Animals in the taiga have adapted to the cold climates of this biome. The taiga has a wide range of animals even though species must specially adapt to the taiga’s climate. These animals include bobcats, lynxes, black bears, caribou, red fox, river otter, snowshoe rabbits, wolverine, gray wolfs, grizzly bears, bald eagles and long eared and owls. Many animals such as the black bear hibernate over winter. The black bear fills up on food during the long summer days and sleeps through the cold days of winter. The lynx is another example of animals in the taiga, which have adapted to the biome. The lynx can grow extra fur for the winter and has short legs to prevent heat loss from longer limbs. It also has wide feet to make walking on snow easier. Most birds in the taiga are migratory. During summer the bogs and numerous amounts of water bodies make great nesting grounds for birds that hunt insects.
Coniferous trees otherwise known as evergreens make up a great percentage of trees in the taiga biome. The permafrost (layers of soil that are continually frozen) in the taiga makes it hard for normal deciduous trees to grow. The evergreens in the taiga have specially adapted roots, which don’t grow as deep as normal deciduous trees. The main species of coniferous trees in the biome are firs (Abies), pine (Pinus), evergreen spruce (Picea) which all fall under the gymnosperm (plants and trees that produce seeds) category. These evergreen trees have adapted to the Taiga climate in many ways. The dark colour of the trees leaves helps promote better photosynthesis. The tapered shape of the trees helps to get rid of heavy snow when it falls because of its flexible braches. The waxy leaves help prevent water loss and keep out the cold temperature and strong winds.
Biomes and all things Taiga 