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Boisé Papineau, Laval (Photo by NCC)

Boisé Papineau, Laval (Photo by NCC)

Mammals

  • American badger (Photo courtesy of USFWS)
    American badger

    The American badger is a heavy-bodied, short-legged and short-tailed member of the weasel family. Its muscular neck and thick, loose fur protect it when an animal predator strikes.

  • Black bear (Photo by Allison Haskell)
    American black bear

    Contrary to popular belief black bears are not true hibernators. While the black bear does not have to eat or eliminate waste, unlike many small mammal hibernators, bears can wake up and wander around for short periods during the winter months if the weather becomes uncharacteristically warm.

  • Newfoundland pine marten (Photo by Helen Jones)
    American marten (Newfoundland population)

    The American marten (Newfoundland population) is found only on the island of Newfoundland.

  • Arctic fox (Photo by Jonathen Pie)
    Arctic fox

    Arctic fox is one of the smallest members of the canid, or dog, family in Canada.

  • Walruses, Lancaster Sound (Photo by Mario Cyr)
    Atlantic walrus

    With their prominent tusks and whiskers, the walrus is one of Canada’s most easily recognizable arctic species. Globally there are two recognized sub-species of walrus, the Atlantic and Pacific. Only the Atlantic walrus occurs in Canada.

  • Beaver (Photo by Cheryl Reynolds)
    Beaver

    What swims like a fish, cuts like a chain saw, logs like a lumberjack and transforms landscapes like a water engineer?

  • Beluga whale (Photo by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
    Beluga whale

    Beluga whales, or white whales, are toothed whales whose name is derived from the Russian word for white: “belukha.” Nicknamed “sea canaries,” these extremely vocal mammals make various noises, ranging from high-pitched whistles to low, repetitive grunts.

  • Big brown bat (Photo by USFWS/Wikimedia Commons)
    Big brown bat

    The big brown bat, one of 18 bat species in Canada, is the most common and abundant bat in North America.

  • Bobcat (Photo by Gary Kramer, courtesy of USFWS)
    Bobcat

    As both predator and prey, life is a fine balance for the bobcats of Quebec's Sutton Mountains. Moving stealthily through the forest, the bobcat searches for mice and rabbits, and attempts to avoid coyotes and other predators.

  • Canada lynx (Photo courtesy of Darlene Stack)
    Canada lynx

    The Canada lynx is one of three cats that inhabit Canada's boreal forest. This species is primarily found throughout Cape Breton Island and Newfoundland and in the forested areas of northern New Brunswick.

  • Eastern cougar (Photo by Larry Moats, courtesy of USFWS)
    Cougar

    The cougar is one of the largest and most powerful predators in North America. A large male Cougar can measure up to eight feet in length and weigh over 200 pounds.

  • Eastern small-footed bat (Photo by USFWS/Wikimedia Commons)
    Eastern small-footed bat

    The eastern small-footed bat is one of 18 bat species in Canada. As its feet measure only seven to eight millimetres in length, this species’ name is apt.

  • Eastern wolf (Photo by Manuel Henriques)
    Eastern wolf

    Found in the forests of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence regions of Quebec and Ontario the eastern wolf is one of the most elusive at-risk carnivores.

  • Fisher, Clear Creek, Riding Mountain Aspen Parkland Natural Area, Manitoba (Photo by NCC)
    Fisher

    The fisher is a solitary, wide-ranging mammal native to Ontario. A member of the weasel family, the fisher lives in coniferous habitats across much of Canada and the northern U.S.

  • Gray fox (Photo by John James Henderson)
    Gray fox

    The gray fox is the only canine in the western hemisphere that can climb trees. Thanks to sharp, hooked claws it can also jump from branch to branch. But with bobcats, coyotes and dogs as predators it must remain watchful.

  • Glendale grizzlies, British Columbia (Photo by Klaus Gretzmacher)
    Grizzly bear

    The grizzly bear, one of the strongest and most impressive mammals in North America, is a symbol of Canadian wilderness. The grizzly is able to run at speeds of 45 kilometres/hour and can weigh 100-400 kilograms (220-880 pounds).

  • Little brown bat (Photo by Ann Froschauer, USFWS/Wikimedia Commons)
    Little brown bat

    Little brown bat is one of 19 bat species in Canada. It has glossy brown fur and measures just eight to 10 centimetres in length.

