Polar Animals

Two animals that live in Antarctica are the penguins and orcas which are also called killer whales. Penguins visit nearby islands to rest, molt, and breed. Penguins are carnivores, and the whales are too. Penguins eat many different kinds of fish, plankton, krill, and squid. The whales are the top predators, so they eat many animals including seals, and even baleen whales. In Antarctica, there are more penguins than any other kind of bird. there are seventeen different species of penguins, and of them, eleven are found in Antarctica. They are flightless, but they can "fly" in the water. They propel them selves with their wings, and steer with their tails and webbed feet. Penguins have many differnt adaptations for keeping them warm. Their feathers overlap to keep in air to help insulate their bodies. They also have a thick layer of fat under their skin to also help insulate their bodies from the cold. There is also an oil gland by their tails to help keep their feathers water proof. Orcas are the top predators. they have up to fourty four teeth and a large dorsal fin. They have a pattern of black and white. they are one of the fastest mammals in the ocean even though they can reach up to thirty three feet in length.

Would you rather be a orca or a penguin, and why?

source: Antarctica Ecosystems

http://marinebio.org/upload/hickerphoto/orcas.jpg,
http://www.polarcruises.com/antarctica/articles/photos/articles/art_Penguins_emperor_and_chick.jpg