The zone of the Arctic deserts is located in the very north of the continents of Eurasia and North America. The climate and living conditions here are very harsh, there is no change of seasons as such. There is a polar night, during which the temperature is kept within 30-40 degrees below zero. During the day in this region the air warms up to -10, sometimes up to -3 degrees. That is why the animals of the Arctic desert zones are fundamentally different from those that live in our continental latitudes. They are more adapted to survive in harsh environments. Well, about what they are, how they are characteristic and how popular they are, read below.
Feathered permanent inhabitants of the Arctic
For the most part, the fauna of the Arctic deserts is presented in the form of birds. The feathered fauna here is represented by 124 different species of sky inhabitants, 55 of which consider the Arctic their home and nest there. Among such sedentary northern birds, one can distinguish pinkseagull, Siberian eider, murre. By the way, representatives of the latter species prefer to nest on the heights of various rocks that are covered with glaciers. However, they do not experience discomfort. Also, the bird fauna of the Arctic deserts is presented in the form of glaucous gulls, white gulls, polar terns, guillemots, little auks, etc. The snowy owl is the queen among the permanent residents of the northern skies.
Fickle residents of Arctic skies
When the day comes in the very north of our planet and the air temperature rises, birds from the tundra, taiga and continental latitudes arrive here. Therefore, from the beginning of the first warm days on the shores of the Arctic Ocean, you can meet black geese, snow geese, galstunki, tules, brown-winged plovers, white-tailed sandpipers. Flocks of the following birds fly here with them: oystercatcher, red-throated, dunlin, upland buzzard and many others. With the onset of cold weather, all of the above flocks return to more southern latitudes. But this does not mean at all that the animal world of the Arctic deserts is becoming more scarce. Birds fly over this region constantly, and, perhaps, it is thanks to the birds that these lands still show at least the slightest signs of life.
General description of mammals
Animals of the arctic desert zones that live on land or lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle are only 16 species. 4 of them are representatives of the marine fauna, but they are not fish, but still mammals. Most of them are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. For this reason, hunting in the Arctic deserts is strictly prohibited, and every individual who is a representative of the fauna here is carefully protected by the government. So, now we will take a closer look at each inhabitant of these latitudes and find out what characteristics they have.
Inhabitants of the Ice Depths
First, let's look at what kind of animals we have living in the cold waters of the Arctic deserts. We often saw photos of many of them on the pages of Soviet textbooks or simply saw them on TV. The most interesting inhabitant of the region is the narwhal. A huge fish that reaches a length of 5 meters and weighs more than one and a half tons. A characteristic feature is a long horn that protrudes from the mouth. It is like an animal's tooth, but it does not perform its characteristic functions. Narwhals are the only animals of their kind and have no analogues. The closest relative of this species is the bowhead whale. It is much more massive than the narwhal, but does not have such a huge tooth. It feeds on plankton and swims quite far out to sea. The next marine mammal of the northern regions is the beluga or polar dolphin. It lives at great depths of the ocean and feeds exclusively on fish. The killer whale, the most dangerous northern underwater predator, completes our list. In addition to the fact that it devours the smaller inhabitants of the northern waters and their shores, it is also dangerous for beluga and seals.
Seals and walruses
The most popular animals of the Arctic desert zone are seals. They represent a separate population, but have many subspecies. A characteristic feature of all seals are flippers, which replace divergent hind limbs. They end in claws that allow mammals to move easily over snowy terrain. Among the most striking species of seals are the harp seal, the bearded seal (the largest and most dangerous of all species), the common seal and the sea seal. The latter species is characterized by the smallest size, and at the same time all its representatives are very mobile. But the seal's closest relative, the walrus, is also its danger. Walruses are much larger in size, have sharp fangs, with which they cut through the ice and get their food from the sea. They also need this tool for ground hunting. They eat small animals, including seals.
Bears and wolves
The brightest animals of the Arctic desert zone are polar bears. They have an exceptionally white color and dense coat, which allows them to survive the terrible cold both on land and under water, which is simply icy. In addition to the fact that the bear is the king of the Arctic, it is also the most dangerous predator here. It eats terrestrial animals and mammals that are smaller than it in size. It is also dangerous for fish and animals that live in the sea. Not so dangerous, but no less ferocious in the North are polar wolves. They are very beautiful, have white orbrown color and live in flocks of up to 9 individuals. Their prey are arctic foxes, deer, sometimes small seals, as well as all other terrestrial animals that are smaller than them.
Red Book of the Russian Federation
Animals of the Arctic desert zones, listed in the Red Book, are almost all of the species that were named above. But in order to have a more concrete idea of which inhabitants of the northern latitudes need to be protected with special attention, we will list them again. The Red Book contains a polar bear, a polar wolf, a walrus, a seal, an arctic fox. Of the mammals that live in the aquatic environment, the Red Book includes narwhals, killer whales, and for some time also beluga whales. In addition, many species of birds are listed on the pages of this book. These are pink and white gulls, peregrine falcon, cran-throated goose, lesser swan and others.
Afterword
Almost all the animals of the Arctic deserts were listed above. In Russia, all these species have been living since the formation of the climate on the planet, and a similar picture is emerging in the northern regions of Alaska, as well as in Greenland. The fauna of this snow world is very unique, unlike any other, and most importantly, it is dying out. Therefore, the governments of all countries to which these little animals are related carefully guard them. They cannot be hunted, exterminated or infringed in any way.
