The Tundra
by Jesse Raney
Location
The Tundra can't form in Antarctica, seeing it is far too cold, so there is absolutely nothing but snow and ice.
Calculated, the range in latitude is from 75° N to 60° N.
General Description
Precipitation
Animals
Animals such as the Turnstone (a bird), Owls, Swans, foxes, Caribou, etc., can live in this climate.
Arctic Fox
The arctic fox. A small, stealth pack of fur, so sligh. It hunts rodents and birds. It stands at 46-48 cm tall.
Owl
The Snow Owl feasts on small mammals. It is 52-65 cm tall. Unharmed, the snowy owl thrives in the Tundra.
Swan
114 - 140 cm tall, the Tundra Swan eats aquatic plants. It has a large wingspand and a long beak. It has a furry goat to protect itself from the dreadfull cold.
Gyrfalcon
Hunting other birds around the Tundra, the Gyrfalcon has a sharp beak to penetrate flesh easily. Staying in the mountains, this Falcon flies swiftly. It is 51-63 cm tall.
Rock Ptarmigan
The Rock Ptarmigan would easily be killed had they not adapted their magnificent camoflouge. They are 33-39 cm tall. They also diet on leaves.
Temperature
On rare occasions, however, the temperature can go barely above 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
The average temperature can be between 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit! The least cold month can be up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, at least!
Plants
Lichen
Craved by musk oxen and Caribou, the lichen grows on rocks. They contain algae and fungus. They can also be multiple colors.
Dark Red Leaves
This is one of the many plants that have leaves that are the color red. Interestingly, the red color helps this plant absorb more heat from our sun during this frigid cold.
Cushion Plant
Cushion plants do indeed look like cushions. They grow a lot, keeping them warmer than other plants.
Seeds
Seeds, any seed off a berry that is brightly colored, can be picked up by a bird eating the berry. It is then carried on until dropped, and more can grow.
Cotton Grass
Cotton grass, as you can easily guess, contains cotton. It's cotton is picked up by the wind, perhaps with a seed, and dropped off elsewhere to grow, just like a berry seed.
Weather and Climate
It is without trees, without much life.
Landforms
During the Summer, snow melts and a lot of surface water forms. It can go through the soil a bit, but stay at the top layer of soil due to permafrost.
Mountains:
Mountains are usually formed in the, "Alpine Tundra," where, of course, there are a lot of mountains, with even colder snowy peaks.
Canyons:
There aren't really a lot of canyons in the Tundra, observing the terrain is usually level, with some mountains.
Islands:
Despite the fact there are plenty of bodies of water in the Summer, the Tundra has no islands. There simply isn't enough water for this, seeing the yearly precipitations is below 10 inches.