Animals

Animals of The Arctic Ring of Life
The Arctic is home to a unique population of animals adapted to survive in the harsh environment. Warm blood is a key to battling the cold, so mammals and birds dominate the scene; reptiles and amphibians are absent, while such as insects only appear during the brief summers. Key species include plant-eating mammals such as caribou or reindeer, musk oxen, mice, and voles; predatory mammals, mainly polar bears and Arctic foxes; marine mammals ranging from a variety of seals to walrus and whales such as the Beluga and narwhal; and many kinds of birds. Oceanic birds include gulls and terns such as the wide-ranging Arctic tern and the Iceland gull; shore and cliff-breeding species such as auks and puffins; and sea-going ducks, mainly eiders. Birds that build nests on the freshwater tundra lakes include Canada and snow geese and tundra swans, plus several species of loons.