Day Twelve of Twelve Days of Arctic Animals: Moose
Scientific Name: Alces alces is the Eurasian moose. Alces americanus is the American moose.
Day Eleven of Twelve Days of Arctic Animals: Walrus
Scientific Name: Odobenus rosmarus Odobenus rosmarus is Latin for “tooth-walking sea-horse”. Walruses use their tusks to haul out onto pack ice and it looks like they are walking on their … Continue reading
Day Ten of Twelve Days of Arctic Animals: Arctic Fox
Scientific Name: Vulpes lagopus Vulpes is from the Latin vulpinus which means “of or pertaining to a fox”.
Day Nine of Twelve Days of Arctic Animals: Beluga Whale
Scientific Name: Delphinapterus leucas The word beluga comes from the Russian word “bielo” meaning white. Beluga whales are actually born dark gray and are not white for up to eight … Continue reading
Day Eight of Twelve Days of Arctic Animals: Wolverine
Scientific Name: Gulo gulo “Gulo” is Latin for glutton and French for gullet or throat.
Day Seven of Twelve Days of Arctic Animals: Polar Bear
Scientific Name: Ursus maritimus Ursus is from Latin ursinus “of or resembling a bear”. Maritimus is from Latin maritimus “of the sea or near the sea”.
Day Six of Twelve Days of Arctic Animals: Narwhal
Scientific Name: Monodon monoceros Scientifically named by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, Monodon monoceros means “one tooth, one horn”.
Day Five of Twelve Days of Arctic Animals: Dall Sheep
Scientific Name: Ovis dalli Dall sheep were scientifically named in 1884, “Ovis” is from the Latin word ovinus, meaning sheep. Dalli is derived from the name of scientist William Healey … Continue reading
Day Four of Twelve Days of Arctic Animals: Arctic Hare
Scientific Name: Lepus arcticus Where Arctic Hare Live: Arctic hare live in mountainous tundra, rocky plateaus and treeless coasts along the northernmost regions of Greenland, the Arctic Islands, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Day Three of Twelve Days of Arctic Animals: Arctic Tern
Scientific Name: Sterna paradisaea Where Arctic Terns Live: The Arctic Tern has a circumpolar range, spending breeding season in the Arctic and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia and North
Day Two of Twelve Days of Arctic Animals: Muskoxen
Scientific Name: Ovibos moschatus. The prefix “ovi” is Latin for sheep, “bos” is latin for ox. “Moschatus” is New Latin for musky and refers to the preorbital glands that
Day One of Twelve Days of Arctic Animals: Snowy Owl
Scientific Name: Nyctea scandiaca or Bubo scandiacus “Nyctea” is Greek for nocturnal (most owls are nocturnal but snowy owls are not), “scandiaca” is Latin and an ancient name for the
