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Home , American pika, American red squirrel, Chipmunk, Eastern cottontail, Ground squirrel, Hoary marmot

Wild About Small Northern Flying Ord’s Kangaroo Rat Least Muskrat Glaucomys sabrinus Dipodomys ordii minimus Ondatra zibethicus

The northern is Ord’s kangaroo rat is nocturnal, solitary and aggressively The least is the smallest chipmunk The muskrat spends most of its life in water, where found across except in defends its and stored food. It engages in aerial and has five black dorsal stripes. its waterproof , paddle-like hind feet and flat- Newfoundland. Its large eyes allow combat, leaping into the air and slashing with its hind Active during the day, its chat- tened, furless tail, which it uses as a rudder, are it to see better at night when it is feet. Ord’s kangaroo rats will also kick sand in the ter-box calls warn everyone an asset. It can remain under water for over active. Flying can glide face of predators, including rattlesnakes. It uses of intruders. Its range covers three minutes. Bulrushes and cattails are long distances thanks to an elastic its hind legs to propel itself distances of over the and Northwest important to muskrats − for building shelter flight membrane between their front two metres and uses its tail for balance. Ord’s Territories, and from British and as their favoured food. They also feed and back legs that becomes taut when kangaroo rats are known to take sand baths Columbia across to western on arrowhead, pondweeds, sedges and extended. By adjusting the tension on to keep their fur clean. They feed on small . Least search other plants and will prey on frogs, insects, these membranes and manoeuvering their seeds and insects, gathering food with their for the seeds of grasses, sedges, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, snails and fish when plants are limited. tails, they can change direction and reduce speed for a forepaws and packing it in their cheek and hazelnuts, which they stuff in their cheek pouches. Over In winter it builds “push ups” by chew- smooth landing. Their diet consists mainly of , fungi, pouches. Ord’s kangaroo rats are only found the winter they periodically wake up to feed on seeds stored in their ing through the ice and creating a cover and the buds and seeds of trees such as beech, aspen, in southwestern Saskatchewan and south- burrow. During the warmer seasons, they also search out prey in the of frozen vegetation to use as feeding maple and oak. Their predators include , , eastern . Predators include long-eared form of grasshoppers, beetles and caterpillars. Their enemies include and resting stations. Muskrats create fishers and domestic cats. They are an important part of the and barn , badgers and . Ord’s is , weasels and . Although generally beneficial, they can valuable open water and are an diet of owls, especially the endangered northern spotted Canada’s only of kangaroo rat and is cause problems if they feed on cultivated . The important food source for owls, pike, . There are two species of flying squirrels in Canada. considered endangered. is one of five chipmunk species found in Canada. , and foxes. Found across Canada, it is our only species.

Northern Collared Lemming Snowshoe Deer Mouse Eastern Cottontail Meadow Jumping Mouse Pygmy Shrew Dicrostonyx groenlandicus Lepus americanus Peromyscus maniculatus Sylvilagus floridanus Zapus hudsonius Sorex hoyi

