MAMMALS
in Alaska
 
noting with an (*)
those found during
Focus On Nature Tours

1995 thru 2015

during the months 
of May and June







A List of Alaska Mammals by Armas Hill 

Photo at upper right: MOOSE photographed during a FONT tour

Codes:

SPECIES CLASSIFIED AS THREATENED GLOBALLY:
(t1):  critically threatened
(t2):  endangered 
(t3):  vulnerable
(nt):  classified as near-threatened globally


(i): introduced in the area of Alaska where seen

Species seen during our tours in Alaska noted with an (*) 

(ph):  species with a photo in the FONT website 


Areas with Wildlife in Northern Alaska:  

the GATES OF THE ARCTIC NATIONAL PARK & PRESERVE
From the Dalton Highway west, much of the Brooks Range is in this park, one of the premier wilderness areas in the US national park system. It encompasses 8.4 million acres, and protects primeval landscapes, their flora and fauna, and the culture and traditions of Alaskan native people.
The forester and conservationist Robert Marshal explored the area in the 1930s. Impressed by two massive peaks flanking the North Fork of the Koyukuk River, he called them the "Gateway to the Arctic".
This area was visited during the FONT Alaska Tour in June 2013.

the ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
From the Dalton Highway area, near Atigun Canyon, this refuge extends east across the Brooks Range and the North Slope to Canada. it is an extraordinary wilderness.
The Porcupine Caribou Herd (named for the Porcupine River), Polar Bears, and Musk Oxen depend upon its unspoiled environment.
The pioneer Alaskan conservationists Olaus and Margaret Murie traveled the region by dog team and canoe, and were instrumental in gaining refuge status for the area.

Species occurring in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are coded in this list with: ANWR  


the KANUTI NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Located west of the Finger Mountain area (visited during the FONT Alaska Tour in June 2013), this refuge is slightly larger than the US state of Delaware. It protects large wetland areas that are critical to nesting waterfowl and other wildlife. Resources provide sustenance for the people of the Koyukuk River valley.

the YUKON FLATS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Encompassing an area larger than Connecticut and Vermont combined, this refuge protects a vast complex of lakes and rivers in the Yukon River watershed upstream from the Dalton Highway. Wildlife thrives in the area.
The Yukon River was crossed during the FONT Alaska Tour in June 2013 on the only bridge over the large river in Alaska, along the Dalton Highway. 

Links:

Upcoming FONT Alaska Tour Itineraries     Mammals of North America

Birds in Alaska     Butterflies in Alaska     Wildflowers & Other Plants in Alaska   

Alaska Marine Life (including Fish) 

 



          SHREWS

1. Cinereus Shrew  ______  ANWR
   Sorex cinereus
   
   Sorex cinereus is also called the Masked Shrew. It lives in wet areas and forests. 
   
   
2. Pygmy Shrew  ______  ANWR
   Sorex hoyi
   
   Sorex hoyi lives in forests and open areas, south of the Brooks Range.
   
   
3. Water Shrew  ______
   Sorex palustris
   
   
4. Glacier Bay Water Shrew  ______
   Sorex alaskanus 
   
   Sorex alaskanus is endemic to Alaska. 
   
   
5. Tundra Shrew  ______  ANWR
   Sorex tundrensis
   
   Sorex tundrensis live on the wet tundra and in forests. 
   
   
6. Barren Ground Shrew  ______  ANWR
   Sorex ugyunak
   
   Sorex ugyunak lives on the wet tundra and in forests.
   
   
7. Pribilof Island Shrew  (t2) (*)  ______
   Sorex pribilofensis  (name changed in 1997 from Sorex hydrodromus)
   
   Sorex pribilofensis is endemic to the Pribilof Islands.
   
   
8. Montane (or Dusky) Shrew  ______  ANWR
   Sorex monticolus
   
   Sorex monticolus lives in wet meadows and forests south of the Brooks Range.  
   
   
9. Tiny Shrew  ______
   Sorex yukonicus
   
   The Tiny Shrew was described in 1997. The species is endemic to Alaska. 
   
   
   LAGOMORPHS 
   
   
10. Snowshoe Hare  (*)  ______  ANWR
    Lepus americanus
    
    The Snowshoe Hare lives in forests and shrub thickets.
    
