This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Canada. There are approximatively 200 mammal species native to Canada. Its large territorial size and variety of ecosystems, ranging from mountains to plains, mean that Canada can harbour a great variety of species, including nearly half of the known cetaceans. The most well-represented order is that of the rodents, and the smallest that of the Didelphimorphia (common opossums).
Studies of mammals in Canada hearken back to the 1795 northern explorations of Samuel Hearne, whose account is considered surprisingly accurate. The first seminal work on Canadian mammals, however, was John Richardson's 1829 Fauna Boreali-Americana. Joseph Burr Tyrrell was the first to attempt to produce, in 1888, a comprehensive list of Canadian mammalian species. Ernest Thompson Seton and Charles-Eusèbe Dionne's work were also important. Modern Canadian publications with interest in mammalogy include The Canadian Field Naturalist, the Canadian Journal of Zoology and the French-language Le Naturaliste Canadien.[A]
Several species of mammal have particular symbolism. The Canadian Horse and Beaver are official symbols of Canada,[B] and several provinces have designated native species as symbols.
Order Rodentia: Rodents
Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40 percent of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be kept short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though the capybara can weigh up to 45 kg (100 lb).
| Common name
(French name) |
Species
(Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Erethizontidae: New World porcupines | ||||
| North American Porcupine
|
Erethizon dorsatum (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Forests | South of the tree line | |
| Family Aplodontiidae: The Mountain Beaver | ||||
| Mountain Beaver
|
Aplodontia rufa (Rafinesque, 1817) |
Montane forests | Southern British Columbia |
|
| Family Castoridae: Beavers | ||||
| American Beaver
|
Castor canadensis (Kuhl, 1820) |
Humid areas of forests. | All of Canada below the tree line except drier parts of the Prairies |
|
| Family Sciuridae: Squirrels | ||||
| Eastern Gray Squirrel
|
Sciurus carolinensis (Gmelin, 1788) |
Prefers deep forests, but frequent in urban areas. | Southern Manitoba and northwestern Ontario, southern Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick. |
|
| Eastern Fox Squirrel
|
Sciurus niger (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Edge of forests and groves | Southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Pelee Island |
|
| Douglas Squirrel
|
Tamiasciurus douglasii (Bachman, 1839) |
Coniferous forests | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| American Red Squirrel
|
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (Erxleben, 1839) |
Forests | Mainland Canada south of the Tree line, except the southern prairies and souwestern British Columbia; Prince Edward, Vancouver and Cape Breton Islands. |
|
| Northern flying squirrel
|
Glaucomys sabrinus (Shaw, 1801) |
Boreal forest | Mainland Canada south of the tree line except the southern Prairies, Prince Edward and Cape Breton Islands |
|
| Southern flying squirrel
|
Glaucomys volans (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Deciduous forests | Southern Ontario, part of Quebec, southern Nova Scotia |
|
| Black-tailed Prairie Dog
|
Cynomys ludovicianus (Ord, 1815) |
Dry prairies | Small part of southern Saskatchewan |
|
| Hoary Marmot
|
Marmota caligata (Eschscholtz, 1829) |
Alpine tundra | Rockies |
|
| Yellow-bellied Marmot
|
Marmota flaviventrisa (Audubon and Bachman, 1841) |
Mountains | Central British Columbia and southernmost Alberta |
|
| Groundhog
|