The long silky fur of the collared The has long, broad hind feet matted with coarse The deer mouse huddles The eastern cottontail is a small distinguish- The meadow jumping mouse has At an adult weight as low as 2.2 grams, the pygmy shrew is one of lemming helps it survive in the Arc- hair, facilitating travel in deep snow. Its coat turns white in winter. with relatives during cooler able from by its shorter hind feet and lack long, spindly hind legs, a long, the smallest North American mammals. Their range extends across tic of the Yukon, Northwest Active at night, the snowshoe hare spends its weather. The male cares for of black tips on its ears. It spends the day slender tail and large ears. Canada, with the exception of Newfoundland. It has the typical vora- Territories, Quebec and Labrador. days in the shelter of shrubs, stumps or logs. the young − grooming them, crouched in the safety of brush piles or other It is solitary, active at night cious shrew appetite, feeding almost continuously on insects and It has broad feet with heavily furred Found across Canada, the snowshoe hare maintaining the and lead- shelter, becoming active at night. The and can bound almost worms. The pygmy shrew can be found living under boulders, rotting soles. In winter, the collared lemming’s was also introduced to Newfoundland. It ing foraging excursions. The eastern cottontail favours shrubby areas. a metre. An excellent logs and leaf litter in a variety of including the bo- colouring changes to white. It forms strong fam- inhabits swamps, river thickets and . deer mouse is mainly nocturnal, In summer it feeds mostly on grasses and swimmer, this jumping real , grassy meadows, sphagnum bogs and wet ily bonds with both parents caring for the young. The It can bound up to three metres, hit speeds a great climber and active year-round. herbs, turning to the bark and twigs of mouse can dive deep meadows. Shrews are prey for owls, fishers, collared lemming uses shallow in summer of over 40 kilometres per hour and will Its food sources include seeds, berries and insect eggs and shrubs and young trees in late fall and into the water and also weasels, , foxes and domestic and grass under snow drifts in winter. Active take to water to escape predators. larvae. It gathers grass seeds for the winter, storing up to winter. Sometimes a problem in gardens, climbs well. It feeds on grass cats. There are approximately 20 both day and night, it feeds on sedges, grasses and Snowshoe hares eat grasses three litres in one cache. The deer mouse is found from the chicken wire fences and metal tree collars seeds, small fruit and insects. The species of shrew in Canada, all berries, switching to the buds, twigs and bark of wil- and leaves in summer and Yukon and Northwest Territories, through provide some protection. Cottontails are winter is spent in a deep sleep in underground burrows lined with beneficial for their consumption low in winter. Lemmings are a crucial food source for the buds, twigs and ev- and across to Prince Edward Island and Labrador. The deer important prey for many and mam- leaves. Its range includes the Yukon, south-western Northwest of insects and other inverte- the Arctic and long-tailed jaeger, whose popula- ergreen leaves of woody mouse is a staple food source for predators such as short- mals, including owls, foxes and bobcats. Territories and northern British Columbia across to Labrador, Nova brates. The Pacific water shrew tions fluctuate according to lemming numbers. Other plants in winter. It is tailed shrew, skunks, foxes and many owls. It is the only one Its current range includes southern , Scotia and Prince Edward Island, where it prefers moist grassland of southwestern British Columbia predators include wolves, owls and rough-legged the main food of lynx of Canada’s five native mouse species that will enter houses. Quebec, and British Columbia. The along stream banks and the edges of marshes and woodlands. The is endangered due to habitat loss hawks. There are six Canadian lemming species. and important prey for The house mouse was introduced from overseas. mountain or Nuttall’s cottontail, a species of meadow jumping mouse is prey for owls, hawks, bullfrogs, pike, and water pollution. bobcats, red foxes and special concern, is Canada’s other species. martens and domestic cats. There are four Canadian species of wolves. It is one of four jumping mice. Canadian hare species.

Bushy-tailed Wood Rat Northern Pocket Star-nosed Mole Mountain Beaver American Neotoma cinerea Thomomys talpoides Condylura cristata Aplodontia rufa Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

