EnchantedLearning.com Biomes - Habitats

Biomes Calendar A calendar to print, color, and read.

The tundra is a cold, treeless area; it is the coldest biome. The tundra is characterized by very low temperatures, very little precipitation (rain or snow), a short growing season, few nutrients, and low biological diversity. The word tundra comes from the Finnish word tunturia, which means "treeless plain."

There are two types of tundras, Arctic tundras and alpine tundras.

• Arctic tundras are frozen, windy, desert-like plains in the Arctic that are dotted with bogs and ponds. Permafrost (a layer of frozen subsoil) covers the ground, so there is very little drainage of water. The short growing season lasts for only 50 to 60 days. Arctic tundras are located in the far north of Greenland, Alaska, Canada, Europe, and Russia. Some animals of the Arctic tundra include:
  • Mammals - Arctic foxes, Arctic hares, caribou, ermine, lemmings, musk oxen, polar bears, porcupines, Arctic shrews, squirrels, voles, weasels, wolves
  • Birds - Arctic loons, snowy owls, falcons, ptarmigans, ravens, snow buntings, snow birds, snow geese, sandpipers, Arctic terns, tundra swans, many species of gulls
  • Fish - cod, flatfish, salmon, trout
  • Insects - Arctic bumblebees, blackflies, flies, grasshoppers, mosquitoes, and moths.
• Alpine tundras are located high in mountains worldwide, above the tree line. The growing season is about 180 days, and nighttime temperatures are usually below freezing. The soil is well-drained (unlike the Arctic tundra). Some animals of the alpine tundra include:
  • Mammals - elk, marmots, mountain goats, pikas, sheep
  • Birds - grouse-like birds
  • Insects - beetles, butterflies, grasshoppers, and springtails.

Printable Activities:

Tundra Quiz A Worksheet to Print A short, printable worksheet quiz about the tundra. The short-answer worksheet asks 15 general questions about tundras, for example, "Tundra comes from a Finnish word meaning "treeless ______." Select the answers from a word bank. Or go to the answers.	Arctic Fox This small, white fox lives farther north than any other land animal.	Arctic Hare This white hare lives in the Arctic and has huge hindfeet.	Arctic Tern A small bird that flies from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back again each year.
Arctic Wolf Arctic wolves are carnivores that live in Northern Canada.	Bighorn Sheep The bighorn sheep is a wild brown sheep from mountains and deserts of North America.	Caribou Caribou are herbivores that live in Arctic regions.	Dall Sheep A wild, white sheep from the Arctic and sub-Arctic of North America.

Ermine Also known as stoat or short-tailed weasel, this tiny, ferocious mammal lives in cold areas.

Grasshopper Grasshoppers are insects that can hop, walk, and fly. There are about 10,000 different species of grasshoppers.

Hare Hares have very long hind legs and long ears. Unlike rabbits, the young are born fully haired.

Lemming Lemmings are small, short-tailed rodents from North America and northern Eurasia.

Moose The moose is the largest member of the deer family.

Mosquito A small flying insect that is a carrier of disease.

Musk Ox Musk oxen are large, hairy mammals that live in the far north.

Polar Bear Polar Bears are meat-eaters who live in the Arctic.

Quoll The Quoll is a cat-sized carnivorous marsupial from the islands of Tasmania and Australia.

Reindeer Reindeer are herbivores that live in Arctic regions.

Reindeer Shape Book to Printout A short activity/information book about reindeer to print, with pages on connect-the-dot, word unscrambles, anatomy, facts, and questions.

Reindeer Label Me! Printout Label the reindeer diagram on this printout. Answers

Reindeer: Printable Read and Answer Worksheet A printable worksheet on reindeer with a short text, a labeled picture, definitions to match, and questions to answer. Or go to the answers.

Short-tailed Weasel Also known as stoat or ermine, this tiny, ferocious mammal lives in cold areas.

Snow Goose Snow Geese are migratory birds from North America.

Snowy Owl A white owl that lives in the North American tundra.

Squirrel Squirrels are rodents. They live in a variety of biomes, including the tundra.

Wolf Wolves are carnivores that live in packs and howl.

Wolverine The Wolverine is a large, ferocious weasel that lives in cold areas.

Woodland Caribou A rare caribou from Canada that eats lichens.

Woolly Rhinoceros The Woolly Rhino is an extinct rhinoceros from the Ice Ages.

An Enchanted Learning Web Page Biomes - Habitats

Arctic	Desert	Chaparral or Scrub		Taiga = Coniferous Forests	Grassland		Tropical Rainforest	Pond	Ocean
Antarctic	Tundra	Cave	City	Temperate Deciduous Forest	Savanna	Prairie	Freshwater Marsh	Swamp	Intertidal Zone	Coral Reef	Sunlit (Euphotic) Zone	Twilight (Disphotic) Zone

Enchanted Learning^®
Over 35,000 Web Pages
Sample Pages for Prospective Subscribers, or click below

Click to read our Privacy Policy

E-mail