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Introduction to Polar Regions
The Arctic and Antarctic Polar Regions are covered by snow and ice
almost all year round. The Polar Regions are the world's coldest biome.
The Arctic is the Earth's northernmost area. There is no land at the North
Pole – only the Arctic Ocean. At the opposite end of the world from the
Arctic is Antarctica. Antarctica is a continent with ice more than 12,000
feet thick! The South Pole is on Antarctica. Because Antarctica is very
cold, no humans live there permanently. Together, we call the Arctic and
Antarctica the Polar Regions.
Despite the cold weather, the Arctic and Antarctica are home to many
animals. Whales, walruses, puffins, reindeer, penguins, seals, lemmings,
snowy owls, and polar bears all have their own special ways to fight off
cold and survive in this extremely harsh environment. Walruses, for
example, have a thick layer of yellowish fat, called blubber, under their
skin. Blubber is a very effective insulator that allows walruses to swim in
icy-cold water and sleep on ice. Many large polar animals have blubber to
keep them warm.
For polar animals that eat plants, life can be hard during the cold winter months. Because most plants are either
dead or buried deep under snow, some plant-eating animals, such as reindeer, need to travel for thousands of miles
to search for food. Lemmings, however, do not have to do so. Their secret is to dig tunnels under snow. These
underground tunnels not only give them easy access to frozen vegetation, but also protect them from hungry
predators like snowy owls.
Many animals living in the Arctic and Antarctica change colors twice a year! Arctic foxes, for example, turn their
coat color from brownish gray to white in the fall. Their white coats match well with the winter landscape, so they
can sneak up on their prey and launch a surprise attack. When spring comes and snow melts to give way to thriving
plants, Arctic foxes change their color back to brownish gray to be camouflaged against the summer landscape.
Introduction to Polar Regions
Questions
1. Which of the following two places make up the world's coldest biome?
A. the Amazon rainforest and the Bermuda Triangle
B. the Arctic and Antarctica
C. the Sahara Desert and Gobi Desert
D. the Arctic and Sahara Desert
2. The Arctic Ocean surrounds the North Pole.
A. false
B. true
3. Which of the following statements about Antarctica is true?
A. Antarctica is a continent.
B. The Arctic Ocean encircles Antarctica.
C. The North Pole is in Antarctica.
D. Eskimos have been living in Antarctica for centuries.
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4. How do walruses survive in the Arctic?
A. They hibernate during the cold winter months.
B. They have feathers.
C. They have blubber under their skin.
D. They have antifreeze chemicals in their blood.
5. Many large polar animals have a thick layer of yellowish fat under their skin to keep them warm. We call
this ______.
6. Which of the following about polar animals is NOT true?
A. Snowy owls eat lemmings.
B. Arctic foxes wear white coats in the wintertime.
C. Lemmings travel for thousands of miles to search for food.
D. Penguins are polar animals.
7. Which of the following is a polar animal?
A. camel
B. puffin
C. toucan
D. lion