Ironically, this toothed whale has only one tooth—its famous “unicorn horn.” Nevertheless, they feed on fish, squid, and shrimp, while predators such as orca and polar bears sometimes feed on them. POPULATION: There’s a lot of uncertainty, since its territory is widespread and remote, but experts estimate a population of up to 220,000. Their only predators are humans. Because of this migration, spending their summers at the warmer of the two poles, these birds experience more daylight than any other animal on Earth. FREE Resource! Arctic Animals A List of Arctic Wildlife Antarctic animals here - south polar. The Arctic is just frozen ocean, with no land mass. This is largely due to the Arctics connection with the mainlands of other continents, during the winter months with the sea freezes over. Polar habitats get very, very cold – it can get as cold as -50°C in the Arctic, and temperatures in Antarctica have been as cold as -89°C. DID YOU KNOW: Minke whales are the smallest of the baleen whales, and the only species of whale that is still commonly found in Antarctica. The largest land creature in our southernmost continent is the Belgica antartica, a tiny wingless fly … Being primarily a thin layer of ice, the arctic is very sensitive to changing … Antarctica is devoid of large land animals Another difference between the Arctic and Antarctica is that Antarctica is devoid of large land animals. SIZE: 2.8 to 3m (9.1 to 9.8 ft) long, 300 to 500kg (661 to 1,102 lbs). Geography - Antarctica is a land mass, a continent. Though the range of wildlife species in Antarctica is significantly less than in the Arctic, there are still many other animals to find. How They’re Different. And, as anyone who’s seen Happy Feet knows, dads are the ones who care for the egg, keeping it tucked between their feet and belly feathers until it hatches. (You can visit many polar bear habitats on our Realm of the Polar Bear tour, endorsed by animal activist Jane Goodall.). thanks to a thick coat (the thickest of any Arctic animal), fur-covered feet (even the soles) and a bushy tail that does double duty as an additional layer of warmth. 24/7 Service. I am from South Africa and have lived in Seattle since1995 when Zegrahm Expeditions sponsored... We hope you enjoyed the selections from our first round of book recommendations curated by our expert expedition team. They are known to travel up to 3,000 miles every year and can run nearly 50 mph. On Antarctica there was never a native community; no one even saw the Antarctic until 1820, no one stepped on it until two years later, and since 1898 no one has spent a whole year there. Despite its lack of plant life, Antarctica is home to many species of animals including seals, whales, and many different kinds of p enguins, such as gentoos, king penguins, and emperor penguins. Alternate Andalusia: walk off good food and wine on a hiking tour. The Arctic is a semi-enclosed ocean, almost completely surrounded by land. Both male and female walrus have the trademark tusks, which are used for defense, breaking ice, and climbing out of the water. In Antarctica, the marine fauna boasts sea lions, whales, seals and elephant seals, amongst other creatures. Sea ice differs between the Arctic and Antarctic, primarily because of their different geography. The Aurora occurs both in the Arctic and the Antarctic. Antarctica’s invertebrates also warrant attention. Compared to the Antarctic, mammals abound in … Here are five animals you’ll find in each region. Differences Between the Arctic and Antarctic The term "Polar Opposites" surely originated from the North Pole and South Pole, but besides being on opposite sides of the planet, there are many other less-obvious differences between the poles. The North Pole is in the middle of the Arctic Ocean which is surrounded by the land masses of North America, Europe and Asia so there is a land connection to the south meaning that land animals can more easily reach the Arctic unlike Antarctica where animals must be able to swim or fly across hundreds … G ADVENTURES LIMITED, a company incorporated and registered in England and Wales with company number 7848780, VAT No.175 4505 02, and its registered office is 60 Bastwick Street, London, EC1V 3AT. DID YOU KNOW: Arctic foxes don’t start getting chilly until the temperature hits -50°C (-58°F) (!) They are actually more closely related to sheep than oxen: Their Latin name, Ovibos, translates to “sheep-ox.” Arctic wolves are their main natural predator. They have unique, forward-facing ears to help them hunt by hearing prey under the snow. The Arctic is largely sea, with the north pole over 400 miles away from the nearest land mass. The Arctic is at the North Pole and the Antarctic is at the South Pole. Zegrahm Expeditions Walrus have distinct herds from the Pacific to Atlantic, and they like to congregate in large social huddles. Geographically, the Arctic and the Antarctic regions are located at opposite regions of the Earth. Falkland Islands, SIZE: 9m (29.5 ft) long, 10 tonnes (22,046 lbs). Though leopard seals aren’t great divers, they can swim around 25 mph. SIZE: 75 to 115cm long, 2.5 to 9kg (6 to 20 lbs), HABITAT: Throughout the Arctic tundra in Canada, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Svalbard, Jan Mayen and Sweden. But there are other, more subtle differences between these places. While travelers visit both locales in their respective summer seasons, these seasons fall in different times of the year: Arctic expedition cruises run from May through September, and Antarctic expeditions from November through … Although both polar and tundra regions refer to the environmental systems with very cold climates, they are different from each other in that polar … The Arctic is at the North Pole and the Antarctic is at the South Pole. Geography. A region with vaguely defined limits, it extends over six countries that border the Arctic Ocean: Canada, the USA (Alaska), Denmark (Greenland), Russia, Norway and Iceland. These nests are unique in that they consist of a lot of plant matter (rather than merely rocks) and are only built in ice-free spaces. Aquatic animals are another ever-present and wonderful attraction. Orcas and numerous other whales are common to the area, as are several species of birds. Differences Between the Arctic and Antarctic The term "Polar Opposites" surely originated from the North Pole and South Pole, but besides being on opposite sides of the planet, there are many other less-obvious differences between the poles. As an agent of change, you have the power to change the world. HABITAT: These giants of the penguin world are marine creatures, but they’re considered pelagic, which means they stick close to the shoreline. The areas around the north and the south poles are called the Arctic and the Antarctic regions, respectively. Because the Arctic has plants and fresh water, it’s able to support several large land mammals as well as smaller rodents, weasels, and insects. But there's an easier way to remember them if you just remember what surrounds them. HABITAT: Throughout the northern seas surrounding Canada, the U.S., Greenland, Russia, Svalbard and the island of Jan Mayen. The Arctic and the Antarctic have plenty in common — namely, both regions are vast, cold, and best accessed by boat. They are highly regarded divers, able to stay underwater 20-30 minutes on a single breath, and can reach over 4,000 feet deep. The Arctic and Antarctic is home to many different species. Please leave a comment and have a nice day. Both these regions are cold and are covered with ice. Instead, they move into the deep water at the end of winter and back to the shallows in summer. Privacy Notice: We use technologies on our website for personalizing content, advertising, providing social media features, and analyzing our traffic. The Arctic is a sea of ice surrounded by land and located at the highest latitudes of the northern hemisphere. These nesting colonies will sometimes contain over half a million birds, which makes them very noisy and super-smelly places. When thinking of Arctic animals, the polar bear is generally the first species to come to mind. 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