  • Moose in Cookville, NB (Photo by Mike Dembeck)
    Moose

    The moose is the largest of all the deer species, standing about five to six and a half feet tall. Males (called bulls) are immediately distinguishable by their iconic antlers, which can spread almost two metres long.

  • Muskox (Photo by camerondeckert, CC BY-NC 4.0)
    Muskox

    Muskox lives in the Canadian Arctic for good reason. Thick, dark, fluffy hair covers it from head to rump. While visually similar to bison, muskox is genetically closer to sheep and goats.

  • Narwhals (Photo by Mario Cyr)
    Narwhal

    Known to many as the ”unicorn of the sea,” narwhals are a small, pale-coloured whale with only two teeth. In most males, the right tooth remains in the skull, while the left tooth grows as a spiral tusk that can be up to three metres long.

  • River otters (Photo by John E. Marriott)
    North American river otter

    This playful mammal is making a splash across Canada.

  • Northern elephant seal (Photo by Mike Baird/iNaturalist)
    Northern elephant seal

    Elephant seals are named for their most defining feature: their large noses, which resemble an elephant’s trunk.

  • Northern fur seal off the coast of Vancouver Island (Photo by Cameron Deckert)
    Northern fur seal

    Bouncing back from intensive hunting practices that left the species on the verge of extinction, the northern fur seal can now be found across the coastal waters of the north Pacific.

  • Northern sea otter (Photo by Paul Pratt, CC BY-NC 4.0)
    Northern sea otter

    The average northern sea otter has a lung capacity 2.5 times greater than other mammals of the same size.

  • Nuttall's cottontail (Photo by John D Reynolds/iNaturalist)
    Nuttall’s cottontail

    Also called mountain cottontail, Nuttall’s cottontail is a small rabbit that measures up to just under 40 centimetres in length.

  • Pallid bat (Photo by Mike Sarell)
    Pallid bat

    Pallid bats are on the larger side of bat species, with females reaching up to 13 centimetres long and males being a bit shorter. It has large ears and slightly larger eyes than what is typical for a bat.

  • Peary caribou (Photo by Emilie Desjardins, CC-BY-NC)
    Peary caribou

    Peary caribou are found only in Canada, ranging across the treeless tundra of the high Arctic islands of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

  • Plains bison (Photo by Steve Zack)
    Plains bison

    A symbol of determination and indomitable spirit, bison are unmistakable by appearance from other cloven-hoofed, ruminant animals with their massive woolly heads, curved black horns and forequarters.

  • Polar bear (Photo by Andrew Derocher)
    Polar bear

    Not only is the polar bear the biggest bear species, it is also the world’s largest land carnivore.

  • Pronghorn in Alberta (Photo courtesy of the University of Calgary)
    Pronghorn

    Standing almost three feet tall at the shoulders, this small, fleet-footed hoofed mammal is the fastest land mammal in North America, reaching speeds of up to 100 kilometres an hour.

  • Red fox (Photo by Alex Badyaev)
    Red fox

    Despite their perceived boldness and cunning in children’s stories, including The Fantastic Mr. Fox, red foxes are shy but curious by nature.

  • Snowshoe Hare, Carden Alvar, ON (Photo by NCC).
    Snowshoe hare

    Snowshoe hares are named for their large hind feet, which, like snowshoes, allow them to stay on top of the snow during Canadian winters.

  • Spotted bat (Photo by Ryan Cryan)
    Spotted bat

    The spotted bat has a widespread but patchy distribution in western North America, and is generally considered rare where it occurs.

  • Striped skunk (Photo by K. Theule/USFWS)
    Striped skunk

    One of Canada’s most common mammals, striped skunks are known mainly by their ability to spray sulfur-containing chemicals strong enough to ward off bears and other predators.

  • Swift fox (Photo by Karol Dabbs)
    Swift fox

    Swift fox gets its name for its speed, travelling through the Prairies at speeds of up to 60 kilometres an hour.

  • Townsend's big-eared bat (Photo by Brock Fenton)
    Townsend's big-eared bat

    The Townsend's big-eared bat is a species of vesper bat. It consumes large amounts of mosquitoes and other flying insects during its nightly feedings.

  • Tri-colored bat with white-nose syndrome (Photo by USFWS)
    Tri-colored bat

    The tri-colored bat, formerly known as the eastern pipistrelle, is one of 18 bat species in Canada.

  • Wolverine (Photo by Jonathan Othén, Wikimedia Commons)
    Wolverine

    A Marvel Comics favourite and Hollywood darling, Wolverine is known to strike fast and furious.

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