mammals-info

Status: Endangered. Swift fox disappeared entirely from Canada in the early 1900s. Reintroductionprograms in the last 15 years have established a small population of 150-200 in the southern prairies of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Size: Smallest of the North American wild dogs. An adult weighs 2 to 3 kilograms.
Food: Swift foxes hunt continually from dusk to dawn, covering great distances each night. They eat what they can catch, including small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, grasses and berries.
Breeding: Probably occurs in March in Alberta. Two to five pups are born in the den in mid-May.
Lifespan: In the wild, three to six years. In captivity, up to 14 years.
Risk factors: Foxes are curious and have little fear of people so they're easy to kill. In the early 1900s,hundreds were destroyed accidentally during predator control programs aimed at removing wolves, coyotes and ground squirrels from the prairies. Some people continue to mistake them for young coyotesand kill them. Habitat loss due to agricultural, industrial and urban development also reduced their numbers. Dens were ploughed over and native grasses replaced with tall cereal crops that are unsuitable for foxes or their food. The Swift Fox is a small, agile mammal, about the size of a house cat, that was common on Canada's southern Prairies in the nineteenth century. In 1978, the Swift Fox was designated as an extirpated species. Its habitat had been lost to farmland, and it had been the unintended victim of trapping and poisoning campaigns aimed at other animals such as coyotes, wolves and ground squirrels.
Canadian specialists are working closely with specialists in the United States to increase swift fox numbers. Foxes obtained from the United States have been released directly into the wild or bred in captivity to produce offspring that then have been released. Releases have occured in Alberta and Saskatchewan. This graceful little animal is now re-established in part of its former territory in Canada. In 1999, COSEWIC re-classified the swift fox from the extirpated to endangered. In 2000-2001, surveys were conducted and about 600 swift foxes were counted in the wild in this country.

MAMMALS-TERRESTRIAL

Woodland Caribou typically rely on large tracts of mature to old forests that contain the caribou's primary winter food - lichens. Habitat use by the two Woodland Caribou ecotypes in Alberta contrasts most during spring, summer and fall. The migratory nature of most mountain caribou inhabiting Alberta's eastern slopes takes them from high elevation alpine habitats in spring, summer and fall to foothills forests in the winter. Boreal ecotype caribou inhabiting forests of northern Alberta make extensive movements throughout the year but most do not make predictable migrations and therefore habitat use does not differ on a seasonal basis. Lichens are an important food source for caribou and thus influence habitat use and distribution. Due to their extremely slow growth and limited dispersal mechanisms, lichens are found primarily in old forests. This fact contributes to the affinity of Woodland Caribou to relatively old forests. Alberta's boreal ecotype caribou are typically found in peatland (muskeg) complexes dominated by black spruce and larch. Habitat selection by migratory mountain caribou changes seasonally. The breeding season, or rut, typically takes place in alpine or sub alpine meadows. In winter, mature and old lodge pole pine or mixed pine/spruce/fir forests are most commonly used. Mountain caribou in some ranges now reside in the mountains year round, but move from low elevation winter ranges to upper sub alpine and alpine habitats in the summer.Boreal ecotype animals wander extensively throughout the year but typically show considerable overlap between winter and summer ranges. By November, mountain ecotype animals begin to move to their wintering range, while boreal ecotype caribou disperse into smaller groups. In addition to predation, mortality factors for calves also include starvation, inclement weather, and reduced size at birth after hard winters. In Alberta, terrestrial lichens constitute the bulk of the Woodland Caribou's winter diet. By exploiting a food source not normally sought by other ungulates, Woodland Caribou can spatially separate themselves from other species to reduce predation risk. Arboreal lichens (those growing on trees) are important food items in the diet of some caribou populations, especially those inhabiting mountainous areas with deep snow. Caribou in Alberta and Saskatchewan occasionally feed on arboreal lichens, and this food source may be most important when deep or crusted snow makes accessing terrestrial lichens difficult. The summer diet of Caribou is much more varied, including terrestrial lichens, shrubs, grasses sedges, horsetails, and forbs.Caribou are medium-sized members of the deer family. They are distinguished by their brown pelage, cream-coloured neck and mane, and large, intricate, forward curving antlers. Males and most females have antlers, although the females' are smaller. Caribou are well adapted to harsh winter conditions. Their large, crescent shaped hooves and relatively long legs are useful for digging through snow, to reach their winter food, and provide effective weight distribution for locomotion over snow or muskeg. Other adaptations to winter conditions include short ears, short tail, and hollow hair that provides excellent insulation and covers the entire body including the muzzle. To further reduce heat loss, caribou have a slower metabolism and a reduced rate of movement in most late winters when deep, crusted snow makes travel energetically expensive.

The Polar Bear is a large, creamy white bear with a long body, a long neck, a narrow head and very small ears. The foot pads of this bear are covered with fur as a protection against the cold. The claws and the tongue are black, while the eyes are brown. There is one moult every year, between the end of May and August. Males are larger than females; males measure 2 to 3 m and weigh 420 to 500 kg.The Polar Bear is circumpolar in distribution. In Canada, it occupies ice-covered areas from Labrador to the Alaskan border, and from James Bay to northern Ellesmere Island. During the summer, when the ice melts, Polar Bears may spend several months on the land. In the winter, these animals continue to be active, except for the pregnant females which go into dens. The world population is estimated at 22,000-27,000 Polar Bears. Of the 19 or so relatively discreet Polar Bear populations in the Arctic, 14 occur in Canada or are shared by Canada. Their population sizes range from 100 to 2300 bears, totaling about 15,000 Polar Bears in Canada. There is some evidence that one large Canadian population, on Baffin Bay, may be declining in size; a small population on Viscount Melville Sound is recovering; and the other Canadian populations are thought to be stable.
Habitat : The main habitat used by Polar Bears consists of landfast ice and coastal pack ice. Appropriate denning areas and spring feeding areas are crucial components of the habitat. The animal's movements are influenced by climate and ice conditions, and by the presence of prey, specially Ringed Seals. Biology : Female Polar Bears reach sexual maturity at about five years of age, while males reach sexual maturity at five or six years of age, but may not begin mating until they are 8-10 years old. On average, a female bears young every 3.6 years. When pregnant, a female digs a den in a snowbank and spends the winter there, giving birth to the young between late October and early January. Litters are composed of 1 to 4 cubs - usually two. At birth, cubs have closed eyes, weigh about 0.6 kg, and have a covering of extremely fine hair. They weigh 10-12 kg by the time they leave the den sometime between the end of February and the middle of April. They remain with their mothers for 2 1/2 years before being weaned. Non-pregnant females hibernate from 115 to 125 days, while adult males retreat for only about 60 days. Polar Bears are the most carnivorous of all bears. They hunt throughout the year, with seasonal changes in hunting techniques and rates of success. They are solitary hunters of seals, young walrus, fish, birds and a variety of other prey, and will also eat some grasses, berries and mushrooms. They are agile both on land and in water. They spend the spring and summer months moving between drifting ice-floes, then come ashore in late summer and travel along the coasts.