are easily distinguished from other penguin species by their orange-red beak. In addition, the Gentoo penguin has the longest tail compared to other penguins.
The snow petrel is a bird of extraordinary beauty that lives on the continent. This bird has white plumage with a black beak and black eyes. It feeds on crustaceans, Antarctic krill, and squid. They prefer to create nests on rocky mountains.
The giant petrel is a bird that is not similar in appearance to the snow petrel. Its plumage is gray, it feeds on fish, and sometimes can even hunt penguins.
Among the birds one can also distinguish the Antarctic blue-eyed cormorant, white plover, and wandering albatross.
Other animals
Antarctic krill are widespread in the Southern Ocean. This is a tiny crustacean that is the main food source for most mammals, fish and birds in Antarctica. Its length is 6 cm, weight – 2 grams, and life expectancy – up to 6 years.
Rice. 3. Antarctic krill.
There is only one species of flightless insect in Antarctica. This is Belgica Antarctica, which is a black insect. The black color helps to accumulate heat, and thus survive in sub-zero temperatures. Maximum temperature which the insect can withstand is -15 degrees.
What have we learned?
The list of Antarctica's fauna includes mammals, birds, marine life and even insects. The article gives brief information about the most common animals of the continent. This material can be used when writing a report for children for 1st grade.
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