Wildlife of Alaska

The wildlife of Alaska is both diverse and abundant. The Alaskan Peninsula provides an important habitat for many kinds of animals, including fish, mammals, reptiles, and birds. At the top of the food chain are the bears. Alaska is home to about 70% of all North American brown bear population, as well as many grizzly bears, black bears, and special Kodiak bears.

In winter, polar bears can be found in places like the Kuskokwim Delta, St. Matthew Island, and the southernmost part of St. Lawrence Island. Other important animals include moose, caribou, bison, wolves, and wolverines. There are also many fish species, such as salmon, halibut, and pollock.

Birds are very common in Alaska, with hundreds of species. You can see bald eagles, owls, falcons, ravens, ducks, geese, and swans. Near the coast, you might spot sea lions, seals, and whales. The waters also have many different kinds of small sea creatures, like shrimp, crab, and sponge.

Mammals

Main article: List of mammals of Alaska

Brown bear

Alaska is home to a large number of brown bears, with about 98% of the brown bear population in the United States living here. There are around 30,000 brown bears in Alaska, and some are hunted each year by people.

Brown bears live in many parts of Alaska, except for some islands. They are at the top of the food chain and can be found in areas where they have plenty of food. The McNeil River Falls area has a very high number of brown bears.

Brown bears can be dangerous, especially when they have just caught food or when a mother bear has babies. It is important to treat them with respect.

Grizzly bears

Alaska also has many grizzly bears, which are a type of brown bear found across North America.

Kodiak bears

Kodiak Island is home to Kodiak bears, the largest type of brown bear in the world.

Black bear

Black bears are smaller than brown bears and are found in many parts of Alaska, but not on some islands. They sometimes come close to people in towns and camps because they are curious and looking for food. Although attacks are rare, they can be a problem when they get used to finding food from people. There are thought to be as many as 100,000 black bears in Alaska.

Polar bear

Polar bears in Alaska live near the Arctic coast. In winter, they are often found in places like the Kuskokwim Delta and St. Matthew Island. In summer, they move to the Arctic Ocean and the Chukchi Sea. There are two main groups of polar bears in Alaska, one near the Wrangell Islands and the other near the North Slope.

Polar bears were once hunted by local people for food and by others for sport until laws were made to protect them. Today, polar bear numbers may be at risk from oil development and changes in climate. There are about 4,700 polar bears in Alaska.

Grizzly-polar bear hybrid

Because of changes in climate, it is now more common to see hybrid bears called pizzly or grolar bears, which come from grizzly and polar bears mixing.

Caribou

Alaska has many caribou, a type of reindeer. They live in tundra and mountain areas but may spend winter in forests. Caribou travel long distances each day looking for food and shelter, which can be hard for local communities that rely on them.

There are about 950,000 caribou in Alaska. Their numbers are kept balanced by predators and hunters. Even though there were worries that oil drilling would harm them, they seem to be adapting well.

Moose

The moose in Alaska are the largest in the world, with males weighing between 1,200 to 1,600 pounds. Predators and hunters help control their numbers. Moose are common and often seen on roads and near towns. They have been important to people in Alaska for food, clothing, and tools. Today, they are popular among hunters and can sometimes cause problems by eating crops or getting into the path of cars and trains.

Mountain goat

Mountain goats live in the rocky, mountainous areas of Alaska, especially in the southeast. They move to lower areas in winter. They were also placed on islands like Baranof and Kodiak, where they have done well.

Bison

The American bison now in Alaska came from Montana in 1928. More bison have since spread naturally. There are also small groups of bison on islands and farms. Another type of bison, the wood bison, used to be common but disappeared long ago. There are plans to bring them back from Canada.

Dall sheep

Dall sheep live in the mountains of Alaska where the ground is rocky and steep. They are often seen in Denali National Park. Male Dall sheep, called rams, have big curved horns that grow larger as they age.

Orca

Orcas, also called killer whales, are large dolphins found in Alaska’s waters. They hunt in groups and eat other whales, seals, and sea lions. Female orcas can be up to twenty-three feet long, and males can reach twenty-seven feet. They live along the Continental Shelf from southeast Alaska to the Aleutian Islands and can also be seen in Prince William Sound.

Birds

Main article: List of birds of Alaska

Alaska is home to hundreds of different bird species, especially near the coast. Some of the well-known birds you can find in Alaska include many kinds that make their homes in these rich areas.

Reptiles

Turtles

Alaska's waters are home to two types of turtles: the leatherback sea turtle and the green sea turtle.

The leatherback sea turtle is the largest turtle in the world. It can weigh up to two thousand pounds and grow up to six and a half feet long. Its shell, called a carapace, is soft and leather-like instead of hard.

