Adaptations of Animals to Cold Environments
Geography: AQA GCSE, topic 2.4.4
How are Animals Adapted to Cold Environments?
Animals have to evolve to deal with water coming from permafrost or the sea, a lack of shelter from the wind and extreme temperatures.
Walruses and seals
- Walruses and seals store lots of fat or blubber in their bodies to keep them warm during the extremely cold months.
- This acts as a layer of insulation against the cold.
Birds
- Many birds will migrate very long distances to avoid the coldest winter months in tundra and polar environments.
Reindeer
- Polar bears hibernate in winter. Reindeer do not.
- Reindeer have fur on their hooves to stop them slipping on ice, they have learned to swim to deal with the icy/watery environment and in winter they eat plants and lichens.
Polar bears
- Polar bears are well-camouflaged with their white fur.
- Their fur is very thick allowing them to stay warm and they also store blubber like walruses and seals.
- In the coldest winter months, polar bears hibernate to survive.
Arctic hares
- Arctic hares' white fur gives them extremely good camouflage in the polar and tundra environments which are often snow-covered.
Test yourself on Adaptations of Animals to Cold Environments
How are animals adapted to cold environments?
Which of the following is not a common adaptation of animals to cold environments?
What is the main component of a reindeer's diet in winter?