9781422279199

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Marine Mammals

Words to Understand apex predator  an animal that has no natural predators in its habitat and is also the top hunter of other animals in the area dorsal  attached to the spine or back of an animal, usually an aquatic one food web  the interconnected group of animals that feed on and off each other theorize  use evidence to create a reasonable conclusion about a question

T he icy waters and forbidding rocky coasts of Antarctica and its nearby islands test the toughest of creatures. Yet one group has thrived there, thanks to adaptations that make it their perfect home. The large variety of marine mammals is at the top of the food web of the Antarctic. They are among the few types of animals that use both the land—for breeding and resting—and the sea, where they spend most of their time and which provides nearly all their food.

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