Marmota monax (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Broken ground | Much of mainland Canada west of the Rockies, inland valleys and part western Yukon |
|
| Vancouver Island Marmot
|
Marmota vancouverensis (Swarth, 1911) |
Near the mountain tree line | Vancouver Island |
|
| Columbian Ground Squirrel
|
Spermophilus columbianus (Ord, 1815) |
Montane open ares | Southern Rocky mountains |
|
| Franklin's ground squirrel
|
Spermophilus franklinii (Ord, 1815) |
Parklands | Northwestern Ontario and southern Prairies except short-grass prairies |
|
| Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
|
Spermophilus lateralis (Say, 1823) |
Montane coniferous forests | Southeastern Rockies |
|
| Arctic Ground Squirrel
|
Spermophilus parryii (Richardson, 1825) |
Tundra without permafrost | Mainland Arctic |
|
| Richardson's Ground Squirrel
|
Spermophilus richardsonii (Sabine, 1822) |
Prairies | South of the Prairie provinces |
|
| Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
|
Spermophilus saturatus (Rhoads, 1895) |
Southern British Columbia Cascade Range | British Columbia |
|
| Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel
|
Spermophilus tridecemlineatus (Mitchill, 1821) |
Groves, swamps, uncultivated land | Southern Prairie Provinces |
|
| Yellow-pine Chipmunk
|
Tamias amoenus (Allen, 1821) |
Dry montane forests | Southern and central British Columbia and Alberta |
|
| Least Chipmunk
|
Tamias minimus (Bachman, 1839) |
Edges of forests, groves, but also open spaces | Western Quebec to Yukon |
|
| Red-tailed Chipmunk
|
Tamias ruficaudus (A. H. Howell, 1839) |
High altitude forests and valley pine groves. | Southern British Columbia and Alberta |
|
| Eastern Chipmunk
|
Tamias striatus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Deciduous forests | Southern half of Ontario and Quebec, and southern Manitoba |
|
| Townsend's Chipmunk
|
Tamias townsendii (Bachman, 1839) |
Western Coast lowland and montane Tsuga forests | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Family Geomyidae: Pocket gophers | ||||
| Plains Pocket Gopher
|
Geomys bursarius (Shaw, 1800) |
Fields and banks | Southern Manitoba |
|
| Northern Pocket Gopher
|
Thomomys talpoides (Richardson, 1828) |
Open areas | Southern Prairie Provinces and British Columbia |
|
| Family Heteromyidae: Heteromyids | ||||
| Ord's Kangaroo Rat
|
Dipodomys ordii (Woodhouse, 1853) |
Semi-deserctic areas | Great Sand Hills area |
|
| Olive-backed Pocket Mouse
|
Perognathus fasciatus (Wied-Neuwied, 1839) |
Dry plains | Southern prairies |
|
| Great Basin Pocket Mouse
|
Perognathus parvus (Peale, 1848) |
Dry plains | Great Basin |
|
| Family Dipodidae: Jerboas | ||||
| Woodland jumping mouse
|
Napaeozapus insignis (Miller, 1891) |
Forest streams | Eastern Canada |
|
| Meadow jumping mouse
|
Zapus hudsonius (Zimmermann, 1780) |
Wet fields | Eastern Canada (except Anticosti island and Newfoundland) to Yukon |
|
| Western Jumping Mouse
|
Zapus princeps (Allen, 1893) |
Prairies | Rockies and Prairies |
|
| Pacific Jumping Mouse
|
Zapus trinotatus (Rhoads, 1893) |
Montane prairies | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Family Cricetidae: Cricetids | ||||
| Southern Red-backed Vole
|
Clethrionomys gapperi5 (Vigors, 1830) |
Forests | Most of the provinces, except Newfoundland and Vancouver Island |
|
| Southern Red-backed Vole
|
Clethrionomys rutilus5 (Pallas, 1779) |
Shrubby tundra | Mainland Arctic |
|
| Northern Collared Lemming
|
Dicrostonyx groenlandicus7 (Traill, 1823) |
Tundra | Northern Arctic islands |
|
| Ungava Collared Lemming
|
Dicrostonyx hudsonius (Pallas, 1778) |
Tundra | Northern Quebec |
|
| Victoria Collared Lemming
|
Dicrostonyx kilangmiutak7 (Anderson & Rand, 1945) |
