Canada’s frozen northern wilderness is home to some of the planet’s most remarkable wildlife. These creatures have adapted to survive in one of Earth’s harshest climates, where temperatures plunge and daylight disappears for months.
While these animals are strongly associated with Northern Canada, some species’ ranges may extend slightly beyond Canadian borders into neighboring Arctic regions.
1. Polar Bear
Standing up to three metres tall, polar bears reign as the Arctic’s apex predator. Their thick white fur and layer of blubber keep them warm in temperatures that would freeze most mammals solid.
These magnificent hunters spend much of their lives on sea ice, waiting patiently by breathing holes to catch seals. Churchill, Manitoba earned its nickname as the polar bear capital of the world because hundreds migrate through each autumn.
2. Caribou
Every year, caribou undertake one of nature’s most impressive journeys, travelling over 5,000 kilometres across the tundra. Both males and females grow antlers, making them unique among deer species.
Their wide, splayed hooves work like snowshoes, preventing them from sinking into deep snow. Indigenous peoples have depended on caribou for food, clothing, and tools for thousands of years, creating a deep cultural connection.
3. Muskox
Resembling prehistoric creatures, muskoxen have roamed the Arctic for thousands of years. Their incredibly thick coat, called qiviut, is eight times warmer than sheep’s wool and highly prized by knitters worldwide.
When threatened by wolves, these stocky herbivores form a defensive circle with horns facing outward, protecting calves in the centre. This ancient survival strategy has kept them alive through countless generations.
4. Arctic Lemmings
Contrary to popular myth, lemmings don’t commit mass suicide by jumping off cliffs. These hamster sized rodents are actually tough survivors who remain active all winter beneath the snow.
Building elaborate tunnel systems through the snow, they munch on grasses and mosses year round. Their population cycles dramatically affect predators like snowy owls and Arctic foxes, who depend heavily on these tiny creatures for food.
5. Arctic Fox
Wrapped in the warmest fur of any mammal, Arctic foxes can withstand temperatures down to minus 70 degrees Celsius without shivering. Their coat changes from brown in summer to brilliant white in winter, providing perfect camouflage year round.
These clever opportunists follow polar bears to scavenge leftover seal carcasses. They also cache food during abundant times, storing bird eggs and lemmings in permafrost for leaner seasons ahead.
6. Snowy Owl
With piercing yellow eyes and nearly silent flight, snowy owls are formidable hunters of the treeless tundra. Unlike most owls, they hunt during daylight hours because Arctic summers bring 24 hour sunshine.
Males become almost pure white with age, while females retain dark barring on their feathers. A single owl can eat over 1,600 lemmings in one year, making them essential for controlling rodent populations across the Arctic.
