With 42 specialized teeth for slicing, tearing, and grinding, wolves are supremely well-equipped carnivores. A wolf could make short work of a helpless egg, but Atka, an ambassador Arctic gray wolf, instead takes a slower, perhaps even epicurean, approach when presented with an egg as a treat.

Wild Arctic gray wolves (Canis lupus arctos) live primarily in the Arctic, the region located above 67° north latitude. The land is covered with snow and ice for most of the year, except for a brief period during the summer. Arctic wolves have adapted well to this icy environment.

Atka, like his wild counterparts, has white fur, allowing him to blend into snowy surroundings. To help reduce heat loss, his ears are rounded, he has a shorter muzzle and shorter legs than other gray wolf subspecies.


He also has hair between the pads of his feet and long, thick fur to keep him warm in temperatures that as low as minus 70° Fahrenheit.