The bushy-tailed wood rat is Canada’s only native rat. The northern pocket gopher has fur-lined cheek pouches The star-nosed mole has 22 pink tentacles at the tip of its nose, which Considered a living , the The American red squirrel is found across Canada and was intro- Its long bushy tail distinguishes it from the introduced that open to the side of the face instead of into the provide information on its surroundings. It lives in groups and is ac- mountain beaver has the muscle duced to Newfoundland. This squirrel is very vocal in protecting its Norway and black rats. It is active year-round, mouth as squirrel’s pouches do. It is active year- tive day and night year-round. Its range includes Ontario, Quebec, and jaw structure of the most and food supply. Agile on both land and water, it is able to mostly at night. The bushy-tailed wood rat is round and solitary. It burrows under plants, such Labrador, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. An excellent diver primitive . It is not ac- swim long distances. It makes its home in tree cavities, found in rocky areas of the Northwest Territo- as dandelions or dogtooth violets, and pulls and swimmer, it uses its forefeet as paddles and tail as a tually a beaver, but resembles stumps or stone piles, but will make its nest out of ries, British Columbia, Alberta and the Yu- them from below. The northern pocket gopher rudder. The star-nosed mole feeds on aquatic worms, a stubby-tailed muskrat with a twigs and leaves in summer. Red squirrels primarily kon. It feeds mostly on the leaves of trees, cuts plants up, uses its forepaws to stuff them insects, crustaceans and small land . Its stout body, short legs and long eat the buds, seeds and nuts of hickory, beech, shrubs and herbaceous plants. It collects into its cheek pouches and brings them to its unsavory odour protects it from predators, though it whiskers. It occurs in the Cas- oak, and other trees. They store a plant cuttings, dries them in piles and burrow for storage. It is found in the grasslands, occasionally falls prey to fish, hawks and great- cade Mountains of British Co- large amount of food in the ground each fall, stores them for winter. This wood rat roadsides and riverbanks of Manitoba, Saskatch- horned owls. Since it normally lives in wet lumbia. The mountain beaver which they access by digging tunnels under the builds bulky dens of sticks, bones, fo- ewan, Alberta and British Columbia. It contributes to areas, it rarely conflicts with humans. digs burrows that can extend snow in winter. Their predators include marten, liage and man-made objects, such as grassland ecology by keeping the soil aerated, though There are six mole species in Canada, more than 40 metres and has fisher, owls and bobcats. There are four species false teeth and jewellery, earning it it can create problems in agricultural areas and including the endangered Townsend’s many entrances hidden among ground cover. The mountain beaver of tree squirrels in Canada. the nickname ‘pack rat.’ Its predators gardens. Pocket are prey for owls, bad- mole of British Columbia and the spends day and night alternating between resting and foraging. include rattlesnakes, barn owls, northern ger, long-tailed and other predators. The eastern mole of southwestern On- It dries grasses and ferns in the sun at its burrow’s entrance and spotted owls and the long-tailed weasel. plains pocket gopher in southern Manitoba is tario, a species of special concern. stores them for winter. The mountain beaver falls prey to ermine, Problems arise if it spends the winter in a another Canadian species. and other predators. This is the only species of mountain cabin, leaving behind its musky odour. beaver and it is considered a species of special concern.

Black-tailed Gapper’s Red-backed Vole Hoary Olive-backed Pocket Mouse American Arctic Cynomys ludovicianus Clethrionomys gapperi Marmota caligata Perognathus fasciatus Ochotona princeps parryii

The black-tailed prairie dog has short ears, a skimpy, Gapper’s is found in forests and bushy areas, mostly near water. This prize whistler is our largest marmot, twice One of Canada’s smallest rodents, the olive-backed pocket mouse has large hind The American pika has The Arctic ground squirrel performs its black-tipped tail and a distinctive yipping bark. Its range extends across the country. Logs, stumps and brush the size of its cousin the common . Its feet and small forefeet. It lives in loose sandy soil on the arid grasslands of south- rounded ears, no visible tail chattering call while standing on its hind These social creatures live in densely populated provide safe cover while it forages for leaves, berries and seeds. range includes Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon ern Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. It is a solitary, nocturnal creature that and resembles a . It legs. It is the largest and most northern colonies called towns, which are divided into smaller In winter, it congregates in family groups and feeds on the buds and Northwest Territories, where it lives at an aver- moves slowly using all four feet or at a gallop with its strong hind legs propelling is active during the day, solitary of our ground squirrels, ranging from the family groups each supervised by a dominant male. and bark of trees. They nest in tree cavities, abandoned burrows, age elevation of 2000 metres. The it distances of over one metre. The olive-backed pocket mouse uses its forepaws and loves to sun on prominent rocks. Arctic Circle south through the North- They like to play and identify each other by touch- brush piles or under logs. Voles are important food for many pred- lives in colonies and enjoys greeting, grooming to dig, propelling sand backwards with the kicks of its hind feet. While burrows Its nasal bleat appears to come from west Territories, including the Yukon ing noses. Black-tailed prairie dogs feed on grasses, ators, including great gray and barn owls, American kestrel, red- and wrestling with its neighbours. They build bur- created in the summer are shallow, winter burrows can descend many different directions, making it and northern British Columbia. This sedges, forbs and insects, especially grasshoppers tailed , weasels and mink. In some areas, the Gapper’s vole rows under boulders to gain protection from large two metres into the ground. The olive-backed pocket hard to locate. The pika’s habitat in- diurnal lives in colonies of up and moth larvae. Their range includes causes problems by eating the bark of small trees − wrapping predators such as grizzly bears. If they wander mouse has adapted to the seasonally restricted food cludes rocky slopes in the mountains of to 50. The Arctic ground squirrel digs the open flats and short-grass plains of trunks with tar paper or metal collars helps too far away from their burrow in search of food, supplies of semi-desert conditions by becom- northern British Columbia, southern Yukon extensive systems of shallow tunnels and southern Saskatchewan. Black-tailed prevent damage. The Gapper’s vole is one they can become prey to golden eagles. The hoary ing drowsy and sluggish when food is limited. It and western Northwest Territories, where it burrows and spends more than half the prairie dogs have several enemies of 17 vole species found in Canada, marmot feeds on grasses, sedges, berries and feeds on grass seeds and insects and can go remains active all winter. In late summer and year in . These ground squir- including eagles, hawks, owls, including the woodland vole, a other alpine vegetation, and spends up to eight long periods without water. During win- fall, it gathers grasses, sedges, tender shoots rels feed primarily on grasses, sedges, and badgers. Initially humans helped the species of special concern. months in hibernation. The hoary is one of four ter it remains in its burrow, partially of shrubs and flowering plants, spreading them mushrooms, bog rushes and , species by killing their predators, but confirmed species of marmot in Canada, includ- dormant and consuming stored in the sun to dry and then piling them in stacks under over- but will sometimes feed on insects and as their numbers increased, campaigns ing the endangered . food. Predators of pocket mice in- hanging rocks. It falls prey to a number of birds and mam- carrion. A staple food of grizzly bears, to eradicate them met with consider- clude rattlesnakes, burrowing owls, mals, including martens and ermine. The , also they are also preyed upon by foxes, able success. This species of special badgers, the and bobcats. found in northwestern Canada, is our only other pika species. wolves, falcons and snowy owls. The concern is Canada’s only prairie dog. The pocket mouse is Arctic ground squirrel is one of seven Canada’s only other species. species of ground squirrel in Canada.

