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, kukikuqtujut)
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)
Canidae (ᕐᑭᒻᐅᔭᑦ) Grey wolf (ᐊᒪᕈᖅ, amaruq) Canis lupus Arctic wolf, Canis lupus arctos Arctic fox (ᑎᕆᒐᓐᓂᐊᖅ, tiriganniak, tiriqaniaq) Vulpes lagopus Red fox (ᑲᔪᖅ, kajuqtuq, kajuit) Vulpes vulpes Felidae (ᑯᑭᓕᒑᕐᔪᐃᑦ) Canada lynx (ᐱᖅᑐᖅᓯᕋᖅ, piqtuqsiraq) Lynx canadensis Ursidae (ᓄᑭᓖᑦ) Black bear (ᐊᒃᖤᒃ, aklaq) Ursus americanus Grizzly bear (ᓇᐹᖅᑐᖃᖕᒋᑦᑐᒥ ᐊᒃᖤᒃ, atiqpuq) Ursus arctos horribilis Polar bear (ᓇᓄᖅ, nanuq) Ursus maritimusPolar Bear, 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)Marine mammals of Canada University of Guelph Bearded seal (ᐅᒡᔪᒃ, ᐅᒥᒃᑑᖅ, ugjuk) Erignathus barbatus Bearded Seal, Erignathus barbatus Hooded seal (ᓇᑦᓯᕙᒃ, natsivak) Cystophora cristataHooded Seal, Cystophora cristata Harbour seal (ᖃᓯᒋᐊᖅ, qasigiaq) Phoca vitulina Harbour Seal, Phoca vitulina Harp seal (ᖃᐃᕈᓕᒃ, qairulik) Pagophilus groenlandicusHarp Seal, Phoca groenlandica Grey seal (ᐳᕕᓲᖅ, puvisuuq) Halichoerus grypusGrey Seal, Halichoerus grypus Ringed seal (ᓇᑦᑎᖅ, nattiq) Pusa hispidaRinged Seal, Phoca hispida Odobenidae Walrus (ᐊᐃᕕᖅ, aiviq) Odobenus rosmarusWalrus, Odobenus rosmarus
Lagomorpha (ᑭᖑᓪᓖᖅᑯᖅᑐᔪᑦ, kingulliiqkuqtujut) Leporidae (ᐅᑲᓖᑦ) Arctic hare (ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᐅᑲᓕᖅᐸᒃ, ukaliq, okalik, ukalik) Lepus arcticus Snowshoe hare (ᑭᖑᓪᓖᕐᑯᕐᑐᔪᖅ ᐅᑲᓕᖅ) Lepus americanus
Rodentia (ᑎᓯᓖᑦ, tisiliit) Castoridae (ᐸᒥᐅᒥᓅᖅᑐᑦ) American beaver (ᑭᒋᐊᖅ, kigiaq, kiqiaq) Castor canadensis Muridae (ᐊᕕᙵᐃᑦ) Muskrat (ᐊᕕᙵᕐᔪᐊᖅ, kivgaluk, avinnqarjuaq) Ondatra zibethicus North American brown lemming (ᑲᔪᖅ ᐊᕕᙵᖅ, kayuqtumik avin'ngak, avin'ngaq, avinnqaq) Lemmus trimucronatus Peary land collared lemming (ᕐᑲᑯᖅᑕᖅ ᐊᕕᙵᖅ, qutulingmik avin'ngak, avin'ngaq, aupajaaqtuq avinnqaq) Dicrostonyx groenlandicus Meadow vole (ᐊᕕᙵᕋᓛᖅ) Microtus pennsylvanicus Northern red-backed vole (ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᐊᐅᐸᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᕐᑯᓖᓕᒃ ᐊᕕᙵᕋᓛᖅ) Myodes rutilus Brown rat (ulimakka) Rattus norvegicus (introduced) Sciuridae (ᓯᒃᓯᑦ) Arctic ground squirrel (ᓯᒃᓯᒃ, siksik) Spermophilus parryii Red squirrel (ᐊᐅᐸᖅᑐᖅ ᓯᒃᓯᐅᔭᖅ) Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
Insectivora (ᕐᑯᐱᕐᕈᑐᖅᑏᑦ, rkupirrutuqtiit)
Soricidae (ᓂᕇᓐᓇᓲᑦ, utjunaq) Masked shrew (ᐊᐅᐸᖅᑐᖅ ᓯᒃᓯᐅᔭᖅ, uqjunqnaq) Sorex cinereus
Chiroptera (ᐅᓐᓄᐊᖅᓯᐅᑦ, unnuaqsiut) Vespertilionidae (ᐃᓴᕈᕐᓗᒃᑐᑦ) Hoary bat (ᕐᑭᖑᔭᖅ ᑎᒻᒥᓲᖅ ᐊᕕᙵᐅᔭᖅ) Lasiurus cinereus Little brown myotis (ᒥᑭᔪᖅ ᑲᔪᖅ ᑎᒻᒥᓲᖅ ᐊᕕᙵᐅᔭᖅ) Myotis lucifugus
Cetacea
Balaenidae Bowhead whale (ᐊᕐᕕᖅ, arviq) Balaena mysticetusBowhead Whale, Balaena mysticetus Balaenopteridae Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalusFin Whale, Balaenoptera physalus Sei whale, Balaenoptera borealisSei Whale, Balaenoptera borealis Blue whale (ᐊᕐᕕᖅ ᓂᐊᖁᕐᓗᖕᓂᖅᓴᖅ, ᐃᐸᒃ, arviq niaqurlungniqsaq, ipak) Balaenoptera musculusBlue Whale, Balaenoptera musculus Common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrataMinke Whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliaeHumpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae Delphinidae Killer whale (ᐋᕐᓗ, ᐊᕐᓗᒃ, ᐋᕐᓗᒃ, aarlu, arluk, aarluk) Orcinus orcaKiller Whale, Orcinus orca Long-finned pilot whaleLong-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala melaena White-beaked dolphinWhite-beaked Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris Monodontidae Narwhal (ᑑᒑᓕᒃ, tuugaalik, ᕿᓚᓗᒐᖅ ᑑᒑᓕᒃ, qilalugaq tuugaalik) Monodon monocerosNarwhal, Monodon monoceros Beluga whale (ᕿᓇᓗᒐᖅ, qilalugaq) Delphinapterus leucasBeluga, Delphinapterus leucas Cumberland Sound beluga Phocoenidae Harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoenaHarbour Porpoise, Phocoena phocoena Physeteridae Sperm whale (ᑭᒍᑎᓕᒃ, kigutilik) Physeter macrocephalusSperm Whale, Physeter catodon Ziphiidae Northern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatusNorthern Bottlenose Whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus
See also List of birds of Nunavut
References
External links Wildlife Publications including "Terrestrial Mammals Fact Sheets" from the Government of Nunavut