Biology PT Journal (planet zork): August 2012

Force Fitting Excercise

As the soft toy which used for this force fitting exercise is unable to be uploaded here, I can only upload the commercial picture here:

Bibliography

Research

What research did I do on the animals living in extreme cold temperatures?

Animals that live in the tundra have special adaptations that allow them to survive the
extreme temperatures and conditions that are present in a tundra. A good example
of an animal with special adaptations is the Arctic Fox. The Arctic Fox has short ears
and a short, round body with a thick coat to minimise the amount of skin exposed to
the frigid air. There is a low amount of biodiversity in the tundra so fluctuations in
one animal population will effect populations in another. An example of this would be
that if in a certain year there is a lower amount of Lemmings than usual, then the
population of Snowy Owls, who feed mostly on Lemmings, will also decrease.

Click for more information from the original web page

From that information, it is shown that there are many animals in the tundras that have adapted to the extreme weathers in the tundras.

The links below are information on the animals living in cold weather and their adaptations:

Arctic Mammals living on land:

-Caribou

-Musk Oxen
-Arctic Wolves
-Wolverine
-Arctic Fox
-Weasel
-Lemmings

-Arctic Hare
-Yakut Horse

Arctic Birds:
-Arctic Tern
-The Raven
-The Ptarmigan
-Snowy Owl

Arctic Sea Mammals:
-Polar Bears
-Seals
-Walrus

As I am the secondary consumer of the my group, I have decided, to use the information above, which I have researched on to create an organism that is an omnivore. I would be using most of the information on mammals living on land.

One of the most common adaptation of the mammals which live on land is that they actually have a thick coat of fur. This thick coat of fur would help to keep them warm. After much deliberation on my part, I have finally decided on mixing the adaptations of the two animal as on of them is a herbivore while the other is a omnivore, they are the yakut horse and arctic fox respectively. Therefore, My following research would focus more on the adaptation of the yakut horse and arctic fox. However, after learning more about the adaptation on the two animals, i would combine most of their adaptations to the organism which I am creating and add some more adaptation as I see fit to it.

The Yakut Horse

Facts and Adaptations

Although it is considered as a horse and not a pony, the typical Yakut is rather small and compact, with a straight neck and short, wide feet, a direct result of its adaptation to the extreme climate to which it is exposed. In addition to this compact conformation which retains heat better, he is endowed with a very thick mane and tail and an exceptionally thick winter coat. His body mass becomes completely rounded during the short summer months, a sign that it is accumulating fat which will help it to survive the long winter months, during which it can lose as much as 20% of its weight! The fat can be as much as 35 kg. (77 lb.) on the total weight of a well-fed adult horse. Even its internal biomechanism has learned how to transform itself in order to regulate the rhythm and the volume of its breathing, passing from 20 breaths a minute during the summer to 10-12 during the winter, and from 19.8 litres (35 pints)/minute in summer to 12.6 litres (22 pints)/minute during winter time. The creation of warmth is also modified, dropping from 8.65 kJ/kg/hour (3.89 kJ/pound/hour) to 4.83 kJ/kg/hour (2.17 kJ/pound/hour) during the winter.

But all these morphological adaptations would be of no use if this surprising horse was not equally blessed with an exceptional sense of smell, which means he can find whatever there is to graze during the Arctic semi-darkness, and with hard enough hooves to scrape away the ice to reach the rare morsels of grass.

Broader than other horses descended from the Mongolian, there are actually three types of Yakut horse: the original from the north (around Kolyma or Verkhoïansk), the southern Yakut, smaller and more pure for they have not been cross-bred, and another Yakut from the central southern region (around Yakutsk), larger, crossed with other breeds of gaited horses and trotters, and used to improve the local breed.

The Kolyma, the most esteemed of the Yakut horses, has a greater homogeneity than the other Yakuts. The head is ordinary, the neck straight and of average length, low withers, a long, wide back, a dropping rump, a wide and deep chest, short leg, and exceptionally hard hooves. The mane and tail are long and very thick, and the body hair sometimes grows as long as 8 cm. (3 inches) in winter.

Arctic Fox

Arctic Fox Physical Adaptations

In the freezing conditions of tundra, the most important thing that the Arctic fox needs to do is to ensure that its core body temperature does not fall below a certain point. For this, the entire body of the Arctic fox is covered with thick fur. In fact, the fur of this species is said to the warmest of any mammal on the planet, - including the polar bear with whom it shares its habitat. At the same time, it has a system in its body wherein there is countercurrent exchange of heat which is attributed to circulation of blood and adequate amount of adipose tissues.

The size and body shape of Arctic fox have a crucial role to play in maintaining its body temperature. It has a small and round body - with a short muzzle and thick ears, which reduces its exposure to cold and minimizes heat loss. Its furry tail doesn't just help it when it comes to balance and camouflage, but also acts as a warm blanket when it sleeps. The arctic fox has even adapted its feet to survive in the harsh winter climate of the Arctic with the fur on the bottom of its feet providing it protection from the ice while walking or digging the ground.

The Arctic fox puts its coat to good use throughout the year. In summer, and it camouflages itself against the melting snow by shedding its white coat and opting for a brown one instead. The process is reversed in winter, and by November it's coat is back to snow white color that happens to be its typical characteristic trait. One of the most amazing physical adaptations in this species is their heavily pigmented eyes that help them reduce the damage caused by strong light reflected from the ice. This species relies on its keen sense of hearing when it comes to hunting. Once it spots a prey just below the level of the ice, it just jumps on its prey and catches it. It has sharp claws that help it to dig into the ground for prey without slipping.

Arctic Fox Dietary Adaptations

Over the course of time, this species has adapted to a diet which helps them survive in the summer and winter of the Arctics. The Arctic fox is basically an opportunistic predator which feeds small mammals - like lemmings and ground squirrels, as well as insects and eggs. In winter when conditions are harsh and there is shortage of food, it follows the polar bears and caribous instead of hunting on its own. When it follows the polar bear, it scavenges on whatever that is left after the bear has had its fill. While that is risky considering that polar bears do have the tendency to hunt and feed on Arctic foxes, the superb camouflage skills that the latter boasts of comes to its rescue. On the other hand, when it follows the caribou, it feeds on insects that come to the surface when caribous forage the ground for food. More importantly, this animal is shrewd enough to use the thick sheets of ice to store food. At times, it digs a hole in the permafrost and stores its food there for future. Instead of building its own den, it enlarges squirrel burrows and uses it as his abode - and this helps him save energy and go without food for considerable amount of time.

For survival in the harsh and incredibly hard frigid, subzero climatic conditions, such adaptations surely come as a blessing in disguise. Even though the Arctic fox is not considered endangered as a whole, there do exist two subspecies of this animal which are considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). While these adaptations of the Arctic fox have helped it survive the wrath of nature, whether they will help it survive the human wrath is something that is difficult to say as loss of habitat and large-scale hunting for fur continue to fuel the decline of this species in the wild.

Friday 31 August 2012

Force Fitting Excercise

Bibliography

Research