Scampering from one shelter to another, small mammals can sometimes incite a seemingly irrational fear in people. For others, these critters’ A fair number of Canada’s small mammals have been identified as species at risk – some because they reach the northern extent of their You may have difficulty spotting many of these species in the wild as they tend to be shy of intruders and many are active only at night. If you food choices and burrowing habits stir up anger. And yet, these furry little creatures are an essential part of many healthy habitats. Their range in Canada − others in large part due to habitat loss. If you choose to provide a bit of habitat for some of our small mammals, be sure to encounter any that don’t run away, be wary of handling them − it could be an indication that the has contracted an illness or disease, abundance makes them a valuable food source for many of our more popular predators such as owls, bobcats and wolves. In fact, some provide shelter in the form of brush piles, logs and dense vegetation, as many of these creatures prefer to stay in the safety of cover. Check which could possibly be passed on to humans. wildlife, such as the lynx, depend on many of these small mammal species for their very survival. out their food preferences and see what your property might be able to provide. Be sure to protect them from non-native predators by keeping Canadian Wildlife Federation your cat indoors. Sources of water in the form of streams or ponds will also be appreciated. And try some tolerance if they nibble plants that A great time to discover what mammals are around your property or local park is in the winter when you can discover their tracks in the snow. 350 Michael Cowpland Dr. Canada has a great variety of small mammals and although we couldn’t incorporate all of them here, we have managed to include were not added for their benefit. For tips on habitat creation and dealing with problems, go toWildAboutGardening.org . Invest in a good guide book of wildlife tracks or check them out on our website at cwf-fcf.org. Kanata, ON K2M 2W1 Illustrations: David Wysotski representatives from each of our families, with the exception of the already well-known porcupine. Also illustrated are representative Tel: 1.800.563.9453 species of shrews and moles; the two families of the order or insect eaters; and hares, and of the order . Please note: Due to the small size and secretive nature of some of these mammals, new species are still being discovered. There can also be Text: Gaston Tessier, Maria MacRae Insectivora 613.599.9594 ( region) Design: Melissa Goodman differing opinions on designation as a species or subspecies. Species numbers given are based on research at the time of production. CanadianWildlifeFederation.ca Copyediting: April Overall Special thanks: Olivia Craft © 2009 CWF-SMMAMPOSFD09