Tundra | Mainland Arctic, Banks, Victoria and King Williams Islands |
|
| Ogilvie Mountains Collared Lemming
|
Dicrostonyx nunatakensis7 (Youngman, 1967) |
Montane tundra | Ogilvie Mountains |
|
| Richardson's Collared Lemming
|
Dicrostonyx richardsoni (Merriam, 1900) |
Tundra | Arctic, roughly south of the Thelon River Basin |
|
| Sagebrush Vole
|
Lemmiscus curtatus (Cope, 1868) |
Sagebrush steppes | Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan |
|
| North American Brown Lemming
|
Lemmus trimucronatus (Richardson, 1825) |
|
||
| Rock Vole
|
Microtus chrotorrhinus (Miller, 1894) |
Rocky areas | Boreal Ontario and Quebec; southernmost Labrador; Gaspesia and northern New brunswick |
|
| Long-tailed Vole
|
Microtus longicaudus (Miller, 1894) |
Varied | Western Cordillera |
|
| Singing Vole
|
Microtus miurus (Osgood, 1901) |
Alpine tundra | Yukon and neighbouring Northwest Territory. |
|
| Montane Vole
|
Microtus montanus (Peale, 1848) |
Shortgrass alpine prairies | Central south British Columbia |
|
| Prairie Vole
|
Microtus ochrogaster (Wagner, 1842) |
Prairies | Prairie provinces |
|
| Tundra Vole
|
Microtus oeconomus (Pallas, 1776) |
Wet tundra | Western Arctic |
|
| Creeping Vole
|
Microtus oregoni (Bachman, 1839) |
Humid coniferous forest | Southern British Columbia |
|
| Meadow Vole
|
Microtus pennsylvanicus (Ord, 1815) |
Wet fields | All of Canada except Arctic and westernmost ranges |
|
| Woodland Vole
|
Microtus pinetorum (Le Conte, 1830) |
Deciduous forests | Southernmost Ontario and Quebec |
|
| Water Vole
|
Microtus richardsoni (De Kay, 1842) |
Alpine prairies and streams | Cascades and southern Rockies |
|
| Townsend's Vole
|
Microtus townsendii (Bachman, 1839) |
Saline marshes and fields | Vancouver Island, nearby islands and Fraser River delta |
|
| Taiga Vole
|
Microtus xanthognathus (Leach, 1815) |
Forest streams | From southwester Hudson Bay through northern Prairies and Yukon |
|
| Muskrat
|
Ondatra zibethicus (Linnaeus, 1766) |
Wetlands | Most of Canada outside the Arctic and southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Western Heather Vole
|
Phenacomys intermedius (Merriam, 1889) |
Varied | British COlumbia |
|
| Eastern Heather Vole
|
Phenacomys ungava (Merriam, 1889) |
Varied | Quebec, Ontario and Labrador to southern Yukon |
|
| Northern Bog Lemming
|
Synaptomys borealis (Richardson, 1828) |
Peatlands | Labrador to Alaska; Gaspesia and northern New Brunswick |
|
| Southern Bog Lemming
|
Synaptomys cooperi (Baird, 1857) |
Peatlands | Western Manitoba, central and southern Ontario and Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia |
|
| Bushy-tailed Woodrat
|
Neotoma cinerea (Ord, 1815) |
Mountains | Western Cordillera |
|
| Northwestern Deer Mouse
|
Peromyscus keeni9 (Rhoades, 1894) |
mild a rainy forests | West of the Coastal Mountains |
|
| White-footed Mouse
|
Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque, 1818) |
Deciduous forests | Southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia |
|
| Deer mouse
|
Peromyscus maniculatus (Wagner, 1845) |
Anywhere except wetlands | Much of Canada south of the tree line except Newfoundland |
|
| Western Harvest Mouse
|
Reithrodontomys megalotis (Baird, 1858) |
Prairies | Okanagan Valley (ssp. dychei), south of Alberta and Saskatchewann (ssp. megalotis) |
|
| Northern Grasshopper Mouse
|
Onychomys leucogaster (Wied-Neuwied, 1841) |
Southern Prairies | Prairies |
|
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Order Lagomorpha: Lagomorphs
The lagomorphs comprise two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). They can resemble rodents, but differ in a number of physical characteristics, such as having four incisors in the upper jaw rather than two.