    
11. Alaskan Hare  (*)  ______
    Lepus othus
    
    
12. European Rabbit  (i)  ______
    Oryctolagus cuniculus
    
    An introduced species in Alaska, the European Rabbit occurs in and around some urban and suburban localities.
    
    
13. Collared Pika  (*)  ______
    Ochotona collaris
    
    
    SQUIRRELS, MARMOTS 
    
    
14. Arctic Ground Squirrel  (ph) (*)  ______  ANWR
    Spermophilus (formerly Urocitellus) parryii
    
    The Arctic Ground Squirrel lives in well-drained areas.
    
    
    
    Arctic Ground Squirrel
    (photo by Howard Eskin)
    
    
15. American Red Squirrel  (*)  ______  ANWR
    Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
    
    The American Red Squirrel lives in forests.
    
    
16. Northern Flying Squirrel  ______
    Glaucomys sabrinus
    
    
17. Hoary Marmot  (*)  ______  
    Marmota caligata
    
    In Alaska, February 2nd is celebrated as "Marmot Day".
    
    
18. Alaska Marmot  ______  ANWR
    Marmota broweri 
    
    The Alaska Marmot lives in rocky, mountainous areas.
    
    
19. Woodchuck  (ph) (*)  ______  
    Marmota monax ochracea
    
    
    PORCUPINE
    
    
20. North American Porcupine  (ph) (*)  ______  ANWR
    Erethizon dorsatum  (the single member of its genus)
    
    The North American Porcupine lives in forests and shrub thickets. 
    
    
    
    North American Porcupine
    (photo by Doris Potter)
    
    
    MUSKRAT
    
    
21. Muskrat  (ph) (*)  ______   ANWR
    Ondatra zibethicus  (the single member of its genus)
    
    The Muskrat lives in ponds and marshes south of the Brooks Range.
    
    
    
    Muskrat
    (photo by Doris Potter)
    
    
    BEAVER
    
    
22. American Beaver  (ph) (*)  ______  ANWR
    Castor canadensis
    
    The American Beaver lives in lakes and rivers south of the Brooks Range.   
    
    
    
    American Beaver
    (photo by Doris Potter)
    
    
    MICE, RATS, VOLES 
    
    
23. Meadow Jumping Mouse  ______
    Zapus hudsonius
    
    
24. North American Deermouse  ______
    Peromyscus maniculatus
    
    
25. Northwestern (or Forest) Deermouse  ______ 
    Peromyscus keeni
    
    
26. Bushy-tailed Woodrat  ______
    Neotoma cinerea 
    
    
27. Brown (or Norway) Rat  (i)  ______
    Rattus norvegicus
    
    
28. House Mouse  (i)  ______
    Mus musculus 
    
    
29. Northern Red-backed Vole  ______  ANWR
    Clethrionomys rutilus
    
    The Northern Red-backed Vole lives on the tundra and in forests.  
    
    
30. Southern Red-backed Vole  ______
    Clethrionomys gapperi
    
    The Southern Red-backed Vole occurs in southeastern Alaska.
    
    
31. Western Heather Vole  ______
    Phenacomys intermedius
    
    The first Western Heather Vole specimen in Alaska was identified in 1999 near Hyder. 
    
    
32. Long-tailed Vole  ______
    Microtus longicaudus
    
    The Long-tailed Vole is in the interior of southeastern Alaska.
    
    
33. Taiga Vole  (*)  ______  ANWR
    Microtus (formerly Aulacamys) xanthognathus
    
    The Taiga Vole is also called the Yellow-cheeked Vole. It lives in forests and wet areas.
    
    
34. Singing Vole  (*)  ______  ANWR
    Microtus (formerly Stenocranius) miurus
    
    In Alaska, there are 4 subspecies of the Singing Vole.
    
    The Singing Vole lives in well-drained tundra and shrub thickets near water.  
    
    
35. Tundra (or Root) Vole  (*)  ______  ANWR
    Microtus (formerly Pallasiinus) occonomus
    
    The Tundra Vole lives in meadows near water.
    
    
36. Meadow Vole  ______  ANWR
    Microtus pennsylvanicus
    
    The Meadow Vole lives in meadows and open forests south of the Brooks Range.
    
    
37. Northern Bog Lemming  ______  ANWR
    Synatomys borealis
    
    The Northern Bog Lemming lives in wet areas, forests, and meadows south of the Brooks Range.
    