The green sea turtle gets its name from its green skin, not its shell, which is brown or dark olive. These turtles can weigh up to 700 pounds and grow up to 5 feet. They usually live near coastal waters in Europe and North America. Both male and female green sea turtles have flippers shaped like paddles, which they use to dig in sand to lay eggs. A single green sea turtle can lay up to 200 eggs.

Amphibians

Alaska is home to many interesting frogs and salamanders. Two frog species live there: the Columbia spotted frog and the wood frog. There are also two introduced frog species: the Pacific tree frog and the red-legged frog. The only toad in Alaska is the western toad.

Alaska also has three types of salamanders: the northwestern salamander, the long-toed salamander, and the rough-skinned newt. These creatures live in forests, water, and many other places. Some have special skin that helps protect them.

Fish

Alaska is home to many different kinds of fish. You can find fish like trout, salmon, char, grayling, halibut, lampreys, lingcod, longnose sucker, pacific herring, black rockfish, salmon shark, sculpin, walleye pollock, white sturgeon, and many types of whitefish in its lakes, rivers, and oceans.

Salmon

Alaska has five kinds of salmon. These include the chum salmon, sockeye salmon, coho salmon, Chinook salmon, and pink salmon. Every year, these salmon swim upstream against strong river currents. They often jump out of the water as they try to move forward. Bears, especially brown bears, gather near rivers to catch and eat the salmon. An area called Bear Lake near Seward on the Kenai Peninsula has been a special spot for salmon since 1962.

Rainbow trout

Alaska is home to two main types of rainbow trout: stream-resident and steelhead. These fish live most of their lives in freshwater but sometimes move into estuaries when they grow older. The largest rainbow trout ever caught weighed almost 15 pounds and was 19 inches long. They live in streams and are found in the North Pacific Ocean.

Char

Arctic char in Alaska are similar to trout and salmon but can survive in much colder and deeper water. These fish can weigh up to 20 pounds.

Grayling

Grayling live in mountain lakes and calm rivers. They have a long, colorful dorsal fin that is usually red and blue.

Halibut

The Pacific halibut is the largest flatfish in its family. It swims sideways because its body is flattened. Most adult halibut have both eyes on the top side of their heads. Their scales blend into their skin, making them look smooth.

Lamprey

Lampreys are eel-like fish without jaws. They live in freshwater and are often found near coastal areas, where their young burrow into the water.

Lingcod

Lingcod are large fish that live on the ocean floor. They can grow up to 5 feet long and weigh up to 80 pounds. Their colors change from brown, grey, green, blue, to pink, and they have dark and light spots. They are found along the coast of Alaska and in the Bering Strait.

Longnose sucker

The longnose sucker is found all over Alaska. It can weigh up to 5 pounds and lives in cold streams. Its body ranges from dark green to black on top, with a white or yellow belly.

Pacific herring

Pacific herring are smooth and silver with a bluish-green color. The scales on their underside have a slightly jagged look. They can grow up to 18 inches long but usually stay around 9 inches.

Black rockfish

Black rockfish are grey with a large mouth and a spiny dorsal fin. They have dark stripes from their eyes to their gills. These fish can weigh up to 11 pounds and grow up to 27.6 inches long.

Salmon shark

Salmon sharks can grow up to 10 feet long. They are light grey with a white tail. Male salmon sharks become adults between 9–10 years old, while females take about 10–11 years.

Sculpin

Sculpin are small fish that live in both fresh and saltwater. They rarely grow longer than 7 inches and have flat bodies with wide fins that help them stay on the bottom of water bodies.

Walleye pollock

The walleye pollock is an important fish for Alaska’s fishing industry. It is a type of cod with colors ranging from brown, green, silver, and white. It can grow up to 3.5 feet long and weigh up to 13.3 pounds, and is sometimes called fake walleye.

White sturgeon

White sturgeon are different from other fish because they do not have scales. Instead, they have bony plates called scutes along their bodies. They live on the sea floor and use suction to eat, with tastebuds on the outside of their mouths.

Marine macroinvertebrates

Alaska is home to 3,708 different kinds of sea creatures that live in its ocean waters. These creatures can be found from the shallow areas near the shore to very deep parts of the sea. They live in areas such as the Beaufort Sea near Canada, the Chukchi Sea, the Bering Sea, the Aleutian Islands near Russia, and the Gulf of Alaska near British Columbia. Some of the more common sea creatures you might see include shrimp, crab, lobster, and sponge.

Endangered species

Alaska has one of the smallest lists of animals that are in danger of disappearing in the United States. According to the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, there are only 12 such animals, and almost all of them live in the ocean.

Extinct species

Some animals that once lived in Alaska are no longer found there. Since people from Europe arrived, a few species have disappeared. Two of these are the Steller's sea cow and the Spectacled cormorant.