Walrus

Carnivore

Walruses use their iconic long tusks for a variety of reasons, each of which makes their lives in the Arctic a bit easier. They use them to haul their enormous bodies out of frigid waters, thus their "tooth-walking" label, and to break breathing holes into ice from below. Their tusks, which are found on both males and females, can extend to about three feet (one meter), and are, in fact, large canine teeth, which grow throughout their lives. Male walruses, or bulls, also employ their tusks aggressively to maintain territory and, during mating season

Snow Shoe Rabbit

Herbivore

The snow shoe rabbit ( Lepus amerianus) lives in forest areas where the ground is covered with undergrowth in the higher parts of North America.It is larger than other rabbits and it weighs around three to four pounds as an adult and can be fifteen to twenty inches.It has a dark-brown coat in the summer, that turns white in the winter. Although it has black edging on the tips of its ears. It has large back feet and the toes can spread out to act like snowshoes,which is why it's called the Snow Shoe Rabbit.The Snowshoe Rabbit can run up to 27 mph and jump 10 feet in one hop. It is a herbivore which means it is prey. It's usually active at night and early in the morning and feeds on juicy green plants and grass in in the summer end shoots and buds in the winter. It is an expert at escaping predators like the wolf, bobcat, or lynx. They have really good agility and traction on the bottom of their feet so they can change direction quickly to escape predators. They are also good swimmers and will jump in the water to make an escape.

LEMMINGS

Herbivore

The brown lemming and the collared lemming live in the Arctic. The brown lemming prefers wetter areas, while the collared lemming is usually seen in rocky places. The collared lemming turns white in winter.Lemmings eat plants, roots, berries and lichens. They gather seeds to eat in the wintertime.When there are too many lemmings in one area and not enough to eat, they migrate to find food. Many drown by running into the rivers and lakes.

ERMINE

Carnivore The weasel has a tiny face, sharp teeth and claws, and a tail with black fur at the tip. In winter it is white and in summer it is brown. It hunts for rabbits, rats, birds, frogs, ground squirrels and pika ( a small rodent that lives in the mountains) . It eats hundreds of meadow mice. Weasels that live in the north also feed on Arctic hare and lemming.The weasel may be small but it is a good fighter and moves in a flash. It is a silent hunter and can approach without a sound, then rush upon its prey.

The Wolverine

carnivore it a fierce and strong animal about the size of a bear cub. It is the largest member of the weasel family.The wolverine eats mice, rats and other small mammals, birds and eggs. In winter, when snow covers the ground, it eats reindeer and and other large prey. The thick coat of brown fur protects it from the freezing cold temperatures. Its large feet help it move across the soft snow. There are five long sharp claws on each foot.

Arctic wolves

carnivore

Arctic wolves are usually smaller and white. Wolves on the mainland and Baffin Island hunt caribou. Arctic wolves hunt musk oxen and arctic hares. Wolves also eat fish, lemmings, birds, foxes and ground squirrels.Wolf packs tend to be small .

Ptarmigan

herbivore

close relatives of forest and prairie grouse, live in alpine and arctic tundras throughout the northern hemisphere. Ptarmigan look just like small grouse, weighing from 10 1/2 ounces to 1 1/2 pounds (0.3-0.7 kg) except that their toes are feathered, their wings are white all year, and they have pure white body plumage in winter. When snow covers the ground, Willow Ptarmigan eat willow buds, willow twigs, and a little birch. Rock Ptarmigan nip off birch catkins, birch buds, and a little willow. White-tails mix buds and catkins of willow, birch, and alder in varying amounts.

Arctic Hare

herbivore

The Arctic Hare's diet consists of buds, berries, twigs, mosses, woody plants and other types of vegetation that can be found in the tundra. The average length of an Arctic Hare is about 20 - 26 inches. Their weight will usually be between 8 and 14 pounds. Arctic Hares have an all white coat in the winter, and in the summer the coat may change to a blue-gray or gray-brown coat. Arctic Hares have large hind feet that enable them to move very quickly across the snow. They also have claws that help them to dig through the snow when looking for mosses or other vegetation to eat.

