Arctic Fox
Common Names: Polar Fox, White Fox
Genus: Lagopus
Species: alopex
The Arctic fox makes its home in small burrows in frost-free ground, often in low mounds, or in rock piles. Because the Arctic fox is a scavenger it can usually find food to eat. It has short legs a long bushy tail that it uses as insulation by wrapping it around itself when sleeping. Its feet are lined with fur, which helps it conserve heat. The Arctic fox has adapted a stealthy movement due to its predatory nature.
Both male and female mature sexually at one year of age. The mating season is May-February and the gestation period for a pregnant female is 52 days. The number of pups born can range between 6-19. It is an omnivore (one who eats both plants and animals). A typical diet of this fox consists of birds, eggs, small mammals and fish. It will also eat berries, seaweed, insects and larvae, when other prey is scarce. The fox is prey to wolves, polar bears and golden eagles. Because it is a scavenger, it keeps the environment clean by eating dead animals and keeping the rodent population down. |
Harlequin duck
Genus: Histrionicus
Species: histrionicus
The harlequin ducks have a buoyant, compact body, with strong webbed feet, which give the duck the power to swim through torrent waters. When they fly, their wings beat rapidly. The harlequin duck reaches sexual maturity at two years old. It breeds during May-August. The female duck lays anywhere from 5 to 7 eggs which she sits on for 27 to 29 days. The chicks hatch within a few hours of one another and are able to swim and feed soon after. They live in flocks of up to 50 in the Atlantic and in larger groups in the Pacific, except when breeding. They are sociable birds. They don't often mix with ducks of other species.
Feathers keep the ducks warm and allows them to fly. Feathers are not living so they don't need blood vessels, nerves and other living tissue. They are made of a tough, flexible material and called keratin. Ducks molt (loose old feathers and grow new) about 3 times a years.When feathers get hurt they do not heal. A harlequin ducks diet consists of mussels, shellfish, aquatic insects, crustaceans and some small fish. The harlequin duck is a prey to the arctic fox and to the gray wolf. |
Musk Ox
Common Name: Oomingmak
Genus: Ovibos
Species: moschatus
The musk ox can live in the harsh conditions of the arctic tundra because its 24" long hair and woolly undercoat ward off frost and provide insulation. It has a sturdy build. It looks like a huge dust mop on hooves, their long hair reaching almost to the ground. Its muzzle is usually white. The musk ox gets its name from the odor produced by glands beneath the bull's eyes.
In the summer the musk ox herd has about 10 members. They will use the almost constant daylight to stuff themselves on plants. They need to put on enough fat to get them through the long winter. In winter the herd can have about 15 to 20 members. They will head out to higher ground where the fierce Arctic winds blow the snow off the ground. Here they will feed on crowberry, bearberry, and willow. Polar bears can sometimes kill weak or injured oxen. The Arctic wolf is the only serious predator. Musk ox form a defensive formation when threatened. They will first run to a higher location, then turn and stand shoulder-to-shoulder in a circle. With their heads lowered, they form an impenetrable wall. |
Ermine
Common Names: Short-tailed Weasel, Stout, Royskatt
Genus: Mustela
Species: erminea
Ermines like to inhabit marshes, open spaces or rocky areas next to woodlands. The ermine is well adapted to living in this harsh environment. They make their dens in the old roots of a tree or in the crevice of a rock. Ermines are capable of having several dens. The ermine is a small animal that weighs between 3 - 15 ounces. The males are much longer than the females. In the spring and summer the ermine's coat is chocolate brown with a white underbelly and a black tip on the tail. In the winter the coat turns entirely white except for the black end of its tail.
The male ermine reaches maturity at 12 months. The female reaches maturity at 2 months of age. The mating season is during late spring and summer. They have babies every year. Three to thirteen young are born each mating season. The ermine is a carnivore and eats rabbits, small insects and rodents. Because of their sharp teeth they are able to catch animals larger than themselves. When the ground is covered with snow the ermine will hunt entirely under the snow for small rodents. Their ermine paws have claws which enables it to dig. In winter the ermine's coat is white blending in with the snowy environment. In warmer seasons the fur turns brown again matching the color of the landscape. Ermines prey on a range of small animals and birds. They are prey to snowy owls, arctic foxes, lynx, gyrfalcons, hawks and other large mammals and birds of prey. |
Polar Bear
Common Names: Sea Bear
Genus: Ursus
Species: maritimus
Polar bears can be found all through the polar regions of the Northern hemisphere. They are the largest carnivore on land. They have a black nose and eyes. They have two layers of fur which is so warm that adult bears can easily overheat when they run. The polar bear's fur is really clear, not white. Some light reflects off the fur and makes it look white. Most of the sun's rays reach their black skin, which absorbs the heat and keeps the polar bear warm.
