There is a fairly stable stereotype about the Arctic as a cold and lifeless region. Of course, this has nothing to do with the truth. The fauna of the Arctic is original and unique, and its amazing representatives play a crucial role in the life of our entire planet.
The Arctic is unique in terms of the animals that inhabit it. This region is of particular importance for the biodiversity of our planet. Some species of its inhabitants are not found in any other point on the Earth. The animals of the Arctic populate the region unevenly: with the change of the natural zone, the number of representatives of each species sharply changes. If we take Taimyr as an example and consider the features of its fauna, then at a distance of 700 kilometers the population density of its animals will differ several times: in the more northern part there are 7 times fewer birds and 14 times less beetles.
One of the noblest and most beautiful animals - the reindeer - lives here. It is the main value in the life of the small peoples of the North, which it provides with milk, antlers, meat, skins - everything without which it is impossible to survive at temperatures typical for the region. Venison saves people from scurvy, provides vitamins and allows you to lead a full life. Most domesticated deer live in the Yamal-Nenets district.
Musk oxen are the largest ungulates in the region. These herbivores in the Arctic are the same age as mammoths. They are well adapted to harsh conditions: unpretentious in food, covered with long hair. Today musk oxen are listed in the Red Book. They live on Taimyr and Wrangel Island.
For many representatives of fur-bearing animals, the Arctic is the first home. The animals of these varieties - foxes, ermines, wolverines, polar wolves and arctic foxes - are the basis of fur trade for indigenous peoples. Rodents are also important: hares, hamsters, lemmings, which are the most important element of food chains at all levels.
Arctic animals are widely represented by marine mammals. They have long been considered a symbol of the region. Some of their species are currently exterminated by man.
Polar bears are the main symbol of the Arctic. There are 19 populations of this beast. They lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle, breed on Franz Josef Land, Chukotka, Cape Desire.
Another inhabitant of the local latitudes is the walrus, which is the main object of Eskimo hunting. Greenland whales and minke whales, as well as seals, live here. Cetacean populations are represented by beluga whales, narwhals, bowhead and gray whales.
The fish fauna has 430 species, among which the majority of commercial species (cod, herring, scorpion, salmon, flounder, etc.). The warmest waters rich in plankton are the Barents Sea, which is the center of Arctic fishing.
In the Arctic, half of all coastal birds of the planet live. These are seagulls-gullies, fulmars, bering cormorants, chistiki, burgomaster, thick-billed guillemots, polar terns. In summer, 280 bird species nest here.
About 17% of all Arctic habitats are insects, which form half of all species of the planet. Some species of beetles and flies of these latitudes are able to live at a temperature of 60 degrees below zero.
Today, many animals in the Arctic are in danger due to global warming, which threatens them with starvation. In 2010, scientists announced that 17 species of animals are on the verge of extinction. Among them are polar bears, arctic foxes, 4 species of whales, musk ox, walruses, seals and some species of seabirds. In addition, in 2012 it was recognized that the Russian Arctic is contaminated with oil products and fuels and lubricants more than the territories of other states. This poses another threat to the ecological balance of the region. Some animals in the Arctic are sick and mutate. Urgent measures are needed to save them.
