WILDLIFE CHECKLIST
Little Animals of Denali Park

We tend to overlook the small animals. But they’re incredibly important in the ecosystem. For one thing, they provide a consistent food source for the carnivores. Because they are hunted, they all tend to be rather good at hiding. Some, like the collared pika on the far right or the arctic ground squirrel below it, hide in holes. Others hide through coloration. Both the Willow Ptarmigan and the snowshoe hare become white in the winter. There are many important small animals. Here are a few you may spot in your adventures.

1. Collared Pika

Also known as a ‘rock rabbit’ because you’ll usually find it on top of a rock or boulder. This little member of the hare family has mouselike ears, and works year-round actively searching for vegetation, storing it in food caches – and then protecting the food from intruders.

2. Arctic Ground Squirrel

Found in Alaska and northern Canada, this little herbivore hibernates during the winter. It eats berries and seeds, doubling its weight in the summer. In the winter, it burrows with its colony, and its body temperature drops to almost 6 degrees below freezing without harm.

3. Hoary Marmot

‘Hoary’ means old and silver-haired. The silver-gray marmot has thick, wild-looking fur and a big bushy tail. It’s known as ‘the whistler.’ Its shrill alarm warns other marmots.

4. Beavers

Beavers play an important role in this part of Alaska, controlling water flow and creating ponds. They appear to be migrating further north as a result of climate warming.

5. Snowshoe Hare

Bigger than cottontails, snowshoe hares are known locally as ‘rabbits.’ But they are different. They’re born fully furred. They have furry paws – ‘snowshoes’ – and they turn white in the winter. Snowshoes are an important part of the cycle of larger animals, like lynx and fox.

6. Gray Jay

Known as the ‘Camp Robber,’ you’ll see gray jays hopping around on picnic tables, looking for a handout. The gray jay has a larger head than a “Lower 48” jay, and no crest. It’s a year-round resident of Alaska and lives in spruce forests. It eats seeds and insects.

7. Voles, Shrews, Mice & Lemmings

These little guys are targeted by a number of animals as a food source, including wolves, owls and foxes. They’re active all year round and in the winter, live under the snow.

8. Red Fox

Red foxes eat anything – berries, grass, bugs, squirrels, hares, dead animals, birds, muskrats and, especially, shrews. They weigh up to 15 pounds and are not necessarily red. A ‘silver’ fox is a shade of black. Foxes are often seen along the Park Road

9. Lynx

Alaska’s only cat, this bobcat-like creature has big furry snowshoe-like feet. If snowshoe hare levels are high, that’s the food of choice. If they’re low, they’ll eat squirrels, birds like grouse and ptarmigan, and rodents.

10. Bugs & Insects

Although no major diseases are known to be passed to humans by the Alaska mosquito, you’ll be sure to find them annoying. They serve a major purpose in Alaska. They pollinate Alaska’s plants on the tundra.

+ More creature feature at Alaska 101's main Denali Section

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