Difference between revisions of "Template:POTD protected"

From Encyclopedia Westarctica
Jump to navigation Jump to search
 
(132 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{| role="presentation" style="margin:0 3px 3px; width:100%; text-align:left; background-color:transparent; border-collapse: collapse; "
{| role="presentation" style="margin:0 3px 3px; width:100%; text-align:left; background-color:transparent; border-collapse: collapse; "
|style="padding:0 0.9em 0 0;" | [[File:Antarctic-midgee.jpg|300px]]
|style="padding:0 0.9em 0 0;" | [[File:Brown Suka eating chick.jpg|300px|thumb]]
|style="padding:0 6px 0 0"|
|style="padding:0 6px 0 0"|


The '''[[Antarctic midge]]''' is a species of flightless midge, endemic to the continent of [[Antarctica]]. At 0.079–0.24 in long, it is the largest purely terrestrial animal on the continent, as well as its only insect. It also has the smallest known insect genome as of 2014, with only 99 million base pairs of nucleotides (and about 13,500 genes).
The '''[[Brown Skua]]''' is a large seabird that breeds in the subantarctic and [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] zones and moves further north when not breeding.


This species is the [[National Symbols of Westarctica|national insect]] of [[Westarctica]].
Brown skuas are masters of piracy, they often feed by stealing partially digested fish from the the beaks of other birds. Their victims are typically terns or [[penguin]]s, though other fish-eating species are also pursued until they disgorge their catches. The fact that skuas are swift and agile fliers (and that they sometimes gang up on a single victim) aid in their success rate. This is the heaviest species of skua and rivals even the largest gulls as the heaviest species in the shorebird order although not as large in length or wingspan.  


To adapt to the cold temperatures, the Antarctic midge accumulates trehalose, glucose, and erythritol. These compounds help the insect survive freezing by reducing the amount of ice that forms within the body. They also stabilize proteins and membranes, binding to them by means of hydrogen bonds. Heat shock proteins also help the tolerance to both high and low temperatures.
<p><small>Photographer: Jenny Varley</small></p>
 
[[:Category:Images|'''(More Images)''']]
It not only tolerates, but also requires a freezing climate to survive: exposure of larvae to mild temperatures as +10 °C is enough to kill them within a week. Exposure to temperatures of +30 °C kills individuals in a few hours. It can, however, resist partial desiccation, surviving the loss of up to 70% of body water.
 
<p><small>Photographer: Tasteofcrayons</small></p>
[[:Category:Images|'''(More Featured Images)''']]
<div class="potd-recent" style="text-align:right;">
<div class="potd-recent" style="text-align:right;">

Latest revision as of 14:07, 16 April 2024

Brown Suka eating chick.jpg

The Brown Skua is a large seabird that breeds in the subantarctic and Antarctic zones and moves further north when not breeding.

Brown skuas are masters of piracy, they often feed by stealing partially digested fish from the the beaks of other birds. Their victims are typically terns or penguins, though other fish-eating species are also pursued until they disgorge their catches. The fact that skuas are swift and agile fliers (and that they sometimes gang up on a single victim) aid in their success rate. This is the heaviest species of skua and rivals even the largest gulls as the heaviest species in the shorebird order although not as large in length or wingspan.

Photographer: Jenny Varley

(More Images)

Retrieved from "https://www.westarctica.wiki/index.php?title=Template:POTD_protected&oldid=12766"