Home Alaska Info & Geography Our Itineraries Photography & Cinematography Interactive Map Alaska Links & Websitepartners Contact / Disclaimer Alaska Cruise Alaska Overland Alaska Glaciers Alaska National Parks Alaska Wildlife Alaska Marine Wildlife Alaska Adventures Alaska Flora Alaska Background Stories Alaska Presentations Cruisepage2 HubbardGlacier AialikGlacier KnikGlacier Iceplanet1 Iceplanet2 ValdezGlacier WorthingtonGlacier MearesGlacier ColumbiaGlacier GlacierBayNP1 GlacierBayNP2 RootGlacier ExitGlacier MatanuskaGlacier WrangelStENP WrangellStENP/Flightseeing WrangellStENP/Naturehike WrangellStENP/Kennicott KenaiFjordsNP DenaliNP PWSMarineWildlifeCruise BearAdventure TopOfTheWorldHighway BibleofNorthCountryTravel AGoodDaysCatch NotOnlyCowsAreCalving Bears LearnToFish 24HoursAnchorage TheLonelyFisherman PrehistoricWildlife TheFisihingIsGreatInValdez OffTheBeatenPath YukonInfo KlondikeGoldrush Beringia ARailroadToHell Alaska2012-1 Alaska2012-2 Alaska2012-3 Alaska2012-4 Alaska2012-5 Alaska2012-6 Alaska2012-7 Alaska2012-8 PrehistoricWildlifePrehistoric animals Beringia Click on an image in the webgallery for a fullscreen impression Many of the ancient mammals of Beringia have become extinct. Beringia* is a land mass that formed during the late ice age of Pleistocene (2.6 million – 10,000 years ago) and stretched out from the present day Siberia to Alaska and Yukon (please read the background story, ‘Beringia, The Land That Vanished.’Beringia was home to animals still familiar to us, such as grizzly bears, musk oxen, moose, dall sheep and wolves apart from the extinct prehistoric giants such as mammoths, large short-faced bears and sabre-toothed tigers.Thanks to the permafrost of large areas of Alaska and Yukon (soil, which, to this day has been permanently frozen), many well preserved remains of extinct animal species have been retrieved and have revealed many secrets of prehistoric times.Apart from the familiar animals mentioned above, there is another little mammal that survived the harsh climate of the ice age: the Arctic ground squirrel. An animal of about 40 – 50 cm that can survive the most extreme winter climates by completely stuffing itself in the autumn with all sorts of plant foods, doubling its weight in a very short time. As soon as the first snows fall, the squirrels retreat to their burrows underground and survive the winter in a unique manner. During their hibernation, they can allow their body temperature to drop to below -3°C, but, because of biochemical processes, they do not freeze. Every few weeks they warm up by shivering. This helps to prevent brain damage. Their deep sleep ensures that they do not expend much energy.Deep down in the permafrost, remains of the Arctic ground squirrels have been found, dating back to more than 30,000 years ago, perfectly preserved in their underground grave. * Read the complete backgroundstory: "Beringia, The Land That Vanished" alaska-editions.com Om alle inhoud te kunnen zien hebt u de actuele versie van Adobe Flash Player nodig. |