Many mammals make their home on Selawik Refuge.  Furbearers of all sizes are found here, alongside bears and herbivores such as moose and muskoxen. The Western Arctic Caribou Herd, the largest herd in Alaska at 325,000 animals, roams through the Selawik valley seasonally.  Conservation of this caribou herd is one of the special purposes of Selawik  Refuge.  Click on "learn more" to view a list of mammal species found on Selawik Refuge.

Spring arrives on the refuge in the feathered form of birds who come to the arctic during breeding season.  Myriad species of waterfowl and shorebirds nest on the Selawik Refuge, and others pass through on their migrations.  During the winter months, a handful of hardy resident species remain, including ptarmigan, jays, and snow buntings.  Click on "learn more" to view a list of bird species found on Selawik Refuge, including abundance information and breeding status.

With all the aquatic habitats in the Kobuk River delta and lower Selawik River, fish populations are abundant.  The upper Selawik River is the spawning grounds for one of the two sheefish populations of the region.  Sheefish, for which Selawik is named, is one of the important wildlife species the refuge was set aside to protect.  Other important fish include salmon, northern pike, whitefish, cisco and burbot.  Click on "learn more" to view a list of fish species found on Selawik Refuge.

Many larger animals are able to thrive here thanks to the abundance of small animals that form a critical part of the food web.  All kinds of invertebrates live in the water, including insect larvae and zooplankton.  These feed many small fish and birds.  Insects and spiders also abound on the tundra and its associated wetlands, many of them not well studied or documented.  Recently a visiting dragonfly scientist was able to document range extensions for several species.  Although no amphibians have been documented here, wood frogs live elsewhere in the region and may inhabit the refuge as well.  No reptiles are found in Alaska.

The heart of Selawik Refuge is a vast complex of wetlands and lowlands that provide rich habitat for many plants and animals.  At over two million acres, though, Selawik Refuge comprises a wide variety of landscapes and terrains that offer homes to suit the needs of many of Alaska's creatures.  Click "learn more" to view a photo gallery of the refuge's scenery.