Zoologist By: Mika

Tundra Animals Animals that live in the tundra have special adaptations that allow them to survive the extreme temperatures and conditions that are present in a tundra. Characteristic features of Tundra cold climate small biotic diversity plain vegetation structure Short season of growth and reproduction Energy and nutrients in the form of dead organic material Large population oscillations

Animals

The Polar Bear, Arctic Hare, Arctic Fox The Polar Bear, the Arctic Hare, and the Arctic Fox are all carnivores. All three of them are also mammals. Some specific adaptations that allow them to live in this Biome are that there fur, and body fat gives them a nice coat for warmth. Also, in the Arctic Fox’s feet, there fur goes under the paw and in between there dewclaw’s and it is like a snowshoe. The fox’s coloring is white in the winter and brown in the summer. Also, there good hearing helps them find there prey under the snow without digging first. Just like the Polar Bear, the Arctic Hare digs holes in the snow for shelter and sleep. The Arctic Hare’s look like rabbits but there ears are taller so they can live/maintain themselves in cold places unlike rabbits. They can travel together with many other hares, sometimes huddling with dozens or more, but are usually found alone, taking in some cases more than one partner.

The Grizzly Bear, the Black Bear, and Caribou They all are omnivores. They are also all mammals. Some specific adaptions for the Caribou can adapt to the harsh environment in which some of them live in is from the hair on their body and also their nose. Their feet were also designed for them to walk through deep snow. The size of their ears and tail are little, which enables less body heat to escape from them. In summer times, they shed their fur in clumps and new pairs of antlers are grown every year. Once the antlers are shed, the reindeers eat it for calcium and nutrient, thus keeping their bodies strong and healthy. Grizzly bears survive the long Denali winters by going into a deep sleep, they go into the hibernating season, they spend the rest of the seasons stocking up on food for there hibernation and then they stay in there shelter or sleeping place and don’t come out until winter is over. Black bears have short, non-retractable claws that give them an excellent tree-climbing ability, and that is very helpful for them. Also in the winter they go into hibernation like the Grizzly Bears. The Black Bear’s also stock up on food and eat it in their shelter or sleeping place throughout the winter, the same as the Grizzly Bears.

The Lemming, the Musk Oxen, and the Moose. They are all herbivores. All three are mammals. They eat about every vegetable, and plant. Some specific adaptations of the Lemming are that in the winter lemmings fur turn white to protect its self from snowy owls and other predators. Since the Snowy Owls are carnivores, and they are smaller animals, they go after other small animals. For instance, they would try to kill and eat the Lemmings, but, to blend in with the snow, their fur turns white, so the Snowy Owls don’t see them. The Musk Oxen’s specific adaptations are one is that the hooves are capable of breaking ice so the oxen can drink during winter when the lakes are frozen thick fur insulates to keep oxen warm. Eyes are adapted to see in really bright lights or really dark the horns warn off predators. The Moose’s specific adaptations are long legs and a thick body allow the moose to move through deep snow and wet areas without trouble. Their hair is wider at the tip than the base to make an insulating layer of warmth around them in the winter months. The two large toes on the moose hooves are spread apart wide enough to keep the moose from sinking into the snow. When winter begins, moose grow a thicker and furrier coat to stay warm.

2 Food chains 1. When the Polar Bear (Consumer) eats a fish, the fish (Producer) could have eaten algae (Detritivores). 2. This picture below describes the 2 nd food chain.

Decomposer A Decomposer in the Tundra is fungi. Many varieties of fungi can thrive in this type of environment, since they survive by decomposing organic remains and can grow in the absence of sunlight. Mushrooms, lichens and other fungi varieties are abundant in the Tundra and other Arctic areas. Source:

Biotic and Abiotic Features Abiotic things can help all three of these animals, water provides them hydration. Also, the ice and snow helps the Polar Bear dig it’s pit inside the ice and snow and it provides them a nice shelter and sleeping place. There is only one specific tree that grows in the Tundra, the Dwarf Willow Tree. It provides air for the animals, although the Dwarf Willow Tree isn’t very tall it does spread itself out on the ground. The sun light and temperature is also a very important abiotic feature for the Tundra animals. The gases, and the wind are very good too. Biotic features help these animals a lot too. Since they are Carnivores, all of the other Tundra animals look like there next victim. The water gives them a great supply of fish too. There is only one specific tree that grows in the Tundra, the Dwarf Willow Tree. It provides air for the animals, although the Dwarf Willow Tree isn’t very tall it does spread itself out on the ground. Some more Abiotic features of these animals are Strong Winds, Little Precipitation, Very Long and Cold Winter, Short Summer Days, Poor Soil, Permafrost. More Biotic features are Animals (snowy owls, reindeer, white foxes, lemmings, wolverines, caribou, migrating birds, mosquitoes, black flies) Plants (mosses and heaths that adapt to the cold climate.) The Abiotic things help the animals in many ways, and so do the Biotic things. The Abiotic features are things that are dead or never were alive and the heat, water, temperature, precipitation, seasons, soil, and permafrost are all having to do with weather, or things they need other then food to survive. The Biotic features are things they also need to survive. They are things that were alive and are alive. The main Biotic feature is the food. Carnivores, and Omnivores eat other animals and that is a big part of their diet. Without the other animals they wouldn’t have much food besides insects, and bugs. Abiotic and Biotic features are very important not only to animals, but to the Tundra Biome.

Citing Sources Caribou Adaptations in the Tundra | eHow.com Caribou Adaptations in the Tundra | eHow.com Images: 8&um=1&ie=UTF- 8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=YnpTUYiZMfHE4AO7iYDABQ&biw=749&bi h=821&sei=ZHpTUaWfMO7B4APb4YHACQ 8&um=1&ie=UTF- 8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=YnpTUYiZMfHE4AO7iYDABQ&biw=749&bi h=821&sei=ZHpTUaWfMO7B4APb4YHACQ bm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=j3pTUZr6JI2y0QHxz4DwBA&ved=0CDAQsAQ&biw=7 49&bih=821 bm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=j3pTUZr6JI2y0QHxz4DwBA&ved=0CDAQsAQ&biw=7 49&bih=821 F-8&um=1&ie=UTF- 8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=yHpTUdfHEofm0gHV24H4Cg&biw=749&b ih=821&sei=3npTUcfcFuiX0QH4hIGgDQ