UK OVERSEAS TERRITORIES CONSERVATION FORUM
Virtual Tours: British Antarctic Territory
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Features of Natural Interest

The terrestrial fauna of the Antarctic continent is sparse; no higher insects are present, while micro-arthropods are restricted to limited areas of vegetation and (vertebrate) nutrient enrichment. In the most extreme continental cold deserts, simple food webs consist of as few as 1 – 3 nematode species, only one of which may be predatory. These cold desert soils are faunistically the least diverse habitats on Earth.

False colour, scanning electron-micrograph, of the Antarctic springtail Cryptopygus antarcticus, one of the most successful terrestrial arthropods to have colonised the Antarctic continent. 1-2 mm long,it is actually an an iridescent black colour. For more information click here.
© British Antarctic Survey
(Features of Natural Interest, 6 of 12 - Slide ref. 1313)