15 Things You Never Knew About the Animals That Live in the Arctic’s Extreme Conditions

Imagine a land where the sun only rises and sets only once a year. A night stretches on for six months. Temperatures rarely rise above the sub-zero range, and trees can’t even grow in the inhospitable terrain. This land is the Arctic, and it is home to some of the world’s toughest, strangest, and most beautiful animals.

Often defined as the region above the Arctic Circle, the Arctic is the northernmost area of the world, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. A frozen landscape around the North Pole, the theArctic region covers about 5.5 million square miles, as noted by Arctic World.

During the winter months, the average daily temperature in the Arctic region may hover around -20°C. In fact, temps as low as -50°C are not unheard of in the coldest parts of the Arctic, according to Canada’s Arctic. Despite these inhospitable conditions, however, plenty of animals manage to survive and thrive in this remote part of the earth.

From tiny migratory birds to the giant polar bear, the variety of animal life in the Arctic is remarkable. And to live in such harsh conditions, these creatures have developed some unique and striking adaptations for survival.

Read on to learn about some of the most tenacious animals on the planet.