The primary difference between the Arctic and Antarctica is geographical. Reindeer have almost become mythical creatures, but they are very real and very common in the Arctic. D was very interested in this lesson as well! Snowy owls, puffins, and other hardy fowl make for exciting birdwatching opportunities. Arctic land is bordered by the subarctic. * The Antarctic has penguins and the Arctic doesn't. Source: Wikimedia. FREE Resource! In Antarctica, where there’s very little flora and even less fresh water, the largest land animal is a midge. On Antarctica there was never a native community; no one even saw the Antarctic until 1820, no one stepped on it until two years later, and since 1898 no one has spent a whole year there. The seas are full of whales (such as orca and beluga) and seal species (ringed, bearded, hooded, spotted, harp, and ribbon). The first difference between the Arctic and Antarctica is they’re located on opposite sides of the world. I am from South Africa and have lived in Seattle since1995 when Zegrahm Expeditions sponsored... We hope you enjoyed the selections from our first round of book recommendations curated by our expert expedition team. Use this activity / activities to help the children compare the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Antarctica is the earth’s southernmost and fifth-largest continent, dividing the southern waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Polar habitats get very, very cold – it can get as cold as -50°C in the Arctic, and temperatures in Antarctica have been as cold as -89°C. The largest—the wingless midge—is only 13 mm long, but this collection of tiny creatures are miraculous survivors. We labeled our map with North and Arctic versus South and Antarctic. HABITAT: These giants of the penguin world are marine creatures, but they’re considered pelagic, which means they stick close to the shoreline. * The Antarctic has penguins and the Arctic doesn't. Help make our world a little bit better, one adventure at a time. One notable difference is that polar bears live only in the Arctic, and penguins live only in the Antarctic. Antarctic animals vs. Arctic beasts: A quick look at who lives where Five animals you'll find at either frigid end of the planet. Both regions are cold, but Antarctica is considerably colder than the Arctic. They spend their entire lives in the Arctic, feeding mostly on seals. These giant birds spend most of their time flying — they only return to land to breed. There are also more varieties of seals, including the crabeater, southern fur, and Weddell. Typical animals in Arctic vs Antarctic: Polar bears. Check out our wide variety of polar Expedition trips here. * The Antarctic has no trees. This is an effect of the oceanic climate moderating the temperature up north. Polar bears can only be found in the Arctic, penguins can only be found in the Antarctic, all other animals are typically found in both places. From sushi to seaweed to Shibuya Crossing, adventurer Marina Barbir shines a light on what makes this country so unique, There are two ways to take in the famed isles and we're sharing the incredible things you can see in either direction, A bevvy of international beverages to help you ring in a refreshing new year, Support global community tourism projects with Planeterra's curated holiday gift shop, Sip the local grapes, scarf down tapas and burn it all off on a hearty 6-day hike through the lesser-travelled regions of Southern Spain. Unlike other whales, narwhals do not migrate out of the frigid Arctic oceans. Like bison, which they closely resemble, musk oxen are grazing animals that have nearly been wiped out by hunting. Though they’re native to Antarctica, they’ve been spotted in Argentina and New Zealand, too. King, chinstrap, and gentoo are three more species of penguins to spot. 24/7 Service. thanks to a thick coat (the thickest of any Arctic animal), fur-covered feet (even the soles) and a bushy tail that does double duty as an additional layer of warmth. We accept no responsibility for any videos from third-party sources. Temperatures. Next: More arctic and more Antarctica, including Science and survival on Continent 7 and Drifting With the Ice: Life on an Arctic Expedition. This simple cut-and-paste activity helps preschoolers see the difference between Arctic and Antarctic animals … Here are five animals you’ll find in each region. Why do they behave differently? Due to being long and slender, they are often much larger (second only to southern elephant seals) than they appear. Although both polar and tundra regions refer to the environmental systems with very cold climates, they are different from each other in that polar … Though the emperor penguin population is healthy for now, experts project a rapid population decline in the coming years due to climate change-induced habitat loss. As an agent of change, you have the power to change the world. DID YOU KNOW: Though they’re tiny — only about the size of your pinky finger — there are so many krill in the Southern Ocean that, at some points during the year, giant schools can be spotted from space. Antarctica is devoid of large land animals Another difference between the Arctic and Antarctica is that Antarctica is devoid of large land animals. Most of these Arctic animals live in the tundra—the open plains located just north of the taiga. DID YOU KNOW: Unlike most owls, snowy owls are diurnal, or active during the day. These nesting colonies will sometimes contain over half a million birds, which makes them very noisy and super-smelly places. Antarctica, frankly, is not quite as hospitable a place as the Arctic. Privacy Notice: We use technologies on our website for personalizing content, advertising, providing social media features, and analyzing our traffic. They’re tiny birds (about a quarter of a pound) and some fly over 55,000 miles a year on their round-trip journey between the Arctic and Antarctica. The Arctic is a sea of ice surrounded by land and located at the highest latitudes of the northern hemisphere. Animals as large as whales and polar bears come to feed on them. They are actually more closely related to sheep than oxen: Their Latin name, Ovibos, translates to “sheep-ox.” Arctic wolves are their main natural predator. The primary difference between the Arctic and the Antarctic is a geological one. Arctic vs Antarctic Travel Seasons. DID YOU KNOW: Though leopard seals are known for eating penguins, they’ll actually eat just about anything, including squid, fish, and the pups of other seal species. CONSERVATION STATUS: Vulnerable. Although sea ice moves around the Arctic basin, it tends to stay in the cold Arctic waters. Scotland, You can control this through your Privacy Options. Their respective adaptations are consequently usually designed