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Animals in Arctic

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  5. Animals in Arctic

Below you can find a complete list of Arctic Ocean animals. We currently track 32 animals in Arctic and are adding more every day!

While many think of the Arctic as a desolate wild location, over 5,500 animals live in this icy region. Most of them, like the Arctic fox and walrus, are active throughout the year. Others, like bears, hibernate during the winter.

The Official National Animal of the Arctic

There is no official wild animal of this region since the region covers eight different countries. The national animal of Greenland is the polar bear while the national animal of Iceland is the gyrfalcon.

Where To Find The Top Wildlife in this region

It can be difficult to see Arctic animals in their natural habitat because much of the region is wilderness. If you want to see them, go to the:

  • Northwest Passageway – This area is home to whales, narwhals, Arctic foxes, walruses, and seals.
  • East Greenland – See muskox, Arctic foxes, polar bears, caribou, lemmings, and ptarmigans.
  • Spitsbergen – Polar bears, Arctic foxes, and walruses live on this island, the northernmost one on earth.

The Most Dangerous Animals In the Arctic Today

While many animals that live here are non-threatening, there are some dangerous Arctic animals. More people are not hurt each year because very few venture above the Arctic Circle. These dangerous animals include:

  • Polar bears – Between 1870 and 2014, 73 people were attacked by polar bears, with 20 dying.
  • Moose – Two or three people are killed annually by moose.
  • Grizzly bears – These very territorial native animals kill two or three people annually.

Endangered Animals

Sadly, there are many endangered animals in this region. These endangered animals include:

  • Narwhals
  • Bowhead whales
  • Beluga whales
  • Polar bears
  • Caribou

Arctic Ocean Animals

Barnacle

Closely related to crabs and lobsters!

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

Crab

There are 93 different crab groups

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!

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!

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!

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

Seal

There are 30 different species worldwide!

Shark

No shark species has any bones in their bodies

Shrimp

There are 2,000 different species worldwide!

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!

Walrus

Inhabits the freezing waters of the Arctic Circle!

Wandering Albatross

Featured in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”

Woolly Mammoth

Tusks grew to 16ft long!

Arctic Ocean Animals List

  • Barnacle
  • Bird
  • Blue Whale
  • Codfish
  • Colossal Squid
  • Crab
  • Cuttlefish
  • Fin Whale
  • Fish
  • Fly
  • Fur Seal
  • Humpback Whale
  • Insects
  • Jellyfish
  • Killer Whale
  • King Crab
  • Krill
  • Lobster
  • Polar Bear
  • Puffin
  • Reindeer
  • Seal
  • Shark
  • Shrimp
  • Snail
  • Snowy Owl
  • Sponge
  • Squid
  • Steller’s Sea Cow
  • Walrus
  • Wandering Albatross
  • Woolly Mammoth

Animals in Arctic FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) 

What type of animals are in the Arctic?

About 67 species of terrestrial native mammals and 35 species of marine mammals live in the Arctic. Over 200 bird species spend at least part of the year in this region. Additionally, five amphibians and one reptile live in the tundra. Some of these animals may go extinct.

Why are some Artic animals going extinct?

There are many reasons that native Artic animals are going extinct. For example, overhunting has lowered the number of Arctic foxes while climate change has dramatically reduced reindeer numbers. Ingesting animals who had consumed DDT-containing prey reduced the number of Arctic peregrine falcons. Loss of habitat due to oil and gas exploration threatens caribou.

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