March 2026 – Discover-Nature

In the last blog, we investigated the conditions and constraints of living at high altitudes, generally above 10,000 feet. A few physiological adaptations listed included enhanced breathing and blood supply to get more oxygen to the body, internal temperature regulation allowing some mammals to adjust to a colder environment, and smaller plants requiring less moisture and having a short growing season.

^{Common springtail, Orchesella cincta, by Mvuijlst, Feb 2009}

^{Springtail, Isotoma caerulea, by Andy Murray, Jul 2014}

The Himalayan jumping spider, Euophrys omnisuperstes, is generally found above 22,000 feet, living among rock crevices and feeding on stray insects blown upward by rising mountain winds. The spider also feeds on springtails, Collembola, once considered an insect but now classified as a free-ranging hexapod. These tiny organisms have antifreeze compounds in their blood, enabling them to live in higher, colder habitats.

Reptiles from four lizard species have been found living in higher elevations. Two species of iguana in the genus Liolaemus live in Bolivia; a third iguana species, Liolaemus tacnae, lives in Peru; and an Asian lizard, Phrynocephalus erythrurus, lives on the Tibetan plateau. All were found between 16,000 feet and 18,000 feet, but very little is known about them since these areas are difficult to access for study.

^{Golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos, by Giles Laurent, Dec 2021; Andean condor, Vultur gryphus, by Bastihitzi, May 2013; Alpine chough, Pyrrhocorax graculus, by Jim Higham, 2008}

Birds can be found living near mountain tops year-round. The Alpine chough, Pyrrhocorax graculus, lives in social flocks from the Alps to the Himalayas. Standing 15″ high with a 30″ wingspan, they have black feathers with distinct yellow beaks and red legs. They eat insects and berries in summer, but have become well-adapted to scavenging in winter, especially around ski resorts. The Andean condor, Vultur gryphus, another social bird, roosts on cliffs and outcrops above 16,000 feet. The steep terrain provides additional protection from potential predators. Golden eagles, Aquila chrysaetos, are found world-wide in many habitats. In the mountains, they hunt marmot, hare, and young goats at lower elevations, but nest in eyries, large cliff-hugging nests at higher elevations. With wingspans up to seven feet, they can dive at speeds of up to 150mph over unsuspecting prey.

^{Left top to bottom: Common crane, Grus grus, by Savithri Singh, Feb 2020; Whooper swan,Cygnus cygnus, by KyoichiNarukami, Japan, Jan 2012; Bar-headed goose, Anser indicus, by J.M.Garg, India, Mar 2000; Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture, Gyps rueppellii, by Lip Kee, Kenya, Aug 2008}

High altitude bird species with physiological adaptations for breathing and blood supply include those whose migration routes take them over the world’s highest mountain ranges. Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture, Gyps rueppellii, with an 8-foot wingspan, has been observed at altitudes exceeding 36,000 feet over the Ethiopian Highlands of Central Africa. The common crane, Grus grus, lives across eastern Europe and northern Asia, migrating over the Alps to Africa, India and southern China. The bar-headed goose, Anser indicus, and the whooper swan, Cygnus cygnus, both live in south Asia and migrate over the Alps to central and sub-Arctic Asia to breed.

^{Above: Large-eared pika, Ochotona macrotis,}
^{by Karunakar Rayker, Ladakh India, Feb 2008}

^{Right: Snow leopard, Panthera uncia, by Vassil, Aug 2007}

The heights of the Himalayas support mammals that can concentrate their hemoglobin and allow the blood to carry more oxygen, avoiding issues with hypoxia, a shortage of usable oxygen in the body. Species with this physiological adaptation include large-eared pika, Ochotona macrotis, living above 7,700 feet up to 20,000 feet; wild yak, Bos mutus, which have larger heart and lungs than domesticated yaks; and the snow leopard, Panthera uncia, living above 3,000 feet up to 18,000 feet. The snow leopard has short, heavily furred limbs and a long, heavy tail for use as a blanket. Its large nasal cavity and strong chest allows more oxygen to be taken in with each breath.