    
38. North American Brown Lemming  (*)  ______  ANWR
    Lemmus trimucronatus
    
    The North American Brown Lemming lives in well-drained raised areas in wet sedge tundra.
    
    
39. Northern Collared Lemming  ______  ANWR
    Dicrostonyx groenlandicus
    
    The Northern Collared Lemming lives in sedge tundra. 
    
    
    BATS
    
    
40. Silver-haired Bat  (ph)  ______
    Lasionycteris noctivagans 
    
    The Silver-haired Bat occurs only in southeastern Alaska, and only in the winter.
    
    
41. Little Brown Myotis  ______
    Myotis lucifugus
    
    
    FELINES
    
    
42. Canadian Lynx  ______  ANWR
    Lynx canadensis
    
    The Canadian Lynx lives in forests.
    
    
43. Puma  (ph)  ______  
    Puma concolor
    
    Other names for Puma concolor include Cougar and Mountain Lion.
    
    The Puma in not known to breed in Alaska, but it does seem to wander into the state. There are generally two or three sightings in Alaska per year, mostly in the southeast. But reports have been as far north and west as Homer.  
    
    
    CANINES
    
    
44. Gray Wolf  ______  ANWR
    Canis lupus
    
    There are two subspecies of the Gray Wolf in Alaska: the Mackenzie Valley Wolf, and the Arctic Wolf.
    
    In ANWR: the Gray Wolf occurs in all habitats.
    
    Wolves in southeastern Alaska are darker and smaller than those in the north.
    
    
    Domestic Dog  ______  (a descendent of the Wolf)
    Canis lupus familaris
    
    The Dog was the first domesticated animal to reach Alaska, and probably North America, about 20,000 years ago or earlier.
    Some dogs native to Alaska include: Malamutes, Huskies, and Klee Kais.
    
    
45. Coyote  (ph)  ______  ANWR
    Canis latranus
    
    Coyotes have only been seen in Alaska since the early 20th Century. But since then, it spread across much of the state.
    
    In ANWR: the Coyote is rare in open areas. 
    
    
46. Red Fox  (ph) (*)  ______  ANWR
    Vulpes vulpes
    
    In ANWR: the Red Fox occurs in all habitats. 
    
    
47. Arctic Fox  (*)  ______  ANWR
    Vulpes (or Alopex) lagopus
    
    In ANWR: the Arctic Fox occurs on the tundra north of the mountains.
    
    
    BEARS
    
    
48. American Black Bear  (ph) (*)  ______  ANWR
    Ursus americanus
    
    American Black Bears occur in Alaska in a few different shades of colors such as black, brown, cinnamon, and even a rare blue shade.
    
    SUBSPECIES IN ALASKA:
    
    Eastern Black Bear, Ursus americanus americanus  ______  from Alaska south and east through Canada to the Atlantic and south to Texas
    Queen Charlotte Black Bear, Ursus americanus carlottae  ______ islands in southeastern Alaska and British Columbia, larger than its mainland counterparts; only occurs as a black color phase
    Glacier Bear, Ursus americanus emmonsii  ______  southeast Alaska, distinguished by the fur of its flanks being silvery-gray with a blue luster
    Kenai Black Bear, Ursus americanus perniger  (*)  ______  on the Kenai Peninsula 
    Dall Black Bear, Ursus americanus pugnax  ______  on islands of the Alexander Archipelago
    
    In ANWR: the Black Bear lives in forests.
    
    
    
    American Black Bear
    
    
49. Grizzly (or Brown) Bear  (ph) (*)  ______  ANWR
    Ursus arctos
    
    About 70 per cent of the North American Brown Bear population is in Alaska. Most of them in the state are the Grizzly Bear, the subspecies of the Brown Bear throughout North America.  
    But Kodiak Island, Alaska is the home of the Kodiak Bear, the largest subspecies of all the Brown Bears, and second only to the Polar Bear (below) in size.  
    
    SUBSPECIES IN ALASKA:
    (although some say there are only 2 subspecies in the state: U. a, horribilis & U. a. middendorffi.)
    
