Polar Animals
Some animals live in very hot places, such as snakes
and camels that live in deserts. Other animals live in
extremely cold places, such as the Arctic or Antarctic.
Polar bear Facts
They have big feet for Polar bears live in the ice and snow and
swimming through the sea. hunt seals. Their bodies are adapted to
the cold. This means their bodies have
They spend most of their
changed to help them stay warm.
lives in water.
Their fur is the same colour
as the snow so they blend in.
Their super sense of smell
lets them know where to
hunt for seals.
They have sharp teeth to
help them hunt and eat. Penguin Facts
They use their wings like
flippers for swimming.
They have waterproof
feathers to keep them dry.
Did You Know…? They have lots of fat to stop
Penguins are found in them getting too cold.
both hot and cold places. Their beaks open wide to
Some kinds of penguin love catch and eat fish whole!
hot weather!
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Polar Animals
Questions
1. Which animal can be found in a desert? Tick one.
fish
snake
cow
2. What do polar bears hunt? Tick one.
cats
chickens
seals
3. What are polar bears’ feet useful for? Tick one.
swimming
dancing
jumping
4. What can penguins’ beaks do that helps them? Tick one.
stay closed
open wide
move around
5. Why do polar bears need to look white? Tick one.
to blend in with the snow
to stand out in the snow
to look look cute
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Polar Animals
Answers
1. Which animal can be found in a desert? Tick one.
fish
snake
cow
2. What do polar bears hunt? Tick one.
cats
chickens
seals
3. What are polar bears’ feet useful for? Tick one.
swimming
dancing
jumping
4. What can penguins’ beaks do that helps them? Tick one.
stay closed
open wide
move around
5. Why do polar bears need to look white? Tick one.
to blend in with the snow
to stand out in the snow
to look look cute
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Polar Animals
Polar bears
Polar bears are very large
meat-eating mammals that
can be found in the Arctic.
Mammals are animals with
fur and warm blood. Fully- Polar bear cubs stay in their dens for
grown polar bears can up to five months after they are born
measure over 2.5m long and stay with their mums for up to
and weigh around 700kg. two years after that.
They are not like other bears
because they spend most of Polar bears are strong swimmers.
their lives swimming and They use their huge feet like paddles
hunting on ice for food. to push through the water.
They only come onto land to
have babies. They can swim for hours to get from
one piece of ice to another.
Polar bears live at the very top of our
planet and it is bitterly cold there.
Water and steam will freeze almost
instantly in the Arctic in winter.
Polar bears are adapted for this
environment. They have a thick layer
of fat which keeps heat trapped inside
their bodies.
They also have a thick white coat that keeps
them warm and also helps them to blend
in with the snow. A polar bear’s fur isn’t
really white despite how it might look. It is
actually transparent. This means it is see-
through. It reflects the light to look white.
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Polar Animals
Penguins
Penguins can’t fly and have
to swim to find and catch
their food unlike most birds.
They eat fish and other
seafood, such as shrimp.
Penguins need to be different They have dark feathers with light
to birds that fly because they patches which lets them blend in
spend most of their time in so that nothing will hunt them.
water. Their bodies have
changed so that they can
swim easily. Their bodies are Penguins do have wings even
smooth so they can whizz though they don’t fly. They have
through the water. plenty of fat to keep them warm
in the cold water.
Emperor penguins are found in the
Antarctic, which is at the bottom
of our planet. They live through
the worst weather on Earth. They
huddle together against the freezing
cold and icy winds to stay alive.
Most people think that penguins are live in cold places, but lots of
penguins live in warm places too. Penguins can be found in South
Africa, Australia and on the Galapagos Islands.
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Polar Animals
Questions
1. What is a mammal? Tick one.
An animal with warm blood and fur.
An animal with cold blood and fur.
An animal with warm blood and scales.
2. How long are adult polar bears? Tick one.
over 3.5m
over 2.5m
over 4.5m
3. What happens to steam and water in an Arctic winter? Tick one.
It freezes very slowly.
