Aestivation
Spending time
(particularly in the summer) in a state of inactivity or extreme sluggishness.
adaptations
The process of changing
to better survive and live in a particular environment.
alpine
The geographic area above the treeline.
annuli
Is the pattern of growth on the rings of the
dall sheep.
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- Arctic
- A desert area north of the 66th parallel. Distinctive for
cold weather, tundra, short winter days, and long summer days.
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- arctic tundra
- A flat, cold, treeless land with low bushes and plants
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- Artioldactyl
- Hoofed animals that have an even number of
functional toes on each foot.
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- Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
- An area of land in northern Alaska set aside by the federal
government as a wildlife refuge. It is between Canada and the North Slope oil development
area.
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- baleen
- The part of a whale's mouth that acts as teeth. It filters
out the water leaving behind the food.
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- Bering Sea
- The sea that is west of Alaska. It merges with the Chukchi
Sea of Russia which merges with the Arctic Ocean.
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- biome
- A major ecological community like a grassland or desert. A habitat.
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- blubber
- whale fat
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- Brooks Range
- A first major mountain range in Alaska above the arctic circle. Elevation 4,000 - 9,000
ft.
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- bunting
- A stout-billed bird related to finches.
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- camouflage
- Blending in so as not to be seen. Many animals have camouflage that helps them avoid
predators such as the artic hare.
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- caribou
- An arctic deer. Lives on the tundra during the summer and
migrates to southern regions of the north during the winter.
Chuckchi Sea
The sea between the Arctic Ocean and the Bering Sea. It is off the
northeast coast of Russia.
circumpolar
Surrounding or found in the vicinity of a terrestrial pole - either
north or south.
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- Dall sheep
- A member of the sheep family. The only all white wild sheep. Named after William Dall.
Known for its curling horns.
diurnal
Awake during the daytime. An animal that is
diurnal hunts during the daytime.
domestic
An animal that is kept as a pet.
- dominance
- Having the controlling influence in a group. Being the
dominant animal in a group means being the leader of that group.
- dorsal fin
The fin
that is located on the center back of a whale.
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- Eskimo
- A member of a people that live in the Arctic regions of North
America and Asia.
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- Eurasians
- People of European and Asian origin.
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- ewes
- Female sheep are referred to as ewes.
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- fetus
- An unborn human or unhatched or unborn animal that is still
developing in the mother
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- flock
- The name of the family group of many animals. In the arctic
the family group of the Dall Sheep is called a flock.
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- fluke
A whale's tail fin.
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gestation
How long the animal carries the young until birth; pregnancy.
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- habitat
- The place of kind of place where an animal or plant usually
lives or grows. For a habitat to be considered good it must have four things: room for the
animal to roam, a food source, water, and shelter.
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- hare
- A member of the Leporidae family. Distinctive from rabbits in
that the young of a hare are born with fur and with their eyes open. The young are also
able to hop around quite soon after birth.
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- herd
- An animal group or family.
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- hibernation
- When an animal sleeps most
of the winter only waking once or twice.
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- hierarchy
- The division among a group of animals the establishes who is
the leader and who are the followers.
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- Hummock
- A round hill or knoll. In the Arctic these are caused by the freeze-thaw cycle.
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- ice floe
- A large, flat area of ice floating on water. In the arctic
many animals will "travel" on the ice floes. Both the Polar Bear and Walrus haul
out on ice floes.
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- Inupiaq
- A group of Native Americans. Commonly referred to as Eskimos.
Also the name of their language.
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- Insulate
- To cover, surround, or line with a material that slows
or stops the passage of heat or cold. In animals insulation would include body fat, fur,
feathers, etc.
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- Ivory
- The smooth, hard, yellowish-white material forming the tusks
of walrus and certain other animals.
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- Keratin
- The substance that human fingernails is made of. Dall sheep
horns are made of this substance.
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- knoll
- A little hill.
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- lactation
- The production and secretion of milk by the mammary
glands.
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- lambing
- The season in spring when lambs are born.
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- leveret
- A baby hare is called a leveret.
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- lichen
- A form of moss. It grows well in Arctic and northern regions. Also called caribou moss.
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- Lynx
- The big cat of the north.
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- migrate, migration
- Moving south in the fall and back north in the spring. Many animals do this as the
weather changes.
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- Muskox
- A large, shaggy looking arctic animal. Part of the same
family as sheep and goats. Its hair is used by Inupiaq to weave very warm clothing.
muzzles
The nose or snout of an animal.
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- nocturnal
- Happens at night. On this site we use it to mean when an
animal hunts its food or when it is most active.
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- Oomingmak
- "The animal with skin like a beard." This is the
Inupiaq word for the Muskox. It refers to the long guard hair that hangs almost down to
the ground.
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- Orca
- A type of whale. Known for its distinctive black and white markings. Sometimes referred
to as a Killer whale.
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- owlets
- Baby owls are called owlets.
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- pellet
- The leftover food from an owls digestive system. After the
owl has digested all that it can the rest is spit back out in the form of a hard, dry
pellet.
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- pigment
- Color. Usually refers to skin coloring but sometimes to other
things like the color in a feather.
- Pinnipeds
- A group of marine animals that is found over most of the
world. Pinna, means wing or fin + pedis, meaning foot. Walrus, seals and sea lions are all
Pinnipeds.
- pod
- The family group of whales is called a pod.
- Ptarmigan
- A northern bird that changes color with the seasons. It has
brown markings in the summer and is white in the winter. It is also the state bird of
Alaska.
- polygamously
- Pairing
with more than one female.
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- precipitation
- The amount of rain, hail or snow fall.
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predator
- The animal who hunts another animal. An animal can
be both a predator and prey depending on if it is
hunting or being hunted.
- prey
- The animal that is being hunted by another animal.
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- Qiviut
- The underhair of the Muskox that is
woven into articles of clothing is called Qiviut.
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- rabbit
- A member of the Leporidae family like the hare. It is
different from the hare in that its young are born blind and with no fur. They are
helpless for 8-10 days after birth.
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- rams
- The male of the sheep family.
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- resourceful
- Making a little go a long way.
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Subarctic
- The area that is below the
arctic circle and the area immediately around the arctic circle and areas
around the world that are similar to the Arctic in
climate.
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- subsistence
- A kind of hunting that provides all or almost all the food
required by native hunters.
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- Takin
- A large heavy built animal that chews its cud. It lives in
Tibet and is related to goat but looks like an antelope a little bit. Also related to the
Muskox.
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- Taxonomist
- A scientist who classifies animals according to their natural
relationships.
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- tree line
- The highest altitude at which trees can grow.
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- tusks
- A long, pointed tooth, usually one of a pair. It extends
outside of the mouth of certain animals such as the walrus or the elephant.
tundra
- The flat, cold, treeless land of the north. It
has low bushes and plants that are very slow growing
because of the harsh conditions.
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© Copyright 1998 ERCHA