    Alaskan Brown Bear, Ursus arctos dalli  ______
    Peninsula Giant Bear, Ursus arctos gyas  ______  on the Alaska Peninsula 
    Grizzly Bear, Ursus arctos horribilis  (*)  ______  includes former subspecies U. a. alascensis 
    Kodiak Bear, Ursus arctos middendorffi (*)  ______ this subspecies is said to include the Kenai Bear and others along the southern Alaskan coast east to where U. a, dalli occurs in the upper Alaskan panhandle; those on Kodiak Island are the largest    
    Sitka Islands Bear, Ursus arctos sitkensis  ______
    
    As noted above with an (*), two of these subspecies have been seen during FONT tours.  
    
    In ANWR: Ursus arctos lives in valleys, on plateaus, and in open areas.  
    
    
    
    A Grizzly Bear in Alaska
    (photo by Howard Eskin)
    
    
    
    Fish, like these Sockeye Salmon, 
    are fed upon by bears in Alaska. 
    
    
50. Polar Bear  (t3)  ______  ANWR
    Ursus maritimus
    
    In Alaska, the Polar Bear lives along the Arctic coast and on ocean ice.  
    
    
    RACCOON
    
    
51. Raccoon  (i) (ph)  ______
    Procyon lotor
    
    The Raccoon was introduced in Alaska in the 1930s for the fur trade. Today, there is a very small, but stable, population in the southwestern part of the state.  
    
    
    MUSTELIDS
    
    
52. American Marten  ______  ANWR
    Marten americana
    
    The American Marten lives in forests. 
    
    
53. Wolverine  ______  ANWR
    Gula gula
    
    The Wolverine lives in forests and on the tundra.
    
    
54. Least Weasel  ______  ANWR
    Mustela nivalis
    
    The Least Weasel lives in open, wet areas.
    
    
55. Ermine  ______  ANWR
    Mustela erminea
    
    Other names for Mustela erminea are Short-tailed Weasel and Stoat. It lives in open forests and on the tundra. 
    
    
56. American Mink  (ph)  ______  ANWR
    Mustela vison
    
    In ANWR: the American Mink lives in wet areas south of the mountains. 
    
    
    
    American Mink
    (photo by Howard Eskin)
    
    
57. Northern River Otter  ______  ANWR
    Lontra canadensis
    
    In ANWR: the Northern River Otter lives in rivers and lakes mainly south of the mountains.
    
    
58. Sea Otter  (t2) (ph) (*)  ______
    Enlrydra lutris  (the single member of its genus)
    
     
    
    Sea Otters
    
    
    PINNIPEDS
    
    
59. Northern Fur Seal  (t3) (ph) (*)  ______
    Callorhinus ursinnus  (the single member of its genus)
    
    
    
    A Northern Fur Seal, photographed during a FONT Tour in Alaska on the Pribilof Islands
    
    
60. Northern (or Steller's) Sea Lion  (nt) (*)  ______
    Eumetopias jubatus  (the single member of its genus)
    
    
61. Walrus  (nt)  (ph) (*)  ______  ANWR
    Odobenus rosmarus  (the single member of its genus)
    
    In ANWR: the Walrus is rare along the coast. 
    
    
62. Harbor Seal  (ph) (*)  ______
    Phoca vitulina
    
    
63. Spotted Seal  ______  ANWR
    Phoca largha
    
    In ANWR: the Spotted Seal occurs in coastal waters and on ocean ice. 
    
    
64. Ringed Seal  (*)  ______  ANWR
    Pusa (formerly Phoca) hispida
    
    In ANWR: the Ringed Seal occurs on ocean ice along the coast.   
    
    
65. Ribbon Seal  (t3)  ______
    Histnophoca (formerly Phoca) fasicata  (the single member of its genus)
    
    
66. Bearded Seal  (*)  ______  ANWR
    Erignathus barbatus  (the single member of its genus)
    
    In ANWR: the Bearded Seal occurs in coastal waters and on ocean ice.
    
    
67. Northern Elephant Seal  ______
    Mirounga angustirostris
    
    
    CERVIDS
    
    
68. Moose  (ph) (*)  ______   ANWR
    Alces alces  (the single member of its genus)
    
    The subspecies of the Moose in Alaska, Alces alces gigas, is the largest in the world. Males weigh up to 1,600 pounds, and females up to 1,300 pounds.
    
    The Moose lives in forests, shrub thickets, and wet areas.  
    
