23 Jun 2023

Critter of the Week: Antarctic midge

From the collecton Critter of the Week

Thursday June 22 (yesterday) was the shortest day of the year so this week's critter is here to celebrate the cold.
Antarctic midges (Belgica antarctica) are incredible survivors: they can cope with -15 °C temperatures and can live for up to a month without oxygen. The extremophiles are also Antarctica's largest native land animal despite being no bigger than a grain of rice.

Antarctic midge

Antarctic midge Photo: supplied

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