^{Ethiopian wolf, Canis simensis, by Charles J. Sharp, Ethiopia, Dec 2017; Mountain goat, Oreamnos americanus, by Darklich14, Colorado, Aug 2009; Tibetan argali, Ovis ammon, by DonArnold, Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum, Mar 2026; Guanaco, Lama guanicoe, by Charles J. Sharp, Chile, Oct 2025; Yellow-rumped leaf-eared mouse, Phyllotis xanthopygus, drawing by Charles Darwin, 1832}

Mountain goats, Oreamnos americanus, can climb steep cliff faces with hooves that grip ledges and rock surfaces in the Rocky Mountains. The yellow-rumped leaf-eared mouse, Phyllotis xanthopygus, feeds on grains, seeds, roots, and insects in the Andean Mountains of Chile, living at altitudes to 22,000 feet. Guanaco, Lama guanicoe, a member of the camel family, lives in the Andes up to 13,000 feet and has about four times as many red blood cells as a human does. The Ethiopian wolf, Canis simensis, is an endangered species living up to 15,000 feet in central Africa with populations fragmented by pressure from human farming activities. Tibetan argali, Ovis ammon, is a wild sheep found in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia up to 19,000 feet. The ewes and lambs prefer steep, treacherous slopes as protection against predators.

Scientists continue to study species in these habitats to learn more about their specific adaptations and survival abilities in a harsh environment. You can learn more by visiting zoos or nature museums near you to investigate these fascinating species.

Mountainous regions with high altitude habitats, generally defined as those found above 10,000 feet, are found in only a few places around the world. They include the Tibetan plateau and Himalayas in Asia, the Andean Altiplano in South America, the Ethiopian Highlands of Central Africa, the Rocky Mountains in western North America, and the Haleakala Mountains of Hawaii. High altitude regions have common characteristics that provide an array of challenges for the plant and animal species that live there.

_{Ethiopian Highlands by Martino’s doodles}

Air is composed of several gases including oxygen which makes up a consistent 21% of it. Barometric pressure is a measurement of the weight of the atmosphere above, and with more weight pressing down, air molecules are more compacted together. As one ascends, the pressure decreases with the result being that the air is thinner, less compacted, breathing becomes more difficult with less oxygen entering the lungs for every breath taken. About 3% of available oxygen is lost for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain. At 10,000 feet, there is 30% less oxygen available to breathe.

_{Haleakala Mountains by Kent Buckingham, Jul 2005}

As one ascends, along with thinning atmosphere, the temperature decreases by 4^◦Ffor every 1,000 feet, and may decrease even faster in drier air. At 10,000 feet, the average temperature is 40^◦F lower than at sea level in the same region, resulting in cool summers and frigid winters. Snow may cover these areas for much of the year, but many higher mountain peaks are too dry for snow. Vegetation is shorter, smaller in size, and slower growing. The tree-line defines a point where tress cannot survive the lower temperatures and general lack of moisture of higher altitudes.

_{Rocky Mountain National Park by Jim & Robin, Aug 2012}

When animals or humans who normally live in lower altitudes venture higher, they often experience acclimatization issues – changes in bodily functions that occur for short periods while at a higher altitude. As an example, one may experience difficulty breathing as air becomes thinner, and this strain eases after several minutes or hours. However, these changes occur every time a person ascends to those elevations. Permanent changes, which we call physiological adaptation, are known in relatively few animal species.

_{The Canapa Lagoon on the Andean Altiplano by Elias Rovielo, Feb 2019}

Physiological adaptations in birds include altered hemoglobin genes, allowing more oxygen to be carried in each molecule of blood. Birds optimize the process of getting oxygen into their blood as air moves across breathing surfaces during both inhalation and exhalation. High altitude fliers have larger hearts providing increased blood volumes for every heartbeat. In addition, they have more capillaries than other bird species, so oxygen-rich blood has to travel a shorter distance in the body to reach muscles, increasing the ability to maintain energy and movement in an efficient manner.

Mammals create their own body heat and maintain a consistent internal temperature through regulation of heat gained from burning calories and heat lost through layers of hair to the external environment. Many species living permanently in higher altitudes are able to decrease their body temperature for long periods, making it easier to adjust to a colder environment. Some species have a higher percentage of fat cells containing carbohydrates that can be called upon for extra energy for short periods.

_{The Tibetan Plateau by Tony Phillips, Aug 2006}

Typical plant life in these regions consist of grasses, sedges, lichens, and mosses. These are adapted to low temperatures, dry conditions, high ultraviolet radiation, and a short growing season. Mosses are found at the highest levels, growing above 21,000 feet on Mt. Everest. The flowering plant Arenaria bryophylla, a sandwort, lives above 20,000 feet.

In our next blog, we will take a look at the animal species that call these regions home, but you can check out mountain region displays at your favorite nature museum including the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum.

Month: March 2026

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The High Life