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The Arctic region derives its name from the stellar constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear. Arctos is Greek for bear.
 Fittingly, the mammal that most captures the imagination of anyone studying, or visiting, the Arctic is, unarguably, the great white bear, the polar bear. The polar bear is the world's largest land carnivore. The polar bear is considered a marine mammal since it spends its life on the sea ice and in the water. Extraordinary swimmers, they have been witnessed swimming many miles from the nearest land. Polar bears, or 'nanuq', tend to be solitary creatures and are likely to venture near settlements only when the ice retreats and seals are difficult to find. Further south, in the James and Hudson Bay region, global warming is the suspected cause of shortened winters and earlier sea ice melting. The region's polar bears are losing weight, are having fewer offspring and are approaching a dangerous point in terms of survival.
There are many other impressive species of marine and land mammal, and bird, in the Arctic, both native, and seasonal visitors. Not to be outdone, a wide and surprising variety of flora exists in the Arctic regions.
For flora, life is a precarious phenomenon. Winter's icy grip lasts for months on end and even spring temperatures can dip to -30 degrees Celsius. Summer is a brief respite during the months of July and August with temperatures often dropping below freezing, accompanied by dry inhospitable winds. There is little soil and it is usually acidic and lacking in nitrogen. Just below the surface lies either bedrock or permafrost. Amazingly, the Arctic flora, through a series of adaptations, is able to survive severe and rapid fluctuations in temperature. Plants can literally freeze one minute and thaw the next. About 200 species of flowering plant exist above the tree line - exceeded by the number of mosses and lichens.
Dandelions, buttercups, harebells and chamomile daisies can be viewed. On the tundra meadows are found willow catkins (pussy willows), purple saxifrage, yellow cinquefoils, Lapland rosebay, white bells and mountain avens (known in Inuit as malikkat 'the follower' because the pale cream flowers always face the sun). Wintergreen, moss campion, arctic cotton, louseworts (similar to snap dragons), the prolific fireweed (that can turn a whole valley a splendid pink), prickly saxifrages, bladder campions and mouse-ear chickweed choose their own ecosystems. Crowberries, blueberries, cranberries and alpine bearberries are edibles that have their place in Inuit diets. Lichens are vital elements in the Arctic environment. Rather than single plants they are a symbiotic association of algae and fungi cells co-habiting. Some are staples in the diets of caribou and some have saved native peoples and many explorers from starvation.
Treat all flora with respect. A botanist has reported counting 400 rings on a stem of Lapland roseberry that was no thicker than a man's thumb.
 Land mammals share with flora the incredible adaptations that have made it possible for them to survive the harsh fluctuations of temperature, environment and resources, so common in the Arctic. With a little luck the visitor to the Arctic may see caribou (reindeer), known to the Inuit as 'tuktu' . In Nunavut, alone, it is estimated that there are 750,000 caribou. Some migrate as much as several hundred kilometres in the spring. Although DNA tests suggest that all caribou are members of one subspecies, there are generally considered to be three distinct subspecies: the barren-ground, Baffin and diminutive Peary. The visitor to Kangerlussuaq may very well see Musk Oxen. This area is home to one of the largest populations in the Arctic. Look for them here because they will not be found on Baffin Island. The 'umingmak' prefer grasses and sedges to the lichens that provide sustenance to the caribou. Well known for their habit of circling face outwards to protect their calves, it is wise to stay well clear.  In summer, bulls are very aggressive and unpredictable and will charge the unwary visitor. The tundra wolf and the arctic wolf prey on musk oxen, caribou and arctic hares. Wolverines, the largest of the weasels, are distinctive for the two tan stripes running the length of their bodies. The male weighs up to 28 kilograms and its fur is prized for use in parka hoods because frost slips easily off the hairs. Smaller animals include lemmings, hares, weasels and foxes. These animals are common on Baffin Island and have moved as far as the Queen Elizabeth Islands.
Many marine mammals flourish in Arctic waters. They provided the resources that allowed centuries of native culture to develop. They provided food, shelter, clothing, fuel and even the raw materials for tools, weapons and crafts. The three most bountiful species of seal are the ringed, harp and bearded.  The ringed seal 'natsiq' was the main staple of Inuit diet and a primary resource for many of their survival needs. Walruses are a paradoxical animal that can reach up to 3.5 metres and 1,400 kilograms. Clumsy on land, they are masterful swimmers. An adult walrus can consume as many as 3,000 clams in one day. They use their tusks as a symbol of social dominance and to assist them to get out of the water. They are found in shallower waters in Hudson Bay, around Baffin Island and in the High Arctic.
Whales are prolific. Other whales are seen but the true Arctic whales are the beluga, narwhals and bowheads. Up to 100,000 of the snow-white belugas congregate, frolic and sing in the same waters each summer.  Early whalers called them 'sea canaries'. The narwhals have a more restricted range, although a visitor might be lucky enough to spot one in the fertile waters of Lancaster Sound or a deep fiord of northern Baffin Island. The narwhal is the mysterious 'unicorn' of the sea with its ivory tusk spiralling from its upper jaw. The narwhal averages 4 metres and weighs nearly two tonnes. The bowhead is the giant of arctic whales reaching 18 metres and 100 tonnes. They were hunted to near extinction in the 1800s and early 1900s and their numbers are still dangerously low. From a high of about 100,000 there remain no more than 1,000 in the eastern Canadian Arctic. Killer whales also visit these waters and may be partly responsible for the difficulty bowheads have in increasing their numbers. Young bowheads are a part of the Orca diet.
There are a limited number of bird species in the Arctic but this is more than made up for by their exotic nature and the sheer numbers of some birds in their breeding colonies. Imagine seeing and hearing peregrine falcons spiralling upward on air currents or catching a glimpse of the awe-inspiring gyrfalcon, the largest and fastest of all falcons.  Rock and willow ptarmigan, the ivory gull, the elusive Ross's gull, the 'dashing pirates' or jaegers (that prey on other birds nests and on lemmings), eiders, Brant, Canada and Snow geese and many other species make the Arctic home in the summer months. Shorebirds include plovers, sandpipers, phalaropes and ruddy turnstones. Almost as synonymous as the polar bear, with the Arctic, is the snowy owl. Numbers increase in direct relationship with the population of lemmings. These magnificent snow-white birds make no effort to disguise themselves on the open tundra.
You will enjoy discovering much more about the flora and fauna of the Arctic as you delve into the many resources available in the library, in bookstores and on the internet.
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