Top Ten Animals in Antarctica

The famous emperor penguin is the largest penguin species in the world and unique to Antarctica. They live in all coastal areas of this continent and often huddle together to avoid the cold wind. The female lays an egg every year, and the male takes care of it until it hatches. Emperor penguins can reach 39 to 47 inches in height and weigh about 49 to 99 pounds. Speaking of appearance, its head and back are black, however, its abdomen is white, its chest is light yellow and its ears are yellow.

Feather is a waterproof and thick layer of fat, which ensures that it can survive in the harsh environment of MINUS 60 degrees Celsius. The average life span of emperor penguins in the wild is about 15 to 20 years, and they have the ability to search for food deeply, such as small fish, crustaceans and krill.

2. Giant squid

This fascinating Antarctic animal is also one of the mysterious animals that have not been thoroughly studied in the world. It is the largest squid species in the world and can only be found in deep water. Legend has it that this animal is bloodthirsty. It mainly appears in cold waters, mostly in Antarctica and New Zealand, but sometimes in Africa. Giant squid is one of the species bred by male penis, and the courtship mode of this squid is also unknown.

3. Penguins in hats

This is the second largest number of penguins, 1 1 ten thousand. Living near the coastal area, I spend a lot of time looking for food in the water. In winter, they move to bigger icebergs and nest on rocks and land. It can reach 28 to 30 inches in height and weigh about 6.5 to 10 pounds. However, male penguins are taller and heavier than female penguins. Speaking of appearance, it has dense waterproof feathers, blue-black feathers on its head and back, and white feathers on its front abdomen. It has webbed feet and is pink.

4. crabs-eating seals

One of the most abundant animals found in Antarctica, with the number exceeding150,000. They are also the most abundant mammals in the world after humans. They live on the ice accumulated in the Antarctic ocean, where they breed and feed, and do not migrate. In search of food, these seals can dive to a depth of 250 meters. They usually eat at night, spend about 8- 10 hours feeding, and dive more than 100 times.

5. elephant seal

This Antarctic animal is the largest seal species found on the mainland, and its nose is similar in shape to that of an elephant. They can grow to 6 feet long and weigh more than 2 tons. They are social animals, feeding together and breeding together. Males compete with each other to get the perfect mate and beat their competitors with their strong bodies. They are very good at storing energy and can survive for up to two months without any food. People can see that they live in water 2000 meters deep and can hold their breath for two hours. In fact, only 2-3% of male elephant seals can breed.

6. Dark striped dolphins

The youngest member of the dolphin family is only 2 meters long. Living in the colder waters of the Southern Ocean is the most common in Antarctica. Migrate at night, look for food, hunt in groups. The group size may be between 20 and 25 people, and group behavior has a great influence on individual members.

7. Black whale

Also known as killer whales, you can learn more about why killer whales are called killer whales. They live in the cold seas in the north and south and look for food every year. Black whales are very social animals, and the groups they live in affect their behavior, hunting habits and foraging patterns. Usually hunting seals, fish and penguins, the current number is about 50 thousand, but it is threatened by climate change.

8. Wandering albatross

This bird is one of the fascinating Antarctic animals. Because it has the largest wingspan, it is listed as the largest bird in the world. Living on an island in Antarctica, with a wingspan of 2.5 to 3.5 meters. These birds spend most of their lives flying and rarely return to the ground. With their huge wings, they can glide in the wind for hours and look for food together. Only lay one egg a year, and take good care of it. Another interesting fact is that they can survive in seawater.

9. Antarctic skua

These birds are wide-winged birds found on the Antarctic coast and live near the high seas. Migrating to the North Pacific in winter, they use the same nest all their lives. They are monogamous, brown and gray in appearance, with big wings and very powerful flying ability.

10, Antarctic minke whale

Until recently, this whale was considered as a subspecies of the common minke whale, but it was classified as a separate species because of its subtle differences in size and color. Found in the Antarctic region, some migrate, Xia Dong has different feeding grounds in two seasons, while others choose to stay in the Antarctic all the year round.