Nearctic region

The Nearctic region is one of the major faunal regions defined by animal geographers based on distinctive animal life. It primarily encompasses North America and Greenland. The Nearctic region, along with the Palearctic region (Europe, northern Asia, and northern Africa), is often combined into the Holarctic region due to historical faunal interchange via a former land bridge between Siberia and Alaska.12

The classification of faunal regions is useful for understanding evolutionary processes, such as adaptation and geographic changes. While broad agreements exist between animal and plant distribution regions, there are also discrepancies due to factors like mobility and historical events. The Nearctic region is characterized by a wide variety of animals, including mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds.32