Page 9 - Wildlife of the World

CANADIAN ARCTIC | 25

LOCATION
The Isabella tiger moth can

breed in the High Arctic by
The northernmost parts of
SLOW AND having a long life cycle. Its the Canadian mainland and
the islands, comprising part
hatch in summer and feed
woolly bear caterpillars
for a month. In winter, they
of the Northwest Territories
freeze solid and lie dormant.
STEADY
and the mostly Inuit territory
They repeat the process for
up to 14 years before pupating
of Nunavut.
and emerging as adults that
live for only a few days.

Hudson G r e e n l a n d ICELAND
Bay
CANADA 0 km 1000
Edmonton
Vancouver 0 miles 1000
CLIMATE

Temperatures are very low all year, only rising
above 32°F (0°C) for 6–10 weeks in summer.
BANDED WOOLLY BEAR ARCTIC HARE
Average annual temperatures are well below
freezing, and virtually all precipitation falls
as snow.

° F ° C (Igloolik, Nunavut) MM IN
1
86 30 60 2 ⁄4
68 20 40 1 ⁄2
1
3
50 10 20 ⁄4
WINTER WHITEOUT
32 0 0 0
Like other Arctic land
14 -10
mammals, the Arctic hare
-4 -20
has exceptionally dense fur,
which traps warm air close
-22 -30
to the skin. In the south of
-40 -40
its range in Newfoundland,
hares molt into a gray-
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
brown summer coat. Further
Key Average temperature Rainfall
north, where the thaw is
white all year.
negligible, they stay winter
GETTING WARMER
The Arctic is warmer now than at any time
in the last 40,000 years, and the extent and
duration of sea ice reduces every year. In 2007,
the Northwest Passage linking the Atlantic and
FISH OF THE DAY
Pacific remained ice free for the first time in
recorded history. This change in conditions can
Arctic cod are not fished
have profound effects on the growth of plankton,
commercially, but feature in
on which all marine life ultimately depends.
ARCTIC COD their wings to “fly” underwater.
They are targeted from
the diets of other predators.
The sea ice is vital to polar bears, which need
it for hunting and breeding.
below by seals, belugas, and
narwhals, and from above by
birds such as guillemots, or
murres, which dive to more
than 330 ft (100 m), using
❯ Includes one of the world’s largest archipelagos ❯ Birds come to the Canadian Arctic to breed, but leave before winter ❯