| Common name
(French name) |
Species
(Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Ochotonidae: Pikas | ||||
| Collared Pika
|
Ochotona collaris (Nelson, 1893) |
Mountains above the tree line | Rockies of the Yukon |
|
| American Pika
|
Ochotona princeps (Richardson, 1828) |
Mountains near the tree line | Southern British Columbia and Alberta |
|
| Family Leporidae: Rabbits and hares | ||||
| Eastern Cottontail
|
Sylvilagus floridanus (J. A. Allen, 1890) |
Open woodlands | Southern Manitoba, Saskatchewan Ontario and Quebec | |
| Mountain Cottontail
|
Sylvilagus nuttallii (J. A. Allen, 1890) |
Dry plains | Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Okanagan and Similkameen valleys. |
|
| Snowshoe Hare
|
Lepus americanus (Erxleben, 1777) |
Forest and marshes | Much of mainland Canada except southernmost Ontario |
|
| Arctic Hare
|
Lepus arcticus (Ross, 1819) |
Tundra | Canadian Arctic (including Arctic Archipelago), Labrador, Newfoundland |
|
| White-tailed Jackrabbit
|
Lepus townsendii (Bachman, 1839) |
Fields | Southern prairies, Okanagan Valley |
|
Order Soricomorpha: Shrews and moles
Soricomorphs are insectivorous mammals. Shrews closely resemble mice while moles are stout-bodied burrowers.
| Common name
(French name) |
Species
(Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Soricidae: Shrews | ||||
| Northern Short-tailed Shrew
|
Blarina brevicauda (Say, 1823) |
Deciduous forests | Eastern Saskatchewan to Maritime provinces |
|
| North American Least Shrew
|
Cryptotis parva (Say, 1823) |
Fields, clearings and salt marshes | Long point, Ontario |
|
| Arctic Shrew
|
Sorex arcticus (Kerr, 1792) |
Peatlands and marshes | From the Northwest Territory to central Quebec |
|
| Maritime Shrew
|
Sorex maritimensis (Smith, 1939) |
Peatlands and marshes | New Brunswick and Nova Scotia |
|
| Marsh Shrew
|
Sorex bendirii (Smith, 1939) |
Coniferous forests | Fraser Valley |
|
| Masked Shrew
|
Sorex cinereus (Smith, 1939) |
Varied | Most of Mainland Canada except northernmost Quebec; Prince Edward and Cape Breton islands |
|
| Long-tailed Shrew
|
Sorex dispar11 (Batchelder, 1911) |
Wet banks | Appalachians, Pennsylvania to New Brunswick |
|
| Smoky Shrew
|
Sorex fumeus (Miller, 1895) |
Deciduous forests | Great lakes to Maritimes |
|
| Gaspé Shrew
|
Sorex gaspensis11 (Anthony & Goodwin, 1924) |
Near forest streams | Gaspesia and northern New Brunswick; Cape Breton Island |
|
| Prairie Shrew
|
Sorex haydeni (Baird, 1857) |
Grassland | Southern Prairies |
|
| American Pygmy Shrew
|
Sorex hoyi (Baird, 1857) |
Forest clearings | Yukon and eastern Cordillera to Labrador and Maritimes |
|
| Merriam's Shrew
|
Sorex merriami (Dobson, 1890) |
Grasslands | Extreme southern British Columbia |
|
| Montane Shrew
|
Sorex monticolus13 (Merriam, 1890) |
Montane streams and marshes | Western Cordillera |
|
| American Water Shrew
|
Sorex palustris (Richardson, 1828) |
Lakes and marshes | Western Cordillera to Labrador and Maritimes except southern Prairies and southernmost Ontario |
|
| Preble's Shrew
|
Sorex preblei (Jackson,1922) |
Montane streams and marshes | Southcentral British Columbia |
|
| Trowbridge's Shrew
|
Sorex trowbridgii (Baird, 1857) |
Coniferous forests | Lower Fraser Valley |
|
| Tundra Shrew
|
Sorex tundrensis (Merriam, 1900) |
Tundra | Yukon and Northwest territory |
|
| Barren Ground Shrew
|
Sorex ugyunak (Anderson & Rand, 1945) |
Tundra | Mainland Arctic |
|
| Vagrant Shrew
|
Sorex vagrans (Baird, 1857) |
Montane streams | Southern Cordillera |
|
| Family Talpidae: Moles | ||||
| Star-nosed Mole
|
Condylura cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Wet forests | Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Labrador, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia |
|
| Coast Mole
|
Scapanus orarius (True, 1896) |
Alpine coniferous forest | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Townsend's Mole
|
Scapanus townsendii (Bachman, 1839) |
Fields | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Shrew-mole
|
Neurotrichus gibbsii (Baird, 1858) |
Banks | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Eastern Mole
|
Scalopus aquaticus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Open woodlands | Point Pelee area |
|
Order Chiroptera: Bats
Chiropteras' most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals in the world naturally capable of flight. Bat species account for about 20% of all mammals.
