Animals in the Snow Wonderland

Today we will explore incredible winter lands with amazing wild animals. Penguins, the iconic animal of the Antarctic, are well known for their endurance in extreme conditions, with the emperor penguin able to withstand temperatures of -30°C with winds blasting at 200 kilometers per hour. Generally speaking, warm-blooded animals that inhabit cold regions are fairly big. Large animals have a smaller surface to volume ratio and thus relatively less surface area through which to lose heat. The smallest Antarctic penguin, the rockhopper, weighs an average of 2.5 kilograms, and the largest, the emperor penguin, is around 30 kilograms in weight. Male emperor penguins also huddle together in groups of several thousand to survive the biting wind and relentless cold. Scientists have recorded temperatures of more than 35 degrees Celsius within the huddle. Keep warm guys!
Japanese macaques, also known as snow monkeys, truly love the snow, particularly the young ones. They roll about and play in it. The youngsters make snowballs, carry them around, and have fun with them. They even play a game of trying to take each other’s snowballs! These macaques are great leapers and tree climbers, which they take advantage of to move around when there is thick snow.
To cope with the icy-cold temperatures, snow leopards are protected by thick gray or creamy yellow hair with grayish-black spots. Their broad feet, which are covered with fur, act as natural snowshoes. They use their long tails as blankets to protect sensitive body parts against the biting mountain chill. These tremendous jumpers can cross up to 15 meters in one leap. The snow leopard is listed as an endangered species, with only about 3,500 to 7,000 left in the wild.
It has been my pleasure to show you how we animals adapt to the cold winter with heavy snow. Despite our amazing ability to withstand the freezing temperatures, we would much appreciate it if you would take extra care when walking through our habitats to not disturb us during our most vulnerable time in winter.