Endemic Animals of Alaska

Clione limacina, known as the naked sea butterfly, sea angel, and common clione, is a sea angel (pelagic sea slug) found from the surface to greater than 500 m (1,600 ft) depth. It lives in the Arctic Ocean and cold regions of the North Atlantic Ocean. It was first described by Friderich Martens in 1676 and became the first gymnosomatous (without a shell) "pteropod" to be described. Less

The Alaska Peninsula brown bear or "peninsular grizzly" is a colloquial nomenclature for a brown bear that lives in the coastal regions of southern Alaska, although according to other sources, it is a population of the mainland grizzly bear subspecies (Ursus arctos horribilis ), or the Kodiak bear subspecies (U. a. middendorffi ).Alaska Peninsula brown bears are very large, usually ranging in weight from 800 to 1,200 lb (360 to 540 kg). They are f ...
ound in high densities along the southern Alaskan coast due not only to the large amount of clams and sedge grass but also to the annual salmon runs; this allows them to attain huge sizes, some of the biggest in the world. They may gather in large numbers at feeding sites, such as Brooks Falls and McNeil Falls, both in Katmai National Park near King Salmon.Biologists maintain that coastal ones are truly brown bears. However, it is considered correct to place all North American members of U. arctos in the subspecies horribilis except the giant Kodiak bears of Kodiak Island. To avoid confusion, many simply refer to all North American members, including Kodiaks, as "brown bears."Prized by hunters for their skulls and hides, up to 500 of Alaska's 1,500 brown bears killed yearly by hunters come from the Alaska Peninsula. To hunt this large bear, hunters must follow a variety of regulations, including bear bag limits, hunting fees and proper rifles. Less

The glacier bear (Ursus americanus emmonsii ), sometimes referred to as the "blue bear", is a subspecies of American black bear with silver-blue or gray hair endemic from Southeast Alaska, to the extreme northwestern tip of British Columbia, and to the extreme southwest of the Yukon. The Tlingit name for the glacier bear is a reference to their size, elusiveness, and ability to visually blend into snowfields: "sik noon", which means "a bear that ...
disappears". Little scientific knowledge exists of their total extent and the cause of their unique coloration. Most other black bears in southeast Alaska are listed under the subspecies Ursus americanus pugnax.The USDA Forest Service lists U. a. emmonsii as one of several subspecies of black bears, although no evidence supports the subspecies designation other than hair coloration. Less

The Alaska marmot (Marmota broweri ), also known as the Brooks Range marmot or the Brower's marmot, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. Once considered to be the same species as the hoary marmot, it is now known to be unique. Alaska marmots are found in the scree slopes of the Brooks Range, Alaska. Specifically, they prefer to dwell on rocky, mountainous terrain, generally near lakes. They eat vegetation found on mountainsides, such ...
as grasses, seeds, and lichen. Their relatively thick bodies are covered in dense, grey fur. They live in large colonies that consist of multiple families. During the winter, they hibernate for long periods of time in underground burrows. While not well researched, they are not believed to be particularly threatened, by human activity or otherwise. The Alaskan government has designated February 2 as "Marmot Day," a holiday intended to recognize the prevalence of marmots in the state, similar to the more widely celebrated American holiday of Groundhog Day. Less

The Kenai Peninsula wolf (Canis lupus alces ), also known as the Kenai Peninsula grey wolf, is an extinct subspecies of the gray wolf that lived on the Kenai Peninsula in southern Alaska. Less

The insular vole or St. Matthew Island vole (Microtus abbreviatus ) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It occurs only on St. Matthew Island and the adjacent Hall Island, in Alaska. On these Bering Sea islands, insular voles live in damp lowland areas, on the lower slopes of mountains, and on rye grass-covered beaches. They are diurnal and eat plant matter. Birds and Arctic foxes (which are the only other mammals on the island) prey ...
on the voles. Less

Nelson's collared lemming (Dicrostonyx nelsoni) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae.It is found in western and southwestern Alaska in the United States. Less

The Pribilof Island shrew (Sorex pribilofensis ) is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found only on Alaska's Pribilof Islands. Less

The Glacier Bay water shrew (Sorex alaskanus ) is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Alaska in the United States. It can swim underwater, and when it stops swimming, air trapped in its fur lets it float back up to the surface. Owing to small hairs on its feet, the water shrew can run across the water. Its fur is water resistant, although if it does get wet it returns to shore to dry itself with its hind feet. It eats ...
aquatic fly nymphs and terrestrial invertebrates. Less

The Alaska tiny shrew (Sorex yukonicus ) is a species of shrew. It is endemic to Alaska.This species was formerly included under the description of the Eurasian least shrew (S. minutissimus ). It was described as a separate species in 1997. It was named for the Yukon River.This shrew occurs in central Alaska, and more recently it has been found in the southwestern part of the state. It always lives near rivers.This species has tricolored fur in ...
varying shades of gray. Less

The Saint Lawrence Island shrew (Sorex jacksoni ) is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found only on Alaska's St. Lawrence Island. Less

The Prince of Wales flying squirrel, Glaucomys sabrinus griseifrons, is a subspecies of the northern flying squirrel. Glaucomys sabrinus griseifrons is endemic to Prince of Wales Island in Alaska and has a unique coloration compared to other subspecies of northern flying squirrel. It is whiter on the ventral side, darker on the dorsal side, and the head/neck area tend to be more gray than other subspecies. This subspecies is genetically distinct ...
from the northern flying squirrel from evidence found in mitochondrial DNA and microsatelite data. Adults are usually around 25-37 centimeters in length and 110-230 grams in weight. This subspecies is often considered a keystone species in the Southeastern Alaska area because it consumes and disperses conifer seeds and fungal spores into areas with little vegetation and sites of disturbance. The released fungi spores aid in the absorption of nutrients by plants and speed up regrowth in these areas. Less

The diamondback tritonia (Tritonia festiva ) is a species of nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tritoniidae. It is an opportunistic predator of other marine invertebrates. Less

Propebela mitrata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies. Less

Aforia kincaidi is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cochlespiridae. Less

Oenopota althorpensis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae. Less

Suavodrillia kennicotti is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Borsoniidae. Less

Oenopota impressa is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae.Pleurotoma impressa Mørch, 1869 is the type species of Nodotoma Bartsch, 1941 Less

Propebela fidicula is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae. Less

Margarites costalis, common name the boreal rosy margarite or the northern ridged margarite, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Margaritidae.Margarites costalis baxteri J. H. McLean, 1995Margarites costalis costalis (Gould, 1841) Less

Oenopota murdochiana is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae. Less

Propebela alaskensis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae, Less

Propebela miona is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies. Less

Propebela alitakensis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae. Less

Spiromoelleria kachemakensis is a species of small sea snail with calcareous opercula, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Colloniidae. Less