Compared to temperate or tropical regions, the Arctic has few animal species that call it home. In all of Greenland, there are only about 84 species of birds that regularly visit (there are hundreds of bird species in the U.S., by contrast). In the high Arctic, where Zackenberg station is located, there are only 47 bird species. There are only 13 species of mammals, six of which live on land (lemming, ermine, Arctic hare, wolf, Arctic fox and musk ox) and seven of which are marine mammals that live on ice and in the sea (polar bear, narwhal, ringed seal, bearded seal, bow whale, hooded seal and walrus). The high Arctic, defined by its low temperature, is cold but not snowy. Most of the moisture in winds blowing toward the high arctic falls out as rain or snow before it arrives. The land is what scientists call a cold desert. Some researchers worry that global warming, which would warm the high Arctic, will bring more snow and rain. The species that live there today, adapted to dry conditions, may not survive.

	Zackenberg See photos from the eastern coast of Greenland. Wildlife See photos of some indigenous wildlife including a musk ox. Martial Boss Paintings Martial Boss is an artist that has painted animals and Greenlandic lanscapes. See photos of several of his renderings. Walruses See photos of large walruses on the beaches in Greenland. Lemmings See photos of the scatalogical remains of lemmings in Greenland. Traill Island Meet the research team at Traill Island in Greenland and see photos including remains of musk ox and polar bear tracks. Twin Otter Plane Airplanes are the main mode of transportation on Greenland. See photos of the Twin Otter, the plane that took Dan Grossman around Greenland.