What Animals Live in a Tundra?
Arctic Fox
The arctic fox is dark gray to bluish brown in the summer. In the winter its fur is white or creamy white. It has a long bushy tail, a short nose and small curled back ears. It has short, stubby legs and thick fur. Its short legs and nose, thick fur, and small ears are adaptations that help it survive in cold climates. Because its legs are so short and its ears and nose are small, they are less exposed to the cold. The arctic fox also has thick fur and hair on its paw pads that help keep it warm. The fur on its paws also gives the fox traction so it doesn't slide on the ice. When the arctic fox is sleeping, it protects its nose from the cold by curling its bushy tail around its body. The arctic fox is about three feet long and weighs between five and fifteen pounds. Males are larger than females.
Caribou
The caribou is a member of the cervid or deer family. It has brown shaggy fur and a white neck, rump and belly. In some areas the caribou can be almost entirely white. The caribou has a long snout; a short tail; and long legs with large, round hooves. The caribou has adewlap covered with long white hair on its throat. The caribou is the only deer species in which both the male and female have antlers. The male's antlers are large and branch out. The female's antlers are smaller and straighter. The caribou has double layered fur. It has a guard or outer coat of straight, tubular fur and a woolly undercoat. Male caribou weigh 275-660 pounds, females weigh 50-300 pounds. The caribou is 4-7 feet in length.
Puffin
The horned puffin is a small, pigeon-sized bird with black uppersides and a white chest and undersides. It has a white face and cheeks with a small black "horn" above its eyes and a thin, dark line that runs from from its eyes to the nape of its neck . It has a large, triangular orange bill with a red tip. It has bright orange legs and webbed feet with claws on the ends of them. In the winter its bill is smaller; its feathers are grayer and its face is darker. Males and females look similar, but the male's bill is bigger and brighter than the female's bill and the male is a little larger. Because of its colorful bill, the horned puffin is sometimes called the sea parrot.
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owls are active during the daytime, from dawn to dusk. They have a direct, strong, and steady flight with deliberate, powerful downstrokes and quick upstrokes. The Snowy Owl is virtually silent during non-breeding seasons. The typical call of the male is a loud, harsh, grating bark, while the female has a similar higher pitched call. Most hunting is done in the "sit and wait" style. These Owls are highly diurnal, although they may hunt at night as well. Prey are captured on the ground, in the air, or snatched off the surface of water bodies. Snowy Owls can live at least 9.5 years in the wild and 35 years in captivity. Natural enemies are few. Arctic foxes and wolves prey upon them on their tundra breeding grounds, while skuas and jaegers may take eggs or chicks. However, snowy owls are very aggressive when defending their nest.
Wolverines
The wolverine is the largest members of the weasel or mustelidae family in North America. It is 31-44 inches in length and weighs about 40 pounds. It has a stocky body covered in long, thick, water-resistant dark glossy brown fur with silver to yellowish bands that run over its shoulders and hips. It has a large head with small eyes and small rounded ears. Some wolverines have patches of silver to yellowish fur over its eyes and on the crown of its head. It has a keen sense of smell and hearing and relatively poor eyesight. It has large, strong teeth, and powerful jaws that help it rip frozen meat from carrion. It also has powerful legs with padded feet and large claws. Its padded feet help it walk in the snow! Males are larger than females.
Animals in the tundra have adapted to the climate for survival.