Cold-weather Animal Audiobooks for Adults

Like so many others, I was a kid who loved animal stories. I have such fond memories of sitting down with my stuffed animals and learning as much as possible about the real-life versions of my plushy companions. With one of my favorites by my side (a stuffed Humboldt penguin named Baby Penguin), I would sit on the couch and spend hours reading about animals just like him and his family. While I may not have Baby Penguin by my side these days, I still can’t help but be amazed by how large the animal kingdom is and how much we still have to learn. So in honor of Baby Penguin, here’s a collection of some of my favorite cold-weather animals and ecosystems, from the arctic and beyond. —Michael C., Audible Editor
Product List
  • American Wolf Audiobook By Nate Blakeslee cover art

    • American Wolf

    • A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West
    • By: Nate Blakeslee
    • Narrated by: Mark Bramhall, Nate Blakeslee
    • Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
    • Release date: 10-17-17
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,691 ratings
    • You can’t talk about nature (or wolves) in the United States without a mention of Yellowstone. In American Wolf, Blakeslee looks at the history of wolf hunting and then later, reintroduction in the area. The book follows multiple generations of wild wolves living in the park, and it’s hard not to fall in love with O-Six, the alpha of one of the local packs. Part history of the Yellowstone Wolf Project, part biography of O-Six, and an exploration of the politics of wolf hunting and preservation in the area, American Wolf forges an emotional connection with the listener that genuinely surprised me.
  • Ice Bear Audiobook By Michael Engelhard cover art

    • Ice Bear

    • The Cultural History of an Arctic Icon
    • By: Michael Engelhard
    • Narrated by: Philip Benoit
    • Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
    • Release date: 07-23-18
    • Language: English
    • 3 out of 5 stars 1 rating
    • Few animals evoke thoughts of the arctic (and unfortunately, of climate change) as much as the polar bear. Although I always imagined them as cute and cuddly animals (I blame my stuffed polar bear), Engelhard immediately identifies the polar bear as a vicious predator. Despite being an animal book, Ice Bear also explores the polar bear’s relationship to humans—from myths surrounding the animals, modern fascination with them, as well as their physical relationships and proximity to human settlements.
  • Glaciers Audiobook By Jorge Daniel Taillant cover art

    • Glaciers

    • The Politics of Ice
    • By: Jorge Daniel Taillant
    • Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
    • Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins
    • Release date: 07-17-15
    • Language: English
    • 3.5 out of 5 stars 6 ratings
    • I know, glaciers aren’t an animal. But glaciers and ice do provide many of these animals with a home and ecosystem to forage. They may not support much life, but they’re integral to the few organisms that can survive in such harsh climates. Glaciers examines the earth’s ice using science, culture, and politics—to get a better sense of their importance on a global environmental scale, as well as the political policies that are beginning to emerge to protect them.
  • In the Temple of Wolves Audiobook By Rick Lamplugh cover art

    • In the Temple of Wolves

    • A Winter's Immersion in Wild Yellowstone
    • By: Rick Lamplugh
    • Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
    • Length: 4 hrs and 10 mins
    • Release date: 12-12-18
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 71 ratings
    • Lamplugh’s descriptions and observations of his surroundings are enough to transport you out into nature, and made me yearn for a trip to see these wolves that he writes about so vividly. While this is obviously a book about the animal, it’s also an account of their relationship with the broader ecosystem around them—from the elk and bison they hunt to the bears, mountain lions, and even humans that they compete with.
  • Winter World Audiobook By Bernd Heinrich cover art

    • Winter World

    • The Ingenuity of Animal Survival
    • By: Bernd Heinrich
    • Narrated by: Mel Foster
    • Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
    • Release date: 07-17-09
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 174 ratings
    • How do animals survive such harsh weather and cold temperatures in the winter? As someone who prefers to look but not touch the winter wonderland outside my window, I find myself wondering about this a lot. Exploring all types of animals in the snow-covered forests of Maine, Heinrich presents a wonderful explanation of the survival tactics of a variety of smaller animals in the Northern Hemisphere. A thrilling blend of scientific research and personal anecdote, it almost feels like you’re out in nature too.
  • Woolly Audiobook By Ben Mezrich cover art

    • Woolly

    • The True Story of the Quest to Revive One of History's Most Iconic Extinct Creatures
    • By: Ben Mezrich
    • Narrated by: Ben Mezrich
    • Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
    • Release date: 07-04-17
    • Language: English
    • 4 out of 5 stars 307 ratings
    • Alright, I hear you. Woolly Mammoths are extinct, but they’re still a fascinating cold-weather animal that have been of massive (pun intended) interest in the science community. Although it may sound a little more like Jurassic Park than most nonfiction, this is a true story of genetics, biotechnology, and the possibilities of modern science. While it may not have a definitive conclusion yet, it’s a fascinating look at the de-extinction efforts of a group of researchers determined to turn a story of fiction into a new fact of life.