Question 1001: Which animals can withstand cold temperatures to -150 ° C?

The bodies of these species can produce natural anticoagulants, which help them stay frozen even at temperatures below 0 ° C.

Red tree bark flattened beetle

This beetle about half an inch long has a habitat from North Carolina to the Arctic Circle. They live under the bark of a tree and their bodies are purposefully designed to survive the harshest conditions in mid-winter.

The arctic climate in August acts like the resting climate for this species. In laboratories, they can withstand freezing temperatures up to -150 degrees Celsius.

In fact, this is the coldest we’ve ever seen. They can overcome this extreme cold by forcing 30-40% less water in the body and preserving the remaining water by using antifreeze proteins between the cell membranes.

Thyme beef

Muskrats have lived in the Arctic for a long time, from the ice age about 200,000 years ago. With double-layer coat, the first layer is a thick dark gray outer coat that reaches the ground long and the inner undercoat gives them very good resistance to cold to temperatures down to minus 40 degrees. , to withstand the rigors of the Arctic.

Muskrats live in herds from 12-24 in winter and 8-20 in summer. During the summer, musk cows live in humid areas, such as deep valleys, and move up into higher mountainous regions in winter. Their food includes arctic willow grass, lichen and moss under the snow. Thyme is raised for meat, milk and feathers. Currently this species is protected, so the number is kept at a stable level.

Great Greenland shark

The Greenland giant sharks live in deep waters in the North Atlantic and Arctic regions, and these giant sharks not only survive in the cold water, but also have the longest lifespan of any species. are there any vertebrae on the planet – an average of 300 to 500 years old.

Greenland giant sharks have an extremely slow metabolic rate that helps control temperature and prolong life, and they are also the largest shark, can reach 6.4m in length and weigh about 1,000kg . Therefore, this shark is also very slow, often only hunting prey that has gone to sleep.

The price for a 500-year-old shark’s longevity is also not small. Specifically, it not only swim very slowly, difficult to find food, but the body also contains many parasites. Sometimes it even has to eat scavengers to relieve its hunger.

Besides, scientists are also hoping, the study of 500-year-old shark’s DNA could open a way to longevity for humans.

Before that, indigenous people in Greenland and Iceland used to believe in increasing longevity by eating Greenland shark meat.

Greenland shark meat is considered a specialty in Iceland, although toxic if not handled properly.

Snow Sheathbill

The snow Sheathbill is a brave, white, dove-like bird; This is the only native bird that lives on the surface of Antarctica and is the only species to breed here.

With their thick fur to help keep them warm, they live mostly on the ground, trying to pick up other birds’ scattered food scraps. They are also the only birds in Antarctica that do not have membranes.

So how can the snowy Sheathbill keep his toes warm while spending so much time on frozen ground? The secret lies in their life-long “bounce hobby”, they spend a lot of time hopping from leg to foot in order to reduce the coldness from the surface of the ice and snow. Furthermore, Snow Sheathbills also possess an extremely thick, fine coat that helps them retain heat well.

Weddell seals

If you are looking for a mammal that loves a few dozen degrees of negative cold every minute, then you will definitely love the Weddel seal.

They are the farthest Antarctic species of any kind, and spend most of their time living underneath the Antarctic ice, where they can hunt and avoid being caught by killer whales.

With the ability to dive deep to a depth of more than 600 meters, Weddell seals can stay underwater for up to 45 minutes and if they cannot break the ice to get the oxygen they need, they use their teeth to dig a hole. take the gas.

Antarctic seawater is actually warmer than surface air (which can drop to -70 degrees Celsius), so especially during intense winter storms, seals will stay warm by diving into the ocean. .

The arctic soil squirrel

If the current epidemic in the world makes you want to hibernate, you can consider the Arctic ground squirrel as an example.

Living in the arctic tundra in North America, where temperatures can drop below -63 degrees C in winter, they can escape the coldest winter by burrowing underground and sleeping for as long as eight. the month of the year.

When hibernation, the temperature in the brains of these squirrels can drop to just above freezing, while the body temperature can drop to -2.9 degrees C and the heart rate drops to just one beat per beat. minute. When the hibernation time is over, the squirrels need about three hours to warm up the body again.

This ability of arctic ground squirrels is due to them being able to cut off nerve connections and synapses to hibernate, then reconnect them immediately after awakening and warming the body, almost 2 – Every 3 weeks during winter.

In addition to its sublime cold tolerance, the arctic ground squirrel is also famous for its ability to fast for 8 months. The arctic ground squirrel body has the ability to recycle its own nutrients during hibernation for many months.