Antarctica Animals

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