What kinds of nocturnal animals can you find in Alaska?

Heading outside after dark can turn up a surprising number of creatures. Keep reading to learn about what you may encounter!

6 Nocturnal Animals in Alaska:

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#1. Great Horned Owl

• Bubo virginianus

• Adults are mottled gray-brown with reddish faces.
• They have prominent feather tufts on their heads and large yellow eyes.

You may not see Great Horned Owls often, but they are common nocturnal animals throughout Alaska.

These raptors can actually be found from the Arctic south to the tropics. Its habitat is practically unlimited as long as there are trees and rocky nesting sites available. It is hard to find a bird that can adapt better than a Great Horned Owl.

Great Horned Owl Range Map

These owls are quite large and look fierce! To identify them, look for their long tufts of feathers that resemble ears on their head. Also, check out their intimidating eyes. I know I would not want to have a staring contest with one!

Both sexes hoot, but males are lower-pitched than females. Males give territorial calls that can be heard a few miles away at night. I don’t think there’s another owl species that does hooting better than a Great Horned Owl!

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#2. Coyote

• Canis latrans

• Their coloring is grayish to yellow-brown on top with white underparts.
• They have a bushy tail, large, triangular ears, narrow muzzle, black nose, and yellow eyes.

Coyotes are some of the most common nocturnal animals in Alaska.

These predators have a large range in North America and are found in various habitats, from the tropics to the tundra. They have expanded their range after the near extermination of wolves and cougars by European settlers.

Coyotes are also highly versatile in their food selection. Despite being primarily carnivorous, they consume various plants, including berries, grass, and food crops. They will eat almost anything, and this extensive menu allows them to thrive in nearly every environment in Alaska!

Even if you haven’t seen one, you’ve probably heard a Coyote before! They’re extremely vocal and communicate through howls, yips, whines, and barks. These vocalizations are used to warn pack mates of danger, greet each other, and play.

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#3. Red Fox

• Vulpes vulpes

• Their coloring ranges from pale orange or red to deep reddish-brown on their upper parts with white on their underside.
• They have black feet, a fluffy white-tipped tail, and large, pointy, black-tipped ears.

Red Foxes are arguably the most beautiful nocturnal animal in Alaska!

These canines are often thought of as cunning and smart, with good reason! They’re excellent hunters and foragers. They also cache food and are adept at relocating it. Although they prefer rabbits, fish, and berries, they won’t hesitate to eat anything readily available.

This species has a distinctive way of hunting mice and other small rodents. Once the prey has been detected, they stand motionless, waiting and listening. Then they leap high into the air and bring their forelegs straight down, pinning the rodent. Their incredible hearing makes it easy for them to hunt at night.

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#4. Barred Owl

• Strix varia

• Adults are mottled brown and white with large, dark eyes.
• They have yellow bills and rounded faces.

Barred Owls (aka the Hoot Owl) are a common nocturnal animal in Alaska. The name “barred” derives from the horizontal stripes of alternating light brown and dark brown on the wings, back, and tail.

Barred Owls are incredibly curious and inquisitive and are known to watch humans as you walk past them. Even if they get nervous as you approach, they typically just fly off to another tree to continue observing.

Barred Owl Range Map

Barred Owls rely on mice and other small rodents but eat just about anything made of meat!

And speaking of classical noises, their hoots are the classic sounds featured in movies and scary Halloween tales. It’s easy to recognize their call as it sounds like they are asking, “Who cooks for you?” Barred Owls will sound off during daylight hours, too, and they mate for life.

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#5. Northern Flying Squirrel

• Glaucomys sabrinus

• They have cinnamon or light brown fur with whitish bellies.
• They have huge black eyes and flat tails.

These nocturnal animals are so stealthy that few people even realize that they’re around. They have big black eyes which help them to navigate as they soar from the treetops in the dark of night.

Northern Flying Squirrel Range Map

To find a Northern Flying Squirrel, you will need to look in forests dominated by conifer trees.

It is rare to find these squirrels on the ground since they are incredibly clumsy walkers. If a predator approaches, they will typically try to hide instead of run away.

Most of their time is spent at the tops of trees, gliding from branch to branch. Their average length of glides is between 16 – 82 feet (5 – 25 m). I wish these squirrels could be seen during the day because watching them glide these distances would be incredible to see!

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#6. North American Porcupine

• Erethizon dorsatum

• Their fur ranges in color from brownish-yellow to black, with white highlights on their quills.
• Porcupines are covered in approximately 30,000 hollow quills.

This nocturnal animal is the second-largest rodent in Alaska!

While North American Porcupines generally spend much of their time on the ground, they can also climb trees, using their tail for support. But they aren’t the best climbers; one study found that 30% of the porcupines had healed fractures from falling from trees.

North American Porcupine Range Map

They’re well known for their sharp quills used for defense. When threatened, porcupines draw up the skin of their back, bristling so that the quills face all directions. The porcupine keeps its back to the predator and moves its tail back and forth.

But, despite their effective defense, porcupines are still preyed on by fishercats, coyotes, wolverines, and other predators that have adapted to hunting them.

Contrary to popular belief, porcupines can’t throw quills at their attacker! 🙂

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To learn more about animals in Alaska, check out these other guides!

• Types of MAMMALS Found in Alaska!

• Types of Frogs Found in Alaska! (ID Guide)

• Owl Species That Live in Alaska!

• 9 Types of Seals & Sea Lions in Alaska!

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Which of these nocturnal animals have you seen before in Alaska?

Leave a comment below!