It heats up almost instantly.
It freezes almost instantly.
4. What colour is a polar bear’s fur?
5. Fill in the missing word.
Their bodies have so that they can swim easily.
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Polar Animals
Answers
1. What is a mammal? Tick one.
An animal with warm blood and fur.
An animal with cold blood and fur.
An animal with warm blood and scales.
2. How long are adult polar bears? Tick one.
over 3.5m
over 2.5m
over 4.5m
3. What happens to steam and water in an Arctic winter? Tick one.
It freezes very slowly.
It heats up almost instantly.
It freezes almost instantly.
4. What colour is a polar bear’s fur?
A polar bear has transparent (clear) fur.
5. Fill in the missing word.
Their bodies have changed so that they can swim easily.
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Polar Animals
Polar bears
Polar bears are huge
mammals that can weigh
up to 700kg when they are
fully grown and are the
largest carnivores to live
on land. This means they Polar bears spend most of their lives
eat meat. Polar bears are around water and ice, hunting for food.
born between November and They are strong swimmers and can swim
January and then spend up for hours to get from one piece of ice
to five months in their den to another.
before they see the outside
world. The cubs then stay
with their mother for up to
two years after that, before
going on to live
and hunt alone.
Winter gets particularly cold and the
sea freezes. Polar bears are able to hunt
many miles out to sea by walking across
the thick sea ice. Polar bears mainly prey
on seals as seal fat provides them with
lots of energy to help them keep warm.
They use their amazing sense of smell to
find seals hidden under the snow. They can
even smell an injured animal from up to one
kilometre away. Polar bears will sometimes
catch a whale or walrus when they get
desperate for food.
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Polar Animals
Penguins
Penguins are birds that
spend much of their lives
in the water and cannot
fly like most other birds.
Penguins do have wings but
they are more like flippers They have dark feathers with light
to help them swim. Their patches which helps them to blend
bodies have adapted so that in so they are difficult to spot. This
they can swim brilliantly to is very useful way to trick predators
catch food. Their bodies are and avoid being eaten! Penguins don’t
smooth and dart-shaped so have to swim in deep water as the
they glide easily through fish they catch are found near to the
the water. surface. Their feathers make their
bodies waterproof.
Penguins are found on every continent
in the southern hemisphere. This is the
bottom half of the world. Most people
think that penguins only live in the ice
and snow but there are some species
that live in warmer climates.
The hottest penguin habitat is the Galapogas Islands, where
temperatures can reach as high as 23°C. Emperor and Ad élie
penguins live in Antarctica in temperatures as low as -60°C.
Emperor penguins are the only animals to stay
on the open ice during an Antarctic winter.
They huddle together to survive the worst
weather conditions on earth.
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Polar Animals
Questions
1. What is a carnivore? Tick one.
a meat-eater
a plant-eater
a seal-eater
2. What temperatures can it reach in Antarctica?
-20°C
-60°C
-600°C
3. From how far away can a polar bear smell an injured animal?
4. How are polar bears able to hunt many miles out at sea?
5. What is the southern hemisphere?
6. Would you rather visit the Arctic or Antarctica? Explain your answer.
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Polar Animals
Answers
1. What is a carnivore? Tick one.
a meat-eater
a plant-eater
a seal-eater
2. What temperatures can it reach in Antarctica?
-20°C
-60°C
-600°C
3. From how far away can a polar bear smell an injured animal?
A polar bear can smell an injured animal from 1km away.
4. How are polar bears able to hunt many miles out at sea?
Polar bears can hunt many miles out at sea because the sea freezes and
the polar bears walk across the ice.
5. What is the southern hemisphere?
The southern hemisphere is the bottom half of our planet.
6. Would you rather visit the Arctic or Antarctica? Explain your answer.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I would rather visit Antarctica because
I would like to see an Emperor penguin.
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