Alaska is home to several various plants, animals, and insects because it is such a big and diverse state. We have the climate of the southern regions which can be compared to the climate of Washington and Oregon. Then there is the North Slope that can be compared to that of Siberia. We have some of the most common plants and animals in the world, yet we have some that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Alaska winters are harsh requiring most warm-blooded mammals to put on weight and grow heavier coats to prepare for the winter. Then there are other, more customized adaptations. In some large herbivores such as caribou and musk oxen, special nasal passages are designed to capture heat that would otherwise escape as steamy breath. Arctic wolves have specialized blood vessels in their paws that keep pad temperatures about one degree above freezing. Some winter residents avoid the whole climate challenge by hibernating.

These plants, animals, and insect are not all of the flora and fauna in Alaska by any means. These samples are just a few of the major flora and fauna of the interior.

 

Flora

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