Antarctica > KEEPING WARM

Antarctica is so cold that very few animals and humans live there. The animals and humans that do live there learn to dress warmly! Penguins have layers of warm feathers and blubber (fat) that keep them warm. Their babies are kept in a warm, pouch like area right above the feet, until they are ready to join the other babies in a small group. Polar bears have ways to dress up warmly to. They have layers of blubber, just like seals. Every one of a polar bears individual hairs is a hallow tube. The air inside each tube helps keep the cold out. It can also stop their fur from matting. For humans, thick pants and coats, boots, and other warm clothing are essential.

Deserts > Desert Animals > KEEPING COOL

Desert animals have tons of ways to keep cool in the hot desert. Sidewinder snakes slither, or squiggle, in a certain way so only part of their body touches the sand. The Shovel Snouted Lizard lifts one back leg and one front leg together and then switches over to the other back and front leg so it’s feet don’t burn. Kangaroos also have a way of keeping cool. They lick their forearms and when there spit evaporates it cools them down.

Deserts > Desert Animals > CAMELS

Camels are very important to desert people. They provide milk, transportation, and meat if needed.

There are two kinds of camels: The Arabian camel, and the Bactrian camel. The Arabian camel has one hump and the Bactrian camel has two. The Arabian camel is the bigger of the two. It usually stands up to 2 meters (or 7 feet) tall up to the shoulders. The hump adds an extra 30 centimeters (or about 12 inches) above its back. The Bactrian camel, the shorter of the two, stands 1.9 meters (or about 6.5 feet) tall to the shoulders. It’s usually a bit heavier then an Arabian camel.

Camel humps are a store of fat. When the camel has no food it lives of the nutrition that is stored in its hump. Camels can also live without water for several days, but when a camel gets to water there sure is a water frenzy!