Polar Creatures The North and South Poles are the coldest places on Earth. The Arctic is close to the North Pole while the Antarctic is near the South Pole. Near the poles winter lasts for almost half of the year and it is very dark. At times, it is dark almost all day. Creatures living in the extreme cold have adapted to cope with the cold temperatures. Some have thick fur, others have fluffy feathers while others have a layer of fat which keeps their bodies warm. This is a polar bear from the This is a walrus. It eats fish and sea creatures such as clams. Arctic. It likes to eat seals It uses its whiskers to help it and fish. Polar bears often find food like clams on the wait near a breathing hole sea bed. A walrus has two that a seal has made in the really long teeth called ice for it to come to the tusks which are used as surface. Polar bears hooks to pull it out of have a thick furry coat to the water. keep warm and big paws to help it walk on the snow. This is a snowy owl. It has This is an arctic fox. Its brown white feathers so that it coat turns white in the winter. It cannot be seen. It swoops has a thick fur coat to stay warm down to grab hares, mice and big ears for hearing prey or lemmings in its claws for under the ground. food. Arctic foxes eat birds, The snowy owl has very good fish, small mammals eyesight and hearing which and eggs. enables it to locate its prey even under the snow! classroomsecrets.com © Classroom Secrets Limited 2015 Comprehension – Polar Creatures – 2b – Easy This is a ringed seal. It has a thick layer of blubber or fat This is a penguin which lives in the which keeps it warm in the icy, cold sea. The seal can stay Antarctic. Although it is a bird, a under water for almost an penguin cannot fly. It uses its hour without taking a wings as flippers when it swims. breath. It hunts for fish, Even though it is clumsy on land, shrimps, crabs and squid. the penguin is graceful in the water. The penguin’s main food is fish which it grasps in its strong beak. classroomsecrets.com © Classroom Secrets Limited 2015 Comprehension – Polar Creatures – 2b – Easy Polar Creatures Complete this table with . (AF2) Eats fish or sea Name of creature Eats plants or fruit Eats mammals Eats birds or eggs creatures polar bear walrus snowy owl arctic fox ringed seal penguin Why has the writer put the information in boxes? (AF4) What does the walrus use to help it get out of the water? (AF2) Why do you think that the arctic fox turns white in the winter? (AF3) Why would a penguin never meet a polar bear? (AF3/AF7) How does a penguin use its wings? (AF2) classroomsecrets.com © Classroom Secrets Limited 2015 Comprehension – Polar Creatures – 2b – Easy Polar Creatures Complete this table with . (AF2) Eats fish or sea Name of creature Eats plants or fruit Eats mammals Eats birds or eggs creatures polar bear walrus snowy owl arctic fox ringed seal penguin Why has the writer put the information in boxes? (AF4) To make it easier to read. What does the walrus use to help it get out of the water? (AF2) It uses its two long teeth called tusks. Why do you think that the arctic fox turns white in the winter? (AF3) It is camouflaged and can therefore hide from its prey and enemies. Why would a penguin never meet a polar bear? (AF3/AF7) They live in different parts of the world (South Pole and North Pole respectively) How does a penguin use its wings? (AF2) It uses them as flippers to swim classroomsecrets.com © Classroom Secrets Limited 2015 Comprehension – Polar Creatures – 2b – Easy ANSWERS.