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The Antarctica flora and fauna is not available in plenty as compared to the other continents of the world. The flora and fauna in Antarctica consist of very little portion of the continent. The chilling temperature, lack of sunlight, little rainfall, inferior soil quality and lack of moisture account for scanty vegetation in this area.
The Antarctic flora remains confined mostly to liverworts and mosses. Apart from this there are also algae, fungi, bryophytes and lichens. Approximately 50 species of bryophytes and more than 200 species of lichens are available. Multi colored diatoms and snow algae are available in plenty in the coastal areas. In the Antarctic Peninsula two types of flowering plants are available- Colobanthus quitensis and Deschapsia Antarctica.
Fauna of Antarctica consist of invertebrate animals like rotifiers, krill, microscopic mites, lice, tardigrades, nematodes and springtails. The Snow Petrel is the only breeding species of birds in Antarctica. The largest land animal in Antarctica is the midge Belgica antarctica, which is 12 mm in size.
Many marine creatures can be found in Antarctica, which generally derive food from special type of plants called Phytoplankton. These include fur seals, blue whales, orcas and penguins. The penguin that breeds in Antarctica during the winter is the Emperor Penguin. The Adelie penguin breeds in the further southern region. The Rockhopper Penguin has identifiable features, which resembles that of elaborate eyelashes. The other varieties of penguins found in Antarctica are Gentoo Penguins, Chinstrap Penguins and King Penguins..
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