There are, however, a few living organisms that can be found on the continent. Both types of flowering plants are very small and they are restricted to the islands to the west and north of the Antarctic Peninsula. One of the most unusual plant habitats can be found in Victoria Land, where some plants live within large-grained sandstone rocks . . . There are also several other types of insects that can be found, which include springtails and tiny mites. Most Antarctic insects live under rocks and stones in the soil and among lichens.
Springtails are especially common around penguin colonies.
They are black and shiny, and they jump around. In Antarctica, there are very few different species of insect. Of course, there are lots of birds around the coast of Antarctica and over the Southern Ocean. The South Polar skua is one of the few species that actually breeds on the Antarctic continent. These birds are known to fly very far from home.