Below you can find a complete list of Arctic animals. We currently track 49 animals in the Arctic and are adding more every day!
The Arctic is the area around the North Pole that used to be known for being cold year-round. With climate change, temperatures have reached as high as 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which has disturbed the habitat of some of its most iconic animals. The Arctic is made up mostly of the Arctic ocean, its many islands, and the far northern lands of Europe, Asia, Canada, and Alaska. Seas that are part of the Arctic Ocean include the Chukchi Sea, the East Siberian Sea, the Barents Sea, the Laptev Sea, the Greenland Sea, the Kara Sea, and the Norwegian Sea.
During the winter months, the Arctic is in perpetual night, while during the summer the sun shines on most areas for most of the day. Much of the Arctic is tundra, which means that the temperatures are so cold and the amount of sunlight so scant that trees don’t grow there. The subsoil in the Arctic tundra is also permanently frozen and is called permafrost, though it too is melting in places. Still, wildlife in the Arctic is unique and abundant, even though some of it is endangered.
The Official National Animal of the Arctic
The official national animal of the Arctic is the polar bear. Here are some facts about the polar bear:
The polar bear is the largest bear and the largest carnivore in the world, larger even than the grizzly. An adult male or boar can weigh between 770 and 1540 pounds, while a female or sow weighs about half that. It is unique for its white fur, though this is an optical illusion. The bear has two layers of fur. They are the underfur and the guard hairs, which are actually transparent. Interestingly, the polar bear’s skin is black. It is found on the islands of the Arctic Ocean and on the ice floes of its seas, and so is considered a marine mammal by scientists.
Where To Find The Top Wild Animals in the Arctic
The top wild animals in the Arctic can be found in United States’ Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which is a 19.6 million acre spread found in northeastern Alaska. Among other animals, a person can witness the spring migration of the porcupine caribou herd. Animals can also be seen on the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, which is even bigger than the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge at 23 million acres.
Other places to see Arctic animals are in the Ninginganiq National Wildlife Area, Polar Bear Pass, and Coburg Island in Nunavut, Canada.
The Most Dangerous Animals In the Arctic Today
- Polar bear — As cuddlesome as it looks, the Arctic’s national animal is dangerous. There have been 73 known attacks by polar bears, and people died in 20 of them. Being in a group doesn’t help, as most of these attacks happened to at least two people traveling together.
- Grizzly bear — This huge bear also attacks humans, though the attacks are rare. Alaska saw 10 fatal attacks by bears between 2000 and 2017 and seven of them were caused by brown hears, which include the grizzly.
- Wolverine — The wolverine is a stocky and powerfully built animal that looks like a cross between a bear and a weasel. It is known to be aggressive and routinely kills prey much larger than itself, but there are no reports that it has attacked humans. Still, this animal deserves respect.
- Canada lynx — This medium-sized wild cat is much more dangerous to the snowshoe hare than to humans, but if it’s cornered or threatened, it will defend itself ferociously.
Endangered Animals In the Arctic
- The polar bear. This magnificent animal is considered vulnerable.
- Walrus. This pinniped is also considered vulnerable.
- The long-tailed duck, which breeds in the tundra pools, is vulnerable.
- Sei whale. This baleen whale was hunted until it nearly became extinct, and it remains endangered even though it’s protected.
Arctic Ocean Animals
Arctic Char
Arctic char is the northern-most fish; no other fish lives anywhere further north!
Baleen Whale
“Sings” a whale song during breeding season.
Bird
Not all birds are able to fly!
Blue Whale
The largest animal on Earth
Codfish
They eat other fish
Colossal Squid
Can survive eating a single fish for months
Cookiecutter Shark
The cookiecutter shark takes its name because it leaves a cookie-shaped bite hole in its prey.
Crab
There are 93 different crab groups
Crappie Fish
The crappie is one of the most popular freshwater fish in North America.
Cuttlefish
Found throughout the world's oceans!
Fin Whale
Found throughout ocean waters worldwide!
Fish
Respire through the gills on their heads!
Fly
There are more than 240,000 different species!
Fur Seal
Found only in the Northern Hemisphere!
Greenland Shark
This shark has the longest lifespan of any vertebrate.
Halibut
The word "halibut" is comes from haly meaning "holy" and butte meaning flat fish due to its popularity on Catholic holy days.
Harp Seal
The harp seal can migrate up to 3,000 miles every year
Humpback Whale
There are thought to be 80,000 left in the wild!
Insects
There are an estimated 30 million species!
Jellyfish
Have tentacles around their mouths!
Keta Salmon
During spawning the look of the male changes. Among other things, he grows a beak called a kype that bears fangs.
Killer Whale
Typically consumes over 200 kg of food a day!
King Crab
Can have a leg span of nearly 2 meters!
