Tundra Animals: 40 Animals You Can Find in the Tundra

Get ready to journey into the coldest places on Earth, where only the toughest animals survive. From the majestic caribou roaming icy plains to the clever arctic fox and the powerful polar bear, tundra animals have incredible ways to stay warm and find food.

In this lesson, you’ll discover their names in English, learn amazing facts about how they live, and practice pronunciation to make your vocabulary grow.

List of Tundra Animals

Here is the list of the common names of animals you will find in the tundra.

• Yellow-eyed Penguin
• Yak
• Weddell Seal
• Walrus
• Tundra Swan
• Stoat
• Snowy Owl
• Snow Petrel
• Snow Leopard
• Rock Ptarmigan
• Reindeer
• Red Fox
• Puffin
• Polar Bear
• Pika
• Orca
• Narwhal
• Musk Ox
• Mountain Goat
• Moose
• Molt
• Marmot
• Lemming
• Kea
• Husky
• Himalayan Tahr
• Harbor Seal
• Elk
• Chinchilla
• Caribou
• Cape Petrel
• Beluga Whale
• Bald Eagle
• Arctic Wolf
• Arctic Tern
• Arctic Hare
• Arctic Fox
• Arctic Dog
• Antarctic Prion
• Antarctic Penguin

Common Names of Tundra Animals

Arctic Fox

• Arctic foxes have thick fur and furry feet to stay warm.
• They change color—white in winter, brown in summer.
• Arctic foxes follow polar bears to scavenge leftovers.

Arctic Fox

 /ˈɑrktɪk fɑks/

• The whiteness of the arctic fox acts as camouflage, hiding it from its enemies.

Arctic Hare

• Arctic hares huddle together for warmth.
• They can run up to 40 mph to escape predators.
• Their short ears help conserve body heat.

Arctic Hare

 /ˈɑrktɪk hɛr/

• The arctic hare can run very fast. In winter, they can hide in the tunnels and it is warm there.

Caribou

• Caribou migrate over 3,000 miles yearly—one of the longest migrations.
• Their hooves act as snowshoes in winter.
• Both males and females grow antlers.

Caribou

 /ˈkɛrəˌbu/

• Some of these caribou have in recent years suffered greatly, at human hands.

Musk Ox

• Musk oxen have two layers of fur to survive freezing temperatures.
• They form defensive circles against predators.
• Their hooves break ice to reach plants.

Musk Ox

 /mʌsk ɑks/

• Unlike true goats, mountain sheep, and musk ox, mountain goats rarely direct their blows to their rivals’ heads.

Rock Ptarmigan

• Ptarmigans change plumage seasonally for camouflage.
• They burrow in snow to keep warm.
• Their feathered feet help walk on snow.

Rock Ptarmigan

/rɑk ˈtɑrmɪɡən/

• The rock ptarmigan changed its feathers to white to blend into the snowy tundra.

Snowy Owl

• Snowy owls hunt during the day, unlike most owls.
• They have excellent hearing to find prey under snow.
• Snowy owls migrate south if food is scarce.

Snowy Owl

 /ˈsnoʊi aʊl/

• In contrast to the barn owl, the snowy owl is represented by only a single pellet sample.

Mountain Goat

• Mountain goats climb steep cliffs to avoid predators.
• They have special hooves with rough pads for grip.
• Their thick coats protect against freezing winds.

Mountain Goat

 /ˈmaʊntən ɡoʊt/

• The most serious enemy of the mountain goat is snow or more precisely avalanches.

Bald Eagle

• Bald eagles nest on cliffs or tall trees near tundra coasts.
• They can spot fish from over a mile away.
• Bald eagles reuse huge nests year after year.

Bald Eagle

 /bɔld ˈiɡəl/

• Its carcass is eaten by a bald eagle, whose gut becomes lined with oil.

Chinchilla

• Chinchillas live in burrows in rocky mountain tundra.
• They have densest fur of any land mammal.
• Chinchillas take dust baths to stay clean.

Chinchilla

 /tʃɪnˈtʃɪlə/

• The chinchilla was at me while she was looking at it. Cute, isn’t it?

Marmot

• Marmots hibernate for up to 8 months.
• They whistle to warn of danger.
• Marmots live in colonies with complex burrows.

Marmot

 /ˈmɑrmət/

• Because, unlike the marmots, the rats had no resistance to the disease that the fleas carried.

Snow Leopard

• Snow leopards have long tails for balance and warmth.
• They can leap up to 50 feet across rocks.
• Snow leopards are solitary and elusive.

Snow Leopard

 /snoʊ ˈlɛpɚd/

• So many wild animals live inside the deep mountain, like a bear, snow leopard, lynx, and fox.

Reindeer

• Reindeer have noses that warm cold air before it reaches lungs.
• Their hooves adapt seasonally—hard in winter, soft in summer.
• Both sexes grow antlers.

Reindeer

 /ˈreɪnˌdɪr/

• The reindeer walked silently across the snow in search of lichen.

Stoat

• Stoats turn white in winter (called ermine).
• They store food in underground caches.
• Stoats hunt prey much larger than themselves.

Stoat

 /stoʊt/

• Instead, a rabbit and a stoat are cleverly using an underground network of drains to make it to the other side.

Elk

• Elk migrate between forests and tundra.
• Males grow huge antlers for mating displays.
• Elk form large herds in winter for safety.

Elk

 /ɛlk/

• When the inebriated elk was freed, it lay for a while on the ground, seemingly unconscious.

Harbor Seal

• Harbor seals rest on ice or rocky beaches.
• They dive up to 1,500 feet to hunt fish.
• Harbor seals have thick blubber to stay warm.

Harbor Seal

 /ˈhɑrbɚ sil/

• Earless species include the elephant seal, harbor seal, harp seal, and leopard seal.

Polar Bear

• Polar bears have black skin under white fur to absorb heat.
• They can swim for days between ice floes.
• Polar bears hunt seals on sea ice.

Polar Bear

 /ˈpoʊlɚ bɛr/

• The polar bear waited patiently by the hole for a seal to surface.

Puffin

• Puffins nest in burrows on tundra cliffs.
• They can carry several fish in their beaks at once.
• Puffins spend most of their lives at sea.

Puffin

 /ˈpʌfɪn/

• The puffin is an unusual sea bird, and there is something almost comical about the way it moves and looks.

Moose

• Moose wade into cold water to feed on aquatic plants.
• They have long legs to move through deep snow.
• Moose shed and regrow their antlers each year.

Moose

 /mus/

• It is quite wild around they had a moose that came out one summer up there.

Orca

• Orcas hunt seals, whales, and fish in icy waters.
• They use teamwork to break ice and catch prey.
• Orcas communicate with clicks and whistles.

Orca

 /ˈɔrkə/

• I suppress an evil wish that an orca will be drawn in by this moving lunchbox of an animal.

Narwhal

• Narwhals have a long tusk (an extended tooth).
• They migrate under Arctic ice following fish.
• Narwhals can dive over 5,000 feet deep.

Narwhal

/ˈnɑrˌwɑl/

• This range includes all dolphins, porpoises, narwhals, and killer whales.

Tundra Animals | Infographic

Last Updated on January 9, 2026