Their teeth and claws are very sharp so they can catch their prey easily (seal). Polar bears spend most of their time on drifting packs of ice, eating, and resting. The bears reach sexual maturity 3 to 5 years after birth. They usually mate in March and have their cubs 7 to 8 months later. Each year pregnant polar bears dig a den in the snow of southern facing slopes, where they give birth. The females gives birth to one or two cubs. The polar bear has a thick layer of blubber around 4.5 inches thick. That and the hollow shafts of their hair provides them with excellent insulation. This allows them to handle temperature of -34°F. Their ears and tail are very short so they don't lose any heat through them. They have a very good sense of smell. Their necks are longer than other bears to keep their head above the water when they swim. They have strong legs and partially webbed front feet to help them swim. The polar bear mostly eats ringed seals, which are very abundant. The bears also eat whale and walrus carcasses. In the summer they will also eat lemmings, arctic foxes and ducks. Like all bears they will also eat some plants. |
Grizzly Bear
Genus: Ursus
Species: arctos horribilis
Grizzlies are found on the Alaskan and northwestern Canadian tundra. They are considered a subspecies of the brown bear. Grizzly bears have amazing physical strength and are surprisingly fast over short distances. They are very aggressive and have no trouble driving away predators like wolves and mountain lions. The grizzly also has a great sense of smell. They are well suited to the cold climate of the tundra. Besides having a thick, shaggy coat of hair, they have layers of fat to insulate them. When winter comes the grizzly will bed down in a den packed with leaves and sticks. It doesn't go into full hibernation, and will occasionally come out of its den. It doesn't eat during this time but lives off stored body-fat until spring. Grizzly bears have an amazing diet. Scientists discovered that 75% of the bear population live off plants alone. The grizzly will also eat insects, small rodents and honey. It is strong enough to kill a caribou and outrun a moose, but usually it doesn't hunt. It will eat abandoned kills made by other predators. The grizzly bear is a solitary animal because it doesn't need to form protective packs because it lacks natural enemies.
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Golden eagle
Genus:Aquila
Species:A. chrysaetos
These birds are dark brown, with lighter golden-brown plumage on their napes. Immature eagles of this species typically have white on the tail and often have white markings on the wings. Golden eagles use their agility and speed combined with powerful feet and massive, sharp talons to snatch up a variety of prey (mainly hares, rabbits, marmots and other ground squirrels). They build large nests in high places (mainly cliffs) to which they may return for several breeding years. Most breeding activities take place in the spring; they are monogamous and may remain together for several years or possibly for life.
For centuries, this species has been one of the most highly regarded birds used in falconry, with the Eurasian subspecies having been used to hunt and kill prey such as gray wolves (Canis lupus) in some native communities. Due to its hunting prowess, the golden eagle is regarded with great mystic reverence in some ancient, tribal cultures. Golden eagles are opportunists and virtually any animal of a reasonable size may be predated if encountered. Well over 400 species of vertebrate have been recorded as prey. Adult wolverines appear to be one of the few conspecific mammal carnivores to actively pose a threat to golden eagles. |
Caribou
Common Names: Caribou, Reindeer
Genus: Rangifer
Species: tarandus
The caribou lives in the arctic tundra, mountain tundra, and northern forests of North America, Greenland, Scandinavia, and Russia. It is estimated that there are about 5 million caribou in the world.
The caribou is actually a large members of the deer family. Unlike deer, both the male and female have antlers. The antlers of the male are long, branched and massive, and they are a little flattened at the ends. The antlers of the female are much shorter, simpler and more slender and irregular. The caribou is a sturdy animal with short legs. Its coat is brown and becomes darker in the summer and lighter in the winter. It has a ruff of long hairs under the neck, and the fur above the hooves and around the tail are almost white.Their large, spreading hooves support the animal in snow in the winter and marshy tundra in the summer. Caribou are also great swimmers and use their feet as paddles. They can also lower their metabolic rate and go into a semi-hibernation when conditions get very harsh. During the winter, the caribou scrape the snow away with their wide feet or antlers and eat lichens, dried sedges and small shrubs. In the summer they eat leaves of willows, sedges, flowering tundra plants, and mushrooms. |