Animals In Antarctica - South Polar

Animals in Antarctica - Penguins, whales seals, albatrosses, other seabirds and invertebrates such as krill, the basis of the Antarctic food web. Most south polar animals are seasonal visitors and tied to the sea, conditions are just too hard in the winter.

Antarctica has an abundance of animal life including the charismatic mega fauna that you have seen pictures and videos of, though you may be surprised to find that they live far more interesting and complex lives than you imagine. Almost all of these animals are dependent on the sea, the largest truly land animal is a wingless midge about 13mm / 0.5 of an inch long. Being dependent on the sea and mainly warm blooded, many Antarctic animals tend to be quite large for survival in the extreme and relentless cold. That Antarctica can support such an abundance of large animals is a result of the productivity of the southern polar sea.

Penguins

Emperor penguinsAptenodytes forsteri

King PenguinsAptenodytes patagonica

Adelie penguinPygoscelis adeliae

Chinstrap penguin Pygoscelis antarctica

Gentoo penguinPygoscelis papua

Whales and Seals

Whale speciesSpecies and lifestyle

Weddell seals Leptonychotes weddelli

Southern Fur sealArctocephalus gazella

Southern Elephant sealMirounga leonina

Crabeater sealLobodon carcinophagus

Leopard SealHydruga leptonyx

Other Animals

KrillEuphausia superba

Wandering albatrossDiomedea exulans

Snow petrelPagrodama nivea

Antarctic skuaCatharacta maccormicki

Blue eyed shagPhalacrocopax atriceps

Giant petrelMacronectes giganteus

Cape pigeonDaption capensis

Snowy SheathbillChionis albus

Arctic ternSterna vittata

Antarctic Land Invertebrates

Picture credits: Emperor penguin - Warner Brothers / King Penguin - Liam Quinn from Canada - Creative common Share and Share Alike 2.0 license /

Antarctic Animals List Antarctic Animals - A Quick Look

• Penguins
• Whales
• Marine
• Seals
• Birds
• Biology

• Whales - introduction
• Whale species
• Blue whale
• Southern right whale
• Sei whale
• Humpback whale
• Minke whale
• Fin whale
• Sperm whale
• Killer whale - Orca
• Sperm whale tales
• Whaling in Antarctica
• Whaling - uses of whales
• Whaling in the 21st century

• Emperor penguin
• Gentoo penguin
• Adelie penguin
• King penguin
• Chinstrap penguin
• All Antarctic penguins

• Krill
• Antarctic invertebrates
• Antarctic marine animals

• Weddell Seals
• Crabeater Seals
• Southern Elephant Seals
• Leopard Seals
• Antarctic Fur Seals
• Antarctic dogs

• Snow petrels
• Blue Eyed / Imperial Shags
• Antarctic Skuas
• Sheathbills
• Cape Petrels
• Giant Petrels
• Wandering Albatross

• Antarctic animal adaptations
• Antarctic food web
• How animals survive the cold
• How penguins survive the cold

Shackleton's JourneyWilliam GrillAges 7-12 When the Sun Shines on AntarcticaAnd Other Poems about the Frozen Continent Ages 8-12

Frozen Planet - Complete Series - BBC, 2011DVD and Blu-ray Instant video

Antarctica:An Intimate Portrait of the World's Most Mysterious Continent

Antarctica - A Year on IceDVD and Blu-ray Instant video