What Lives at the South Pole? Animals, Plants & Microorganisms

Situated on Antarctica - the world’s coldest continent, do you think there are animals and plants there? Check out this article to find out what lives at the South Pole; then, you will learn a lot of surprising facts about the ecosystem there.

Does anything live in the South Pole?

What Lives at the South Pole?

While the Antarctic coast has abundant animal life, featuring emperor penguins, whales, seals, krill, and more, the South Pole’s fauna is far less diverse. In other words, animal and plant life here is too limited. 

The habitat there is too harsh for most organisms to exist and survive. There are no native animals or plants at the South Pole.

Animals

The extreme climate in the South Pole renders most land creatures uninhabitable. Nonetheless, many species have adapted to the conditions along the Antarctic shore and in the surrounding waters.

Only a few penguins, including emperors, can reproduce through the bitter Antarctic winters. The area is also home to other kinds of penguins, such as Adélie penguins. 

Together with whales like orcas and blue whales, common seals include Weddell, leopard, and crabeater seals. Various marine birds, such as petrels and albatrosses, are also abundant.

What animal lives at the North Pole?

Plants

Since the South Pole sits in the center of Antarctica, the largest, driest, windiest, and coldest desert on Earth, the plant life there is almost nonexistent. 

On the other hand, hardy species have adapted to areas of the Antarctic Peninsula and surrounding islands. Mosses, lichens, and algae are the most frequent plants, and they can withstand frigid temperatures and minimal sunshine. 

Milder coastal zones include two blooming plants: Antarctic hair grass and Antarctic pearlwort. These plants flourish during the brief Antarctic summer, growing on rocky surfaces and in ice-free places.

Lichens in Antarctica

Microorganisms

When it comes to what lives at the South Pole, it’s a big mistake if we don’t mention microorganisms found here. 

Despite the harsh circumstances, various microorganisms flourish in the South Pole, notably in ice, snow, and frozen soil. 

These include bacteria, archaea, and fungi. Some are extremophiles, which means they can survive in extreme temperatures, low nutrition levels, and intense UV exposure. 

Psychrophilic bacteria are also abundant and can metabolize at temperatures below freezing. Other microorganisms, such as protozoa, may be found in snow and ice, where they serve critical roles in nutrient cycling and ecological balance.

What lives in the South Pole?

How Harshly Cold is the South Pole?

The weather and climate in Antarctica are generally severe, but its coastal areas are much warmer than the inland. There is always a quite big difference in the temperatures between Antarctica’s inland and coastal regions. 

The temperature can rise to 10°C in summer and drop below −40°C in winter near the coast. Meanwhile, it can increase to about −30°C in summer and drop below −80°C in winter over elevated inland.

With the location in the middle of the Antarctica continent, the weather at the South Pole is very cold. The South Pole is pretty close to the coldest place on the planet, the Russian Vostok Research Station, where the coldest temperature, −89.2°C (−128.6°F), was recorded in 1983. 

The South Pole is much colder than Antarctica’s coastal areas

The coldest temperature ever recorded at the South Pole was −82.8°C (−117.0°C), which is not much higher than the world’s lowest temperature of −89.2°C (−128.6°F).

Whereas the warmest temperature recorded at the South Pole was also a freezing −12.3°C (9.9°F). The average temperature is just -49.3°C (-56°F) annually.

More to explore:

• What kind of animals live in the North Pole?

• What plants grow in the North Pole?

Roundup

In fact, there are almost no native animals and plants living in the South Pole due to its exceptionally harsh weather. This place features some of the planet’s most challenging conditions for life that can’t be home to any fauna and flora species. However, this post has provided a list of “what lives at the South Pole,” including animals, plants, and microorganisms.