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List of mammals of Nunavut facts for kids

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Nunavut has several species of mammals (ᐱᓱᒃᑎ, pisukti), of which the Inuit found use for almost all. The larger animals such as the caribou would be eaten, with the skin used for tents and clothing and the sinew used for thread. In lean times even animals such as the fox would have been eaten and some people did eat it even when other foods were available. With the arrival of the traders the fox skin became a valuable source for trade, however, traditionally the skin was not often used except as a sanitary napkin. The skins of smaller animals such as the weasel would have been used to provide decoration on clothing.

Some of the animals in this list, such as the lynx, are rarely seen as they live mainly in the very southern part of the territory away from any communities.

There are several different dialects of Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun as well as two alphabets, Inuktitut syllabics and Latin. The Inuit name or spelling may differ from one region to another and in extreme cases from one community to another.

Artiodactyla (ᑯᑭᑯᖅᑐᔪᑦ)

Muskox 08-28.06.98
Muskoxen
  • Bovidae (ᓇᒃᔪᒋᒃᑐᑦ)
    • Muskox (ᐅᒥᖕᒪᒃ, umingmait, umingmak, oomingmak) Ovibos moschatus
  • Cervidae (ᓇᒃᔪᓖᑦ)
    • Caribou (ᑐᒃᑐ, tuktut) Rangifer tarandus
      • Barren-ground caribou (ᓇᐹᕐᑐᕐᑲᓐᖏᑦᑐᒥ ᑐᒃᑐ, tuktut, tuktu) Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus
      • Peary caribou (ᕐᑯᑦᓯᑦᑐᒥ ᑐᒃᑐ, tuku, qakuqtakuluit tuktut, qikiqtani tuktuit) Rangifer tarandus pearyi
    • Moose Alces alces
      • Western moose (ᑐᒃᑐᕙᒃ, tuktuvak) Alces alces andersoni

Carnivora (ᓂᕐᑭᑐᖅᑎᑦ, ᓂᕿᑐᐃᓐᓇᐃᓈᖅ, niqituinnainaaq)

Arctic Fox enjoying sun
Arctic fox
  • Canidae (ᕐᑭᒻᐅᔭᑦ)
    • Grey wolf (ᐊᒪᕈᖅ, amaruq) Canis lupus
    • Arctic fox (ᑎᕆᒐᓐᓂᐊᖅ, tiriganniak, tiriqaniaq) Vulpes lagopus
    • Red fox (ᑲᔪᖅ, kajuqtuq, kajuit) Vulpes vulpes
  • Felidae (ᑯᑭᓕᒑᕐᔪᐃᑦ)
    • Canada lynx (ᐱᖅᑐᖅᓯᕋᖅ, piqtuqsiraq) Lynx canadensis
  • Ursidae (ᓄᑭᓖᑦ)
    Ursus maritimus 4 1996-08-04
    Polar bear
    • Black bear (ᐊᒃᖤᒃ, aklaq) Ursus americanus
    • Grizzly bear (ᓇᐹᖅᑐᖃᖕᒋᑦᑐᒥ ᐊᒃᖤᒃ, atiqpuq) Ursus arctos horribilis
    • Polar bear (ᓇᓄᖅ, nanuq) Ursus maritimus
  • Mustelidae (ᑎᕆᐊᓂᙶᖅᑐᑦ)
    • Wolverine (ᖃᕝᕕᒃ, qalvik, qavvik) Gulo gulo
    • River otter (ᑯᒻᒥ ᐸᒥᐅᖅᑑᖅ, pamiuqtuuq) Lontra canadensis
    • Beringian ermine (ᑎᕆᐊᖅ, tiriaqpak, tiqiak) Mustela erminea
    • American ermine (ᑎᕆᐊᖅ, tiriaqpak, tiqiak) Mustela richardsonii
    • Least weasel (ᒥᑭᓂᖅᓴᖅ ᑎᕆᐊᖅ, tiriaq, tiqiak) Mustela nivalis
    • American marten (ᖃᑉᕕᐊᕐᓯᐊᖅ, qapviarsiaq) Martes americana
    • American mink (ᑎᕆᐊᖅᐸᒃ, tiriaqpak) Neogale vison
    • Fisher (ᑎᕆᐊᕐᔪᐊᖅ) Pekania pennanti
  • Phocidae (ᓇᑦᓯᖅ, natsiq)
    Bartrobbe 1-2002
    Bearded seal
    • Bearded seal (ᐅᒡᔪᒃ, ᐅᒥᒃᑑᖅ, ugjuk) Erignathus barbatus
    • Hooded seal (ᓇᑦᓯᕙᒃ, natsivak) Cystophora cristata
    • Harbour seal (ᖃᓯᒋᐊᖅ, qasigiaq) Phoca vitulina
    • Harp seal (ᖃᐃᕈᓕᒃ, qairulik) Pagophilus groenlandicus
    • Grey seal (ᐳᕕᓲᖅ, puvisuuq) Halichoerus grypus
    • Ringed seal (ᓇᑦᑎᖅ, nattiq) Pusa hispida
  • Odobenidae
    • Walrus (ᐊᐃᕕᖅ, aiviq) Odobenus rosmarus

Lagomorpha (ᑭᖑᓪᓖᖅᑯᖅᑐᔪᑦ)

  • Leporidae (ᐅᑲᓖᑦ)
    Young Arctic hare in summer coat
    Arctic hare
    • Arctic hare (ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᐅᑲᓕᖅᐸᒃ, ukaliq, okalik, ukalik) Lepus arcticus
    • Snowshoe hare (ᑭᖑᓪᓖᕐᑯᕐᑐᔪᖅ ᐅᑲᓕᖅ) Lepus americanus

Rodentia (ᑎᓯᓖᑦ)

Insectivora (ᕐᑯᐱᕐᕈᑐᖅᑏᑦ)

12 Walross 2001
Walrus
  • Soricidae (ᓂᕇᓐᓇᓲᑦ, utjunaq)
    • Masked shrew (ᐊᐅᐸᖅᑐᖅ ᓯᒃᓯᐅᔭᖅ, uqjunqnaq) Sorex cinereus

Chiroptera (ᐅᓐᓄᐊᖅᓯᐅᑦ)

  • Vespertilionidae (ᐃᓴᕈᕐᓗᒃᑐᑦ)
    • Hoary bat (ᕐᑭᖑᔭᖅ ᑎᒻᒥᓲᖅ ᐊᕕᙵᐅᔭᖅ) Lasiurus cinereus
    • Little brown myotis (ᒥᑭᔪᖅ ᑲᔪᖅ ᑎᒻᒥᓲᖅ ᐊᕕᙵᐅᔭᖅ) Myotis lucifugus

Cetacea

Narwhals 1997-08-01
Narwhals
Belugaschule 1999-07-02
Beluga whales

See also

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List of mammals of Nunavut Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.