| Common name
(French name) |
Species
(Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Vespertilionidae: Vesper bats | ||||
| Silver-haired bat
|
Lasionycteris noctivagans (La Conte, 1831) |
Deciduous forest lakes | All of southern Canada except Gaspesia and northern Maritimes |
|
| California Myotis
|
Myotis californicus (Audubon & Bachman, 1842) |
West Coast forests | West Coast and Okanagan Valley |
|
| Western Small-footed Myotis
|
Myotis ciliolabrum (Merriam, 1886) |
Dry areas | Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan |
|
| Long-eared Myotis
|
Myotis evotis14 (H. Allen, 1864) |
Varied | Southern British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan |
|
| Keen's Myotis
|
Myotis keenii (Merriam, 1895) |
Forests | West Coast |
|
| Eastern small-footed myotis
|
Myotis leibii (Audubon & Bachman, 1842) |
Montane forests | Southern and south-central Ontario, southwestern Quebec |
|
| Little brown bat
|
Myotis lucifugus (La Conte, 1831) |
Varied, includind cities | Yukon to Atlantic Canada |
|
| Northern long-eared myotis
|
Myotis septentrionalis15 (Trouessart, 1897) |
Forests | Central to Eastern Canada |
|
| Fringed Myotis
|
Myotis thysanodes15 (Miller, 1897) |
White pines forest | Southcentral British Columbia |
|
| Long-legged Myotis
|
Myotis volans (H. Allen, 1866) |
Varied | British Columbia and Alberta |
|
| Yuma Myotis
|
Myotis yumanensis (H. Allen, 1864) |
Open areas | West Coast and Okanagan Valley |
|
| Pallid bat
|
Antrozous pallidus (LeConte, 1856) |
Dry plains | British Columbia |
|
| Big brown bat
|
Eptesicus fuscus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1796) |
Varied, including cities | British Columbia to southern Quebec and New Brunswick |
|
| Spotted bat
|
Euderma maculatum (J. A. Allen, 1891) |
Near waterways | Inner British Columbia |
|
| Western Red Bat
|
Lasiurus blossevillii16 (Lesson and Garnot, 1826) |
Open spaces and cities | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Eastern Red Bat
|
Lasiurus borealis (Müller, 1776) |
Open spaces and cities | Alberta to southern Maritimes |
|
| Hoary Bat
|
Lasiurus cinereus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1796) |
Forests | British Columbia to northern Hudson Bay and Maritimes |
|
| Eastern Pipistrelle
|
Pipistrellus subflavus (F. Cuvier, 1832) |
Forest, fields and waterways | Southern Ontario, Quebec and Maritimes |
|
| Townsend's Big-eared Bat
|
Corynorhinus townsendii (Cooper, 1837) |
Open woodlands | Southern British Columbia |
|
Order Cetacea: Cetaceans
- See also: List of cetaceans
Cetaceas includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. They are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life with a spindle-shaped nearly hairless body, protected by a thick layer of blubber, and forelimbs and tail modified to provide propulsion underwater.
