Arctic Animals - The Arctic has a wider variety of animal life than Antarctica. The animals of the north polar region can be seasonal visitors at the edge, permanent residents of the High Arctic or anywhere in-between.
Arctic Animals
A List of Arctic Wildlife
Antarctic
animals here - south polar
The North Pole is in the middle of the Arctic Ocean which is surrounded by the land masses of North America, Europe and Asia so there is a land connection to the south meaning that land animals can more easily reach the Arctic unlike Antarctica where animals must be able to swim or fly across hundreds of miles of frigid and storm-prone ocean even at the narrowest point.
Land Mammals
Arctic Fox - Vulpes lagopus
Arctic Hare - Lepus arcticus
Arctic Wolf - Canis lupus arctos
Caribou / Reindeer - Rangifer tarandus
Moose - Alces alces
Musk Ox - Ovibos moschatus
Polar Bear - Ursus maritimus
Wolverine - Gulo gulo
Dall Sheep - Ovis dalli
Ermine - Mustela erminea
Lemming - Lemmus lemmus
Sea Otter - Enhydra lutris
Snowshoe Hare / Snowshoe Rabbit
Lepus americanus
Birds
Snowy Owl - Bubo scandiacus
Arctic Tern - Sterna paradisaea
Arctic Skua - Stercorarius parasiticus
Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Canada Goose - Branta canadensis
Brunnich's Guillemots - Uria lomvia
Ptarmigan - Lagopus muta
Puffin - Fratercula arctica
Snow Goose - Chen caerulescens
Other Animals
Arctic Woolly Bear Moth (caterpillar)
Gynaephora groenlandica
Beluga Whale - Delphinapterus leucas
Greenland Shark
Somniosus microcephalus
Narwhal - Monodon monoceros
Orca - Orcinus orca
Bearded Seal - Erignathus barbatus
Harp Seal - Pagophilus groenlandicus
Hooded Seal - Cystophora cristata
Ribbon Seal - Histriophoca fasciata
Ringed Seal - Pusa hispida
Spotted Seal - Phoca largha
Walrus - Odobenus rosmarus
Picture credits:
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license: Arctic Skua - Donald Macauley, Arctic Wolf - tsaiproject, Bald Eagle - Ron Holmes of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region, Dalls Sheep - National Park Service Alaska Region, Greenland Shark - Uglyoverload.com, Arctic Woolly Bear Moth - Mike Beauregard, Harp Seal colony ~Dawn~ from Saratoga California USA, Lemming - Sander van der Wel, Puffins - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, Snow Goose - U.S. Fish Wildlife Service Headquarters, Snowshoe Hare - Denali National Park and Preserve, Spotted Seal - Tomomori.
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license - Arctic Fox - Algkalv, Beluga - Premier gov ru, Ermine - 4028mdk09, Ringed Seal - Alexander Butakov, Snowy owl - Natures Photo Adventures-CC-BY-SA-3
All other images are copyright of CoolAntarctica.com or are in the public domain.