Antarctica Animals

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Antarctica has an abundance of animal life, almost all of it being dependent on the sea, in fact the largest truly land animal is a wingless midge about 13mm / 0.5 of an inch long. As the animal life is dependent on the sea and are mainly warm blooded, they tend to be pretty large as a survival technique against the extreme and relentless cold. That Antarctica can support such an abundance of large animals is a result of the productivity of the southern polar sea.

Penguins	Seals	Other animals
Adelie penguin Pygoscelis adeliae Chinstrap penguin Pygoscelis antarctica Gentoo penguin Pygoscelis papua Penguin royalty, King and Emperor penguins Aptenodytes patagonica Aptenodytes forsteri,	Weddell seals Leptonychotes weddelli Southern Fur seal Arctocephalus gazella Southern Elephant seal Mirounga leonina Crabeater seal Lobodon carcinophagus Leopard Seal Hydruga leptonyx	Whale species - species and lifestyle Krill - Euphausia superba Wandering albatross Diomedea axulans Snow petrel Pagrodama nivea Antarctic skua Catharacta maccormicki Blue eyed shag Phalacrocopax atriceps Giant petrel Macronectes giganteus Cape pigeon Sheathbill Antarctic tern Sterna vittata