Krill
The krill is perhaps the most important animal in the marine ecosystem!
Lobster
Have been known to reach 100 years old!
Nudibranch
They get toxins from their prey to use it against predators.
Polar Bear
Could be extinct within the next 30 years!
Puffin
Can remain in the water for up to 2 minutes!
Reindeer
Also known as the Caribou
Salmon Shark
Salmon sharks are related to Great Whites.
Sea Eagle
The sea eagle tends to mate for life with a single partner
Seagull
Some gulls are capable of using tools
Seal
There are 30 different species worldwide!
Sei Whale
This whale is one of the fastest of the cetaceans
Shark
No shark species has any bones in their bodies
Shrimp
There are 2,000 different species worldwide!
Sleeper Shark
The Greenland shark is one of the longest living vertebrates in the world.
Snail
There are nearly 1,000 different species!
Snowy Owl
One of the largest owl species in the world!
Sponge
There are more than 9,000 known species!
Squid
Some species are known to have 10 arms!
Steller’s Sea Cow
Hunted to extinction in 17 years!
Turtles
Some species of aquatic turtles can get up to 70 percent of their oxygen through their butt.
Viperfish
Viperfish have a bioluminescent spine on their dorsal fin.
Walrus
Inhabits the freezing waters of the Arctic Circle!
Wandering Albatross
Featured in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”
White Shark
White Sharks live in all of the world's oceans.
Woolly Mammoth
Tusks grew to 16ft long!
Arctic Ocean Animals List
- Arctic Char
- Baleen Whale
- Barnacle
- Bird
- Blue Whale
- Codfish
- Colossal Squid
- Cookiecutter Shark
- Crab
- Crappie Fish
- Cuttlefish
- Fin Whale
- Fish
- Fly
- Fur Seal
- Greenland Shark
- Halibut
- Harp Seal
- Humpback Whale
- Insects
- Jellyfish
- Keta Salmon
- Killer Whale
- King Crab
- Krill
- Lobster
- Nudibranch
- Polar Bear
- Puffin
- Reindeer
- Salmon Shark
- Sea Eagle
- Seagull
- Seal
- Sei Whale
- Shark
- Shrimp
- Sleeper Shark
- Snail
- Snowy Owl
- Sponge
- Squid
- Steller’s Sea Cow
- Turtles
- Viperfish
- Walrus
- Wandering Albatross
- White Shark
- Woolly Mammoth
Animals in the Arctic FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What animals live in the Arctic?
Though the Arctic seems barren sometimes, it isn’t. It is home to a great many animals, including the ones mentioned. Others are the tundra wolf, a gray wolf subspecies, reindeer, caribou and Arctic foxes and hares. By the way, one of the more interesting facts about Arctic wildlife is the difference between reindeer and caribou. Basically, there isn’t any. They are both Rangifer tarandus. They’re called reindeer in Europe. In North America they’re called caribou if they’re wild, and if they’re tame, they’re called reindeer.
Other Arctic animals are the Ungava brown bear, which is probably extinct. There’s the Arctic wolf, which like many Arctic animals, has a thick white coat; the Arctic shrew, the Arctic ground squirrel, the red fox, moose, muskrats and lemmings. Seals include the ribbon seal, the ringed seal, and the Northern elephant seal. Harbor and harp seals are also found in the Arctic.
Cetaceans include the harbor porpoise, the Narwhal, the beluga whale, the bowhead whale and the blue whale, the largest animal on earth. Killer whales also visit the sea around the Arctic. The cold northern seas are also abundant in fish, including Arctic char, Atlantic and pink salmon, haddock, the Greenland shark and the viviparous eelpout, a unique fish that breathes air, gives birth to live young and nurses them while they’re still in the womb. Population of cod are still healthy in the Barents Sea. Sharks can also be found in the Arctic oceans.
Many of the birds who live in or visit the Arctic are sea birds, save the snowy owl and the ptarmigan. Sea birds include the Arctic tern, the kittiwake, the fulmar, the black guillemot, the Arctic skua, the glaucous gull, the ivory gull, the red or gray phalarope and the pink-footed goose.
Another of the Arctic’s interesting facts is hat it is even home to insects. Fifteen hundred species of insects live past the tree line in Canada, and 350 species are found in the coldest parts of the Arctic. There are even mosquitoes, butterflies and moths, but most of the insects so far north are flies. Spiders and worms can also be found in the tundra.
Are penguins Arctic animals?
Interestingly, penguins are not found in the Arctic. Only the Galapagos penguin lives in the Northern Hemisphere, and it lives near the equator. Auks, including the now extinct great auk, seem to have replaced penguins in the Northern Hemisphere.
Is a bald eagle an Arctic animal?
Yes, this iconic sea eagle is indeed found in the Arctic.