| Common name
(French name) |
Species
(Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Balaenidae: Right Whales | ||||
| Bowhead whale
|
Balaena mysticetus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Polar ice shelf in winter, coastal waters in the summer. | Arctic Ocean | |
| North Atlantic Right Whale
|
Eubalaena glacialis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Temperate coast waters | North Atlantic |
|
| North Pacific Right Whale
|
Eubalaena japonica (Lacépède, 1818) |
North Pacific |
|
|
| Family Balaenopteridae: Rorquals | ||||
| Northern Minke Whale
|
Balaenoptera acutorostrata (Lacépède, 1804) |
Temperate or polar seas. | Northern Atlantic and Pacific |
|
| Sei Whale
|
Balaenoptera borealis (Lesson, 1828) |
Temperate seas. | Atlantic and Pacific oceans |
|
| Blue Whale
|
Balaenoptera musculus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Temperate and polar waters. | Atlantic and Pacific oceans |
|
| Fin Whale
|
Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
High sea. | Atlantic and Pacific oceans |
|
| Humpback Whale
|
Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781) |
Coastal waters, often penetrates estuaries. | Atlantic and Pacific oceans |
|
| Family Eschrichtiidae: Grey Whale | ||||
| Gray Whale
|
Eschrichtius robustus (Lilljebor, 1861) |
Temperate continental shelf waters. | Pacific Coast |
|
| Family Monodontidae: Narwhal and Beluga | ||||
| Narwhal
|
Monodon Monoceros (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Edge of Arctic ice sheet. | Eastern Arctic Ocean |
|
| Beluga
|
Delphinapterus leucas (Pallas, 1776) |
Arctic coast waters. Often swim deep up rivers. | Eastern and Western Arctic Ocean | |
| Family Phocoenidae: Porpoises | ||||
| Harbour Porpoise
|
Phocoena phocoena (Linnaeus, 1758) |
East and West Coast |
|
|
| Dall's Porpoise
|
Phocoenoides dalli (True, 1885) |
Continental shelf. | North Pacific |
|
| Family Physeteridae: Sperm Whale | ||||
| Sperm Whale
|
Physeter macrocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Very deep waters. | Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Only migrating males are found in Canadian waters. |
|
| Family Ziphidae: Beaked Whales | ||||
| Cuvier's Beaked Whale
|
Ziphius cavirostris (G. Cuvier, 1823) |
Uncertain | North Pacific and Atlantic |
|
| Baird's Beaked Whale
|
Berardius bairdii (Stejneger, 1883) |
Near continental shelf cliffs | North Pacific |
|
| Bottlenose whale
|
Hyperoodon ampullatus (Forster, 1770) |
Subarctic waters | North Atlantic and part of Arctic |
|
| Sowerby's Beaked Whale
|
Mesoplodon bidens (Sowerby, 1804) |
Deep ocean. | Temperate North Atlantic |
|
| Hubbs' Beaked Whale
|
Mesoplodon carlhubbsi29 (Moore, 1963) |
Temperate waters | North Pacific |
|
| Stejneger's Beaked Whale
|
Mesoplodon stejnegeri (True, 1885 ) |
Cold, high sea. | North Pacific |
|
| Family Delphinidae: Oceanic Dolphins | ||||
| Bottlenose Dolphin
|
Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821) |
Coastal waters. | Occasional in the Maritimes |
|
| Short-beaked common dolphin
|
Delphinus delphis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Temperate high sea | Atlantic and Pacific Continental shelves |
|
| Atlantic White-sided Dolphin
|
Lagenorhynchus acutus (Gray, 1828) |
Temperate high sea. | North Atlantic |
|
| Pacific White-sided Dolphin
|
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens (Gill, 1865) |
Temperate and subarctic seas. | North Atlantic |
|
| White-beaked Dolphin
|
Lagenorhynchus albirostris (Gray, 1846) |
High, cold sea. | North Atlantic |
|
| Orca
|
Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Prefers coastal waters. | Atlantic, Pacific and parts of the Arctic | |
| Short-finned Pilot Whale
|
Globicephala macrorhynchus (Gray, 1846) |
Varied. | Pacific Ocean |
|
| Long-finned Pilot Whale
|
Globicephala melas (Traill, 1809) |
Varied. | North Atlantic |
|
Order Carnivora: Carnivores
The carnivores include over 260 species, the majority of which eat meat as their primary dietary item. Carnivores have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.