Loon

carnivore
Are named for their clumsy, awkward appearance when walking on land. Loons have striking red eyes, black heads and necks, and white striping, checkering, and spotting on their backs. They grow up to three feet (91 centimeters) in length and weigh up to 12 pounds (5 kilograms), feeding largely on fish and invertebrates.

Dall sheep

Herbivore The Dall Sheep is a wild sheep of the mountainous regions of northwest North America, ranging from white to slate brown and having curved yellowish brown horns. The diets of Dall sheep vary from range to range. During summer, food is abundant, and a wide variety of plants is consumed. Winter diet is much more limited and consists primarily of dry, frozen grass and sedge stems available when snow is blown off the winter ranges.

Pikas

herbivore

Pikas are small hamster-like animals, with short limbs, rounded ears, and short tails.Pikas are vegetarians, feeding on the stems and leaves of various grasses, weeds, and small shrubs. They are remarkable for their highly-developed haymaking behavior. By early July, pikas begin periodically clipping or pulling up stems and twigs, which they carry back to the colony in their mouths and store under overhanging rocks, in crevices, and along the edges of boulders. Young pikas grow surprisingly quickly, reaching their adult size after only 40 to 50 days. The average maximum natural life span for a pika is three years.

Musk Ox

Herbivore

• Ovibos moschatus

• The musk ox can live in the rough conditions of the arctic tundra because its long hair and woolly undercoat wich keeps off frost and provides insulation.It looks like a huge dust mop on hooves
• It can weigh from 396 to 880 pounds, and reach a length of 7 feet. The musk ox gets its name from the odor produced by glands beneath the bull's eyes.
• The Musk Ox travels with heards and eats on crowberry, bearberrys and willow.

Arctic Fox

Omnivore

Lagopus alopex

• The North American tundra is located at latitudes 60° to 85° North and longitudes 55° to160° West which includes northern parts of Canada and the state of Alaska. Is where the Arctic fox can be found.



• The Arctic fox is about 10 -16 inches long and weighs about 6-12 pounds. It is about the size of an ordinary domesticated house cat. It has short legs a long bushy tail that it uses as insulation by wrapping it around itself when sleeping. Its long hair is white in the winter, and "blue" or gray in the summer. Its head has a stubby muzzle, small ears, and large eyes. Its feet are lined with fur, which helps it conserve heat. The Arctic fox has adapted a stealthy movement due to its predatory nature.



• The Arctic fox is a solitary animal. Arctic foxes usually live to 15 years of age. 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 Arctic fox is a predator to lemmings (one of it's favorite foods) and voles, among other creatures. The population cycles of lemmings and voles are largely dependent on the arctic fox.



• 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. The Arctic fox is a diurnal creature.

Caribou

Herbivore

(Rangifer tarandus)

Size: 4-5 ft. Weight: 500+ lb. Color: Greyish, and brown with white on the neck and back areas.
Distinguishing Characteristics: 3 ft. antlers

• Habitat:
  Range: Throughout the arctic tundra of Russia, Alaska, Canada and Greenland.
• Although the caribou looks like a deer, they are different from other members of their family in many ways. They are not too shy (unless in common hunting area), they are capable of sleeping in water, and are herd animals that are always on the move. This tamable animal likes to eat moss caribou eat moss called lichen (lie-Ken) that takes years to grow back.When not eating the lay back it the shade.
• Caribou are wild, if they are domesticated they are called reindeer. Eurasians do not use the common name caribou at all, they use the terms wild and domestic reindeer.

Polar Bear

Carnivore

• The scientific name for the polar bear is Ursus maritimus, which means sea bear.
• The polar bear can be found in Greenland, Alaska Canada, Russia, and Norway.
• The Polar bear is at the top of the food chain in the artic and their main diet is seals.
• Adult males can weigh any where from 700 to 1,500 pounds, while females weigh only 300 to 550 pounds.
• While on thin ice polar bears crawl on there stomachs to distribute the weight, so they will not penetrate the ice.
• Only pregnant polar bears hibernate during the winter,although other polar bears stay active year round.