adaptation of a polar bear.3

8/4/2019 Adaptation of a Polar Bear.3

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Adaptation

of Animals

in the North Pole


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Adaptations of a polar bear

Polar bears are strong swimmers;

they swim across bays or wide leads

without hesitation. They can swim for

several hours at a time over longdistances. A polar bears front paws

propel them through the water,

dog- paddle style.

The hind feet and legs are held flat

and are used as rudders.


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A thick layer of blubber (fat), up to 11cm(4.3in)

thick, keeps the polar bear warm whileswimming in cold water. Polar bears can

obtain a swimming speed of 10kph.

The hair of a polar bear easily shakes free of

water and any ice that may form

After swimming. A polar bears

nostrils close when

under water.


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Adaptations of

a harp seal

The white coat of a baby harpseal makes

ithard for enemies to spotthe young seal

on ice. Harp seals are clumsy on land but

very good swimmers. Their strong flippersand smooth bodies help them move easily

in the water. Seals are able to dive deep

and stay underwater for half and hour.


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The seals fur and thick layer of fat

under their skin help them keep warmin the freezing cold water. Harp seals

are mammals and need to come upfor air. If ice forms on the surface of

the water they gnaw (chew) the ice tomake breathing holes. They also bashthe ice with their heads.


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heads


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Adaptations of a penguin

The downy under portion of the feathers trap a

layer of air against the skin. This layer of air is then

warmed by body heat, muchthe way our body heats

the air in a down jacket. Their feathers overlap like

shingles on a roof and form a barrier, keeping wateraway from skin. Penguins also have a layer of

blubber, or fat, under the skin.


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As a rule, larger penguins like colder areas. This is

because larger, rounder bodies lose heat slower than

smaller, slimmer bodies. This explains why

Antarctica's emperor penguins which survive in the

harshest winters, are the largest penguins in the

world.

Some penguin species have bare patches (heat

windows) around their eyes. These

areas have no feathers and allow

excess heatto escape. The patches

become pink when the penguin is

warm.


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Penguins can voluntarily raise theirfeathers to let warm air escape. Penguins have many

tiny blood vessels (capillaries) close to the skin on

their wings, whichhelps them to cool down by justholding their wings out and letting the air move

across them.

Penguins can also release heatthroughtheir feet,

Where they have a counter- current blood exchange.


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Their streamlined body,

webbed feet and oar

like wings enable

penguins to shoot

through the water atspeeds up to 15 miles per

hour. It is often said that

penguins look like they

are flying through the

water.


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Underwater quickness

and the ability to hold theirbreath aid penguins in

catching prey. All penguins

use their short, stiff wing

for propulsion and their

webbed feet for steering.

The position of the body

aids in both steering and

hydrodynamics.


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Penguins have black backs and white bellies.

This pattern of coloration is called counter

shading and serves to camouflage the birdwhen it is in the water. Since penguins spend

most of their time in the ocean, this coloration

is an effective form of protection.

Countershading also helps the penguins huntwith more success.


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Most birds have hollow bones,

making them lighter for flying.Penguins ,however,have solid bones , making

them heavier and making it easier to dive

underwater for food. Penguins have almond-shaped glands beneaththe skin above their

eyes thathelp them filter outthe excess salt

from the ocean. When the salt drips downtheir beak,the penguins make a sneeze- like

sound, and they are able to shake it off.


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Adaptations of an arctic wolf.

The wolf may be the most misunderstood

animal in the world, and the Arctic wolf

the least- known of all wolves. Arctic

wolves live on the island of Canadian

Arctic, and the north coast of Greenland.


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Their world is extremely harsh as well as remote,and few scientists venture there. As a

result, the details of their lives through much of

the year are virtually known. Arctic wolves have

special adaptations that make them distinct

from other members of the Lupus family (graywolves).


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They are nearly pure

white and their fur thicker than agraywolf. To minimize exposure to thecold, their ears are smaller and more

rounded muzzles are slightly shorter.They are bulkier in build as well and oftenweigh over 100 pounds (45 kg).Their huntingranges are extensive, often 800-1,000 square

miles, and they will kill and eat virtually anyanimal they can catch. Birds are alsooccasionally part of the diet.


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Adaptation of a walrus

To be equipped for the ice,the walrus has reversible

hind flippers which enable itto keep its balance. The

flippers are also bumpy to keep it sliding offthe ice,

where it spends most ofits life. To survive,the

walrus has an extremely thick coat of blubber. The

coat remains to protectthe walrus all year. This layer

can be up to 3 inches thick. Ifit did nothave this

extra flesh,it would freeze.


