Millions of animals live in this region, in the extreme south of the planet, and they don’t care about the freezing cold — it’s less than minus 80ºC in winter! The explanation for such a rich fauna, even in these adverse conditions, is the abundance of food, mainly krill, a small crustacean that is the main “delicacy” of Antarctica.
In addition, most species, mainly birds and marine mammals, do not spend the whole year on the continent. During the winter, when the region freezes over, many animals migrate north and only return at the end of the season. «They don’t leave Antarctica because of the cold itself, but because of the freezing of the surface of the water, which prevents the search for food since most of the food comes from the sea», says biologist Martin Sander, from the Laboratory of Ornithology and Marine Animals at the University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos (Unisinos), in São Leopoldo (RS).
Even because of this dependence on food taken from the sea, in the geographic South Pole itself there is almost no life. The critters generally inhabit the outskirts of Antarctica, where conditions are not so inhospitable.
It is not known precisely what is the population of animals that live on the continent, but scientists are already concerned about the reduction of wildlife. “This is happening strongly in the regions further north, which have been experiencing increasing melting”, says Martin Sander. In addition, the increasingly intensive presence of humans there is unbalancing the fragile local ecosystem.
ANTARCTIC ZOO
WHALES
How many: About ten species
What they eat: Krill, fish and squid. Orcas still eat seals, dolphins and penguins
Main enemies: They have no natural enemies, only humans.
Among the main species of “whales” in Antarctica are the blue whale, the right whale and the orca — which is actually a type of dolphin. All make annual migrations during the winter to mate. When summer begins, they return to the frozen continent.
FISH
How many: About a hundred species
What they eat: Krill, phytoplankton and other fish
Main enemies: Penguins, other birds and seals
The most abundant fish are those of the family Notothenidaewhich includes Antarctic cod (Notothenia coriiceps), with 1.5 meters. The ice fish (Chaenocephalus aceratus), which has a translucent and gelatinous body, is one of the strangest in the region
FLYING BIRDS
How many: Around 30 species, with millions of individuals
What they eat: Fish, squid, baby penguins and crustaceans
Main enemies: It’s also a bird, the skua, a predator of other birds in the region.
In addition to the skuas — which look like seagulls, love to steal food from other birds and attack penguin nests —, another numerous species is the white petrel. These two birds mate only in Antarctica
SEALS AND “KIN”
How many: There are six species of “seals” in the region (more than 30 million animals)
What they eat: Fish, krill, penguins, octopus and squid
Main enemies: Killer whales and leopard seals, who love to eat other seal species
Pinnipeds — seals and their “relatives” — are Antarctica’s most characteristic mammals. The largest of the species is the elephant seal, which reaches 6.5 meters. Other pinnipeds that are quite common in the region are the leopard seal and the sea lion.
PENGUINS
How many: 17 species, with about 20 million individuals
What they eat: krill and fish
Main enemies: Leopard seals, orcas and some birds such as the skua
Most popular inhabitants of Antarctica, penguins are clumsy birds on land, but they swim very well. One of the most numerous species is the adelie penguin (the one in the photo above), and the largest is the emperor penguin, which reaches 1.15 meters in height
KRILL
How many: It is estimated that there are 500 million tons of krill in the region
What they eat: algae and phytoplankton
Main enemies: Fish, birds, seals and whales
Krill are the most important link in the food chain in Antarctica. Without it, most of the continent’s animals would not live there. Much like a shrimp, it measures around 6 centimeters and lives for about five years.