Antarctic Animals: Life in Ice

Discovering the amazing creatures that survive in Earth's coldest continent Year 6 Science

What Makes Antarctica Special?

Coldest continent on Earth Covered in thick ice and snow Very strong winds No trees or grass grow here Yet 235 animal species call it home!

Think About It

How do you think animals survive in such freezing temperatures? What special features might they need?

The Penguin Family

Emperor penguins - the largest (1.2m tall!) King penguins - with golden head feathers Adelie penguins - with white eye rings Chinstrap penguins - look like they're wearing helmets Gentoo penguins - fastest swimmers

Penguin Huddle Challenge

Stand in a circle with your classmates Take turns being the 'emperor penguin' in the middle Others huddle around to keep the 'emperor' warm Discuss how this helps penguins survive freezing temperatures

Seals of Antarctica

{"left":"Leopard seals - fierce predators with spotted coats\nFur seals - excellent swimmers and divers\nWeddell seals - can hold breath for 45 minutes","right":"Crabeater seals - actually eat krill, not crabs!\nElephant seals - males have inflatable nose trunks\nRoss seals - rarest Antarctic seals"}

Giants of the Southern Ocean

Blue whales - largest animals ever on Earth Humpback whales - famous for their songs Minke whales - smallest Antarctic whales Orcas (killer whales) - intelligent hunters All come to Antarctica to feed on krill

Antarctic Food Web

Amazing Adaptations

'Antarctic animals have incredible superpowers for surviving extreme cold - from antifreeze blood to sharing body heat!'

Design Your Antarctic Animal

Draw and name your own Antarctic animal Give it special features to survive the cold Explain what it eats and where it lives Share your creation with the class