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Since the walrus swim to find its food,it like allother pinnipeds,has a torpedo shaped body to

swim quickly throughthe water. It also has a

clear eyelid instead of a solid one to see , and

protectits eye while underwater, when the

walrus dives,the blood moves its skin to its

organs to keep the animal warm, when it

surfaces,the color ofits skin is pinkish brown.

Then,the walrus sunbathes on the ice floe to

make its blood return to its skin.


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Adaptations of a killer whale

Killer whales are found in all oceansand waters of the world fromtropical to ice bergland. The reason

killer whales are able to adapt tonext to all climates is their thick layerof body fat (blubber). The thick

blubber insulates the killer whaleand maintains their bodytemperature (around degrees) evenin the coldest of waters.


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Adaptation of a beluga whale

Beluga whales deposit most oftheir body fat

into a thick layer of blubber- a thick layer of fat

and fibrous connective tissue that lies justbelow the skin of marine mammals. Blubber

accounts for more than 40% of beluga whales

weight. This blubber layer insulates the whaleand streamlines the body. It also functions as

energy reserve.


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Beluga whales, like other marine mammals,have a slower heart rate while diving. A beluga

whales heart rate slows from about 100 to

about 12 to 20 beats per minute during a dive.

When a beluga whale dives, blood is shunted

away from the surface ofthe skin. Thisdecrease in circulation conserves body heat.


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Adaptation of the reindeer

Caribou / Reindeer

(Rangifer tarandus)

Caribou are the only member of

the deer family in which both

sexes have antlers. The

Barrenground and Woodland

caribou subspecies are native to

NorthAmerica.


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Woodland caribou were

plentiful in Nova Scotia

until illegal hunting,

disease, and the loss

oftheir habitat led to

the decrease in population

atthe turn ofthe century.


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In Scandinavian countries,the European

subspecies is commonly called reindeer.

These animals are domesticated and are used

as work animals.

Caribou have many adaptations to help them

survive the winter. Weighing as much as 250

kg, caribou have heavy outer coats with woolly

fur underneath.Most are brown or grey with

some white, butin the winter their fur is

lighter in color.


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Their hooves are broad, flat and deeply cleftto help

them walk on ice or snow and in soft bogs and

marshes. They also function as paddles whenswimming, efficient scoops to uncover lichens, and

give them a firm footing on sharp edges and rock.

The caribou's main dietis "caribou moss". They also

eat green plants and twigs from woody plants. In the

fall,the males fight for their harem of 5 to 40

females. The young calves, born in late May or early

June, walk in two hours, nurse for two months and

join the herd in fall.


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Adaptations of an Arctic Hare

The arctic hare lives in the harsh environment ofthe NorthAmerican tundra. These hares do not

hibernate, but survive the dangerous cold with a

number of behavioral and physiologicaladaptations. They sportthick fur and enjoy a

low surface area to volume ratio that conserves

body heat, most evidentin their shortened ears.

These hares sometimes dig shelters in snow and

huddle together to share warmth.


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Hares are a bit larger than rabbits, and they typically

have taller hind legs and longer ears. Like other

hares and rabbits,Arctic hares are fast and can

bound at speeds of up to 60 kilometers an

hour. In winter,they sport a brilliant white coatthat

provides excellent camouflage in the land ofice and

snow. In spring,the hare's colors change to blue-gray

in approximation of local rocks and vegetation.


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Arctic hares are sometimes loners butthey can also

be found in groups of dozens,hundreds, or even

thousands ofindividuals. Unlike many mammals,arctic hare groups disperse rather than form during

mating season. Animals pair off and define mating

territories,though a male may take more than one

female partner.

Females give birthto one litter per year,in spring or

early summer. Two to eight young hares grow quickly

and by September resemble their parents. They will

be ready to breed the following year.


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Food can be scarce in the Arctic, butthe hares

survive by eating woody plants, mosses, and lichenswhichthey may dig throughthe snow to find in

winter. In other seasons they eat buds, berries,

leaves, roots, and bark.Traditionally,the arctic hare has been importantto

Native Americans. These fairly plentiful animals are

hunted as a food resource and for their fur, whichis

used to make clothing.


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The End

adaptation of a polar bear.3

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