The Siberian tundra is located in the northeast part of Russia. It is a chilly place that can reach a temperature as low as -40 degrees Celsius. Living in Siberian tundra is not that easy. That’s why the organisms living there need to adapt to survive.
You can find some unique plants living there, such as arctic moss, arctic willow, bearberry, and many more. There are also some interesting animals living there. What are the animals living in the Siberian tundra? Let’s check them out!
- Polar Bear
Polar bears would be the first animal you can find in the Siberian tundra. You may see that polar bears’ fur is white, but it is actually not that white. Instead, it is clear. They have dual layers of fur which enable them to withstand the worst conditions and retain the heat.
Polar bears, as one of the bears you can find around the world, can live up to 20 to 30 years. They are known as solitary animals which can hunt both on land and in water.
If you want to know more about this animal, you can explore the distinctive features of a polar bear.
- Siberian Tiger
Siberian tiger is the next animal you can find in the Siberian tundra. This creature lives primarily in eastern Russia’s birch forests.
Siberian tigers have some unique behaviors. First, they tend to live alone and aggressively protective of their territory. To do this, they will scent-mark large areas to keep other tigers away.
Do you know that a tiger’s stripes act like human fingerprints? Indeed, they can be used to identify one tiger from another. Unfortunately, tigers have been one of the endangered animals in China and endangered feline species.
- Caribou
Do you know reindeer? Caribou is the reindeer of the tundra. It weighs up to 300 kg for males and 90 kg for females. Caribous mobile across the tundra in order to search for food.
They feed on a variety of plants, such as willow leaves, herbs and mosses. Meanwhile, during winter, they primarily consume lichen and fungi to survive. Caribous are harmless unless their young are threatened.
- Arctic Fox
Similar to polar bear, arctic foxes are equipped with thick fur in order to adapt to the cold environment. This animal preys on small animals and feeds on plants, such as berries. Amazingly, arctic foxes are able to adapt to the most extreme of environment.
They have another way to survive in the cold, which is by hiding in their dens or tuck themselves in to minimize heat loss. They also keep their excess meals in their dens so that they can survive when food becomes harder to find.
They are not harmful to humans, unless they are threatened. These unique facts about arctic animals will tell you more about this creature.
- Arctic Hare
Besides arctic fox, you can also find arctic hare in the Siberian tundra. Arctic hare live near vegetation where there is a lot of food source. Uniquely, their coat can change from brown to white. They do this to keep them camouflaged and protect them from predators.
- Snowy Owl
Snowy owl, the nocturnal animal, is also the inhabitant of the Siberian tundra. Snowy owls hunt at night and sleep during the day. However, during certain times in a year, they may be active during the day as well.
Snowy owls live in many regions, such as Alaska, Northern Canada and Eurasia.
They mainly feed on lemmings. Surprisingly, the average adult male can consume 1,600 lemmings in a year. They also feed on other animals, such as rodents, insects and even decaying flesh of dead animals.
- Ermine
Ermines are short-tailed weasels which look very cute, however, they are also a swift and ferocious predator. They can grow up to 13 to 29 cm and weigh less than 0.3 kg.
This animal feeds on small animals, birds and frogs and consumes fruits and vegetables. In summer time, ermines’ coat is brown with white color on their throat down to the belly.
With this feature, they are able to blend with their surroundings and move easily to escape from predators.
Tundra is an interesting place for some animals to live. The environment is different with the common environment. You can also review these animals in Alaskan tundra. Also learn the ways how animals prepare and survive winter coldness.
They are equipped with some adaptations, such as the colors of their coat, thick fur, and many more. By having those, they are able to fight the coldness and other extreme conditions in the Siberian tundra.