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A Brief Description of the Animals Inhabiting the Tundra Region by Ravi Dehar with help from Purnell Davis

The tundra includes the following animals: caribou, arctic fox, musk ox, reindeer, polar bears, brown bears, lemmings, snow owls, and puffins.  Here is a description of these animals.

 

Musk ox's has a large coat which hangs very long and travels in herds.  These animals have long curving homs with sharp tips that leave a scent for mating and these animals eat mostly plants.  Their main animal predators are wolves and they protect their young by circling them and attacking the wolf by scooping it up and stomping ft.

 

Caribou travel in herds, have a fur coat which changes throughout the season and traps air for insulation, and they migrate to warmer temperatures in the winter.  These animals eat lichens and other plants, and also have hooves that act like snow shoes.  They can also swim in very cold waters.  They have antlers for protection and these animals can learn to ran 90 minutes after birth.

 

Reindeer are related to caribou and have long horns.  They feed mostly on vegetation that is hidden under the snow.  They also have large hooves that help they through the snow.  These animals like the caribou, can swim and also have the insulating fur.

 

Wolves are carnivores that have strong teeth, a fur coat, and good eyes.  The wolf feeds on small animals, birds, and berries and may also feed on carrion.  The wolves have dens in tree trunks, caves, thickets, and holes in the ground.  The young and parents create a pack and defend themselves.

 

Polar bears have a white coat that trap heat and also have sharp claws to hold onto their prey or grasp the ice.  They have good navigational sense and can smell very well.  They also know how to get their food which mostly consists of seals.  The mother and child have strong bonds and the males seem to be solitary.  Some of these bears roam all around and swim far off to find food.  They also have large territories and use blubber to keep them wan-n.  Blubber also makes a problem when hunting because it slows the bear down.

 

The fox have coats that change in between seasons for warmth.  They usually five in dens and their pups are fed by the parents.  When the family splits up, the parents feed on dead carcasses of marine animals, caribou, and reindeer.  They also eat lemmings, berries, eggs, and gulls.

 

The brown bear is very large and has fur and blubber.  They have long claws and eat large amounts of berries, fish, and plants.  They are very muscular and are quick.  They can reach speeds of 35 miles per hour in a short distance.

 

Lemmings are small animals that have coats that change in the winter to hide from owls.  They also eat berries and plants but when food gets scarce, they run until they find some.  They may just run and swim until they get there.

 

Snowy owls have their feathers change and use it for hiding and preying on rodents and other birds.  Snowy owls also feed on eggs of geese and ducks but have to be quick.  The owls nest looks like the ground of the tundra and also is hidden from other predators.  The owl also stays where it can find food so it will not fly to the south for winter.

 

The puffin flies through different areas and can also swim.  It also carries fish in its bill for its young.  We don't know how it does it because no one has watched it underwater.  It digs holes and uses them as nests.  The chicks only come out when they are ready to fly.  Puffins have different colored feathers and they are mostly black.