    
69. Reindeer  (i) (ph) (*)  ______
    Rangifer tarandus  (domesticated form of the Caribou)
    
    
70. Barren Ground Caribou  (*)  ______  ANWR
    Rangifer tarandus  (the single member of its genus)
    
    In ANWR: the Barren Ground Caribou lives in all habitats
    
    
71. American Bison  (i) (ph)  ______
    Bison bison
    
    A subspecies of the American Bison, Bison bison athabascae, the "Wood Bison" once occurred natively in Alaska, but no longer.
    
    The American Bison now in Alaska were introduced in the state in 1928.
    In 2003, there were approximately 900 wild American Bison in Alaska. They can be seen on their summer range from the Richardson Highway south of Delta Junction, on the Delta Junction Bison Range.
    
    
    BOVIDS
    
    
72. Muskox  (i) (*)  ______  ANWR
    Ovibus moschatus  (the single member of its genus)
    
    In ANWR: the Musk Ox lives on the tundra north of the mountains. 
    
     
73. Mountain Goat  (*)  ______ 
    Orcamnus americanus  (the single member of its genus)
    
    
74. Dall's Sheep  (*)  ______  ANWR
    Ovis dalli
    
    The Dall's Sheep lives on rocky slopes and meadows in the mountains.
    
      
    
    Above & below: Dall's, or White Sheep in the area of the Denali National Park.
    (Photographed in June 2013 by Mark Felber) 
    
    
    
    
    
    PORPOISES & DOLPHIN
    
    
75. Dall's Porpoise  (*)  ______
    Phocoenoides dalli  (the single member of its genus)
    
    
76. Harbor Porpoise  (*)  ______
    Phocoena phocoena vomenna  (subspecies in the northeast Pacific)
    
    
77. Pacific White-sided Dolphin  ______
    Lagenorhynchus obliquidens
    
    
    CETACEANS
    
    
78. Humpback Whale  (ph) (*)  ______
    Megaptera novaangliae  (the single member of its genus)
    
    Below: three photographs of Humpback Whales 
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
79. Blue Whale  (t2)  (ph)  ______
    Balaenoptera musculus
    
    
80. Fin Whale  (t2) (ph)  ______
    Balaenoptera physalus
    
    
81. Sei Whale  (t2)  ______
    Balaenoptera borealis
    
    
82. Northern Minke Whale  (ph)  ______
    Balaenoptera acutorostrata
    
    
83. Gray Whale  (*)  ______  ANWR
    Eschrichtius robustus  (the single member of its genus)
    
    In ANWR: the Gray Whale is rare in coastal waters. 
    
    
84. Bowhead Whale  ______  ANWR
    Balaena mysticetus
    
    In ANWR: the Bowhead Whale is in coastal waters.
    
    
85. Great Sperm Whale  (t3) (ph)  ______
    Physeter catodon
    
    
86. Killer Whale  (ph) (*)  ______
    Orcinus orca  (the single member of its genus)
    
    Orcinus orca is also called the Orca.
    
    
87. Beluga  (nt)  ______  ANWR
    Delphinapterus leucas
    
    The Cook Inlet population of the Beluga (near Anchorage) is found in the inlet and in the Shelikof Strait region, and numbers about 400 to 500 animals. 
    
    In ANWR: the Beluga lives in coastal waters.
    
    
88. Short-finned Pilot Whale  (ph)  ______
    Globicephala macrorhynchus
    
    
89. Stejneger's Beaked Whale  ______
    Mesoplodon stejnegei
    
    Other names for Mesoplodon stejnegei are Bering Sea Beaked Whale and Saber-toothed Whale.
    
    
90. Baird's Beaked Whale  (ph)  ______
    Berardius bairdii
    
    
91. Cuvier's Beaked Whale  (ph)  ______
    Ziphius cavirostris
    
    Ziphius cavirostris is also called the Goosebeak Whale. In Alaska, it occurs as far north as the Aleutians.
    
    
    
    
92. Human  (*)  ______
    Homo sapiens
    
    Humans began to inhabit Alaska at the end of the Upper Paleolithic Period, around 12,000 B.C., when Asiatic groups crossed the Bering Land Bridge into what is now western Alaska.
    
    Now, 670,000 humans live in Alaska. About 20 per cent of them are "American Indian" or "Alaska Native".