| Common name (French name) |
Species (Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Felidae: Felines | ||||
| Canadian Lynx
|
Lynx canadensis (Kerr, 1792) |
Forests | Most of Canada |
|
| Bobcat
|
Lynx rufus (Schreber, 1777) |
Varied | Southern Canada |
|
| Cougar
|
Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771) |
Mountain, marshes, dense forests | Mountainous regions of Alberta and British Columbia |
|
| Family Canidae: Canines | ||||
| Arctic fox
|
Alopex lagopus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Tundra | Northern Canada35 |
|
| Swift Fox
|
Vulpes velox (Say, 1823) |
Desert and dry prairie | Southern Prairie Provinces |
|
| Red Fox
|
Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Varied | All of Canada except part of the Arctic Islands and West Coast |
|
| Gray Fox
|
Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Schreber, 1775) |
Varied | Southern Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec |
|
| Coyote
|
Canis latrans (Say, 1823) |
Varied | Rockies through southern prairies to southwestern Quebec. |
|
| Gray Wolf
|
Canis lupus (Say, 1823) |
Varied | All of Canada except Anticosti and Prince Edward Islands. Going extinct in several areas. |
|
| Family Ursidae: Bears | ||||
| American black bear
|
Ursus americanus (Pallas, 1780) |
Varied | Most of Canada except Arctic and Prince Edward Island. |
|
| Brown Bear
|
Ursus arctos (Linnaeus, 1758 ) |
Open spaces, mostly alpine and Arctic tundra | Rockies, mainland Northwest Territory and Nunavut.38 |
|
| Polar Bear
|
Ursus maritimus (Phipps, 1774) |
Edge of ice fields | Arctic Sea and coasts |
|
| Family Procyonidae: Raccoons and allies | ||||
| Common Raccoon
|
Procyon lotor (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Riparian forests | Southern Canada except Rockies and Cape Breton Island |
|
| Family Mustelidae: Mustelids | ||||
| Stoat
|
Mustela erminea (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Varied | All of Canada except part of southern prairies and Anticosti Island |
|
| Long-tailed Weasel
|
Mustela frenata (Lichtenstein, 1831) |
Open areas | Southern Rockies to western Ontario, southern Ontario to western Nova Scotia |
|
| Least Weasel
|
Mustela nivalis (Linnaeus, 1766) |
Varied | Yukon to Labrador, except southern Quebec and Ontario. |
|
| American Mink
|
Mustela vison (Schreber, 177) |
Wetlands and rivers | Most of Canada, except the Arctic, part of the prairies and Anticosti Island. Introduced to Newfoundland |
|
| American Marten
|
Martes americana (Turton, 1806) |
Coniferous and mixed forests | Rockies to Labrador and Newfoundland, except Prairies. Extinct in several parts of Eastern Canada. |
|
| Fisher
|
Martes pennanti (Erxleben, 1777) |
Coniferous and mixed forests near rivers | British Columbia to central Quebec, reintroduced in parts of the Maritimes. |
|
| Wolverine
|
Gulo gulo (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Boreal forest, Arctic tundra | Largely extinct in southern Canada West of the Rockies. Found in much of continental Canada and the Arctic Islands |
|
| American Badger
|
Taxidea taxus (Schreber, 1777) |
Fields | Southern Prairies, south-central British Columbia and southernmost Ontario |
|
| Northern River Otter
|
Lontra canadensis (Schreber, 1777) |
Rivers, lakes and swamps | Most of Canada except part of the Arctic and southern prairies |
|
| Sea Otter
|
Enhydra lutris (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Sea and coast | Vancouver and Goose Island coast |
|
| Family Mephitidae: Skunks | ||||
| Western Spotted Skunk
|
Spilogale gracilis (Merriam, 1890)44 |
Thickets and bushes | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Striped Skunk
|
Mephitis mephitis (Schreber, 1776) |
Forests, cultivated areas, valleys | Rockies to the Maritmes. Introduced in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia in the 19th century. |
|
| Superfamily Pinnipedia: Pinnipeds | ||||
| Family Otariidae: Eared seals | ||||
| Northern Fur Seal
|
Callorhinus ursinus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Sea | Off the coast of British Columbia; appreciates rocky outcrops. Occasionally reported from the Arctic. |
|
| Steller Sea Lion
|
Eumetopias jubatus (Schreber, 1776) |
Coast waters | British Columbia; appreciates rocky outcrops. |
|
| California Sea Lion
|
Zalophus californianus ((Lesson, 1828)) |
Coast waters | Near Vancouver Island. |
|
| Walrus
|
Odobenus rosmarus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Arctic shallows | James Bay to Groenland. Extinct in Western Arctic and the Magdalen Islands. |
|
| Family Phocidae: Earless seals | ||||
| Hooded Seal
|
Cystophora cristata (Erxleben, 1777) |
Sea | Atlantic from Gulf of the Saint Lawrence to northern Baffin Island. |
|
| Bearded Seal
|
Erignathus barbatus (Erxleben, 1777) |
Sea | Arctic Ocean |
|
| Grey Seal
|
Halichoerus grypus (Erxleben, 1777) |
Sea rocks, and reefs | ||
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