Wildlife of the Tundra
The animals that reside in the Tundra have adapted to survive in the harsh conditions. Among the adaptations that have had to be made are breeding and raising young in the summer and hibernating or migrating in the winter. Organisms living here have extra insulation such as feather or fur in order to conserve their body heat also they usually have a compact body which helps to keep the animal warm. Many of the animals in the tundra have white fur in the winter and brown in the summer. The changing of fur and feather colors allows for protection from predators.
Arctic fox: small, burrows in the ground, tail as insulation, fur white in winter and grey in summer, 52 day gestation, preys mostly on small animals but has the ability to eat plants when prey is scarce. |
Arctic Moss: short roots, not really roots at all. under water
Arctic Willow:short roots
Bearberry:short roots
Caribou Moss:short roots
Diamond-leaf Willow:short roots, low to ground
Labrador Tea:short roots
Pasque Flower:short roots, low to ground, faces the mountain
Tufted Saxifrage:short roots
Edelweiss: short roots, thick fuzzy leaves and petals
The tundra's extremely cold climate causes the ground to remain frozen at all time under the top layer of soil. Due to this no trees can grow in the Tundra, only plants such as shrubs. There is little precipitation, less then 10 inches a year. The length of the growing season is limited, lasting about 60 days.