for either heat or cold. 3131 Elliott Avenue, Suite 250 By no means does this exhaust the list of Arctic animals. They have unique, forward-facing ears to help them hunt by hearing prey under the snow. Both male and female walrus have the trademark tusks, which are used for defense, breaking ice, and climbing out of the water. The above video may be from a third-party source. There are also more varieties of seals, including the crabeater, southern fur, and Weddell. But there is a big difference between the two: there is sea water below the Arctic ice cap, and there is rocky mainland below the Antarctic ice cap. Antarctica. How many adults still think penguins live in the Arctic?! When thinking of Arctic animals, the polar bear is generally the first species to come to mind. The Arctic and Antarctica have glaciers, icebergs and snowstorms – though both are among the regions on Earth where precipitation is lowest. Antarctic. The poor critter never lives long enough to get anywhere (it basically freezes solid in … More of his work can be found at Jonathon Engels: A Life About. Arctic foxes, caribou/reindeer, snowy owls and musk ox: the Arctic showcases a wonderful range of native fauna, though the animals are shy and fearful in the presence of humans. The main difference between polar and tundra regions is that polar regions are the surrounding area of Arctic and Antarctic poles, whereas tundra regions are biomes with a cold climate and less plantation on land.. * The Arctic has polar bears and the Antarctic does not. The Arctic is just frozen ocean, with no land mass. by Stacy Lee Kong Posted on 22 June 2017. Climate change causes sea ice to melt earlier in the spring and form later in the fall, leaving bears spending more and more time on land, where there’s limited food. Antarctica is mostly an ice sheet, with the south pole located some 800 miles from the sea. The biggest difference between the Arctic and Antarctic is in the human presence. Though the range of wildlife species in Antarctica is significantly less than in the Arctic, there are still many other animals to find. Similar adaptations help plants, algae, fungi, and lichens survive in both the Arctic and Antarctic. Find out all about the Antarctic geography, wildlife and environment. Seattle, WA 98121, The ABCs of a Luxury Trip to Antarctica: Amenities, Benefits & Cost, A Tribute To Edward Bransfield and the Discovery of the Antarctic Continent, But there are other, more subtle differences between these places. Differences Between the Arctic and Antarctic The term "Polar Opposites" surely originated from the North Pole and South Pole, but besides being on opposite sides of the planet, there are many other less-obvious differences between the poles. In the Arctic there are caribou, beluga whales, and polar bears. CONSERVATION STATUS: Vulnerable. These nests are unique in that they consist of a lot of plant matter (rather than merely rocks) and are only built in ice-free spaces. The main difference between the Arctic and the Antarctic is geography. Antarctica and the South Pole are land areas covered by ice, whereas the ice around the North Pole in the Arctic is pack ice and ice floes that float on the ocean, surrounded by land masses. The main difference between Arctic and Antarctic is that the Arctic is a polar region on the Earth's northern hemisphere and ... in the Arctic includes organisms living in the ice, zooplankton and phytoplankton, fish and marine mammals, birds, land animals, plants and human societies. Falkland Islands, DID YOU KNOW: Though reindeer and caribou look different (reindeer tend to be smaller, for one thing), they’re from the same species. Cracks in the Ice. They inhabit some of the harshest conditions on the planet, using different survival methods for withstand the freezing temperatures. The main difference between the Arctic and the Antarctic is geography. One of the most basic differences between Antarctica cruises and the Arctic cruises is the travel season. Are you sure you want to delete this blog post? Antarctica is mostly an ice sheet, with the south pole located some 800 miles from the sea. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. As a result, Arctic wildlife and Antarctica wildlife are vastly different, and the regions are inhabited primarily by specialized species. Also the regions actually differ in their climates and wildlife. The main difference between arctic and desert species is the climate in which they live. SIZE: 1.6 to 2.1m (5 to 6.9 ft) tall, 65 to 210kg (143 to 463 lbs). As a whole, the Arctic is home to far more animals than the Antarctic. (You can visit many polar bear habitats on our Realm of the Polar Bear tour, endorsed by animal activist Jane Goodall.). Walrus have distinct herds from the Pacific to Atlantic, and they like to congregate in large social huddles. Typically, though, they reside near the coastal waters of Antarctica, where they dine on squid and krill. With less vegetation and large expanses of icy nothingness, animal life is more or less relegated to the relatively pristine coastlines. DID YOU KNOW: The wandering albatross is the largest of the diomedeidae family and has the largest wingspan of any bird (up to 3.5 m or 11 ft). How They’re Different. Key Difference: The most obvious difference between Antarctic and Arctic is that Antarctic is located in the southern hemisphere and encompasses the South Pole region, whereas Arctic is located in the northern hemisphere and encompasses the North Pole region. SIZE: 115cm tall (45 in), up to 40kg (88 lbs). However, they are quite different. Arctic sea ice has declined over the past five decades, while Antarctic sea ice has increased, and then declined. 4. First, the size of plants and their structures make survival possible. HABITAT: Minkes favour “open pack ice” (when there’s a lot of open water between ice floes) in the summer, and migrate to tropical waters come winter. Map of Antarctica. G ADVENTURES LIMITED, a company incorporated and registered in England and Wales with company number 7848780, VAT No.175 4505 02, and its registered office is 60 Bastwick Street, London, EC1V 3AT. But what about the differences in sea ice between the two regions? Or would you prefer the Emperor penguins of Antarctica? They live primarily on the tundra, and roughly 75% of the current world population (150,000) lives in the Canadian Arctic. Born and raised in Louisiana, he has lived as an expat for over a decade, worked in nearly a dozen countries, and visited dozens of others in between. The difference between Antarctic and Antarctica stem from the fact that Antarctica is a continent within Antarctic region. The Arctic is largely sea, with the north pole over 400 miles away from the nearest land mass. 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