North America
North America is a continent made up of 23 different countries, including Canada, the United States of America, Greenland and Mexico. Canada and the United States are the largest countries in North America, making up 80% of the continent.
As it covers so many countries, the weather and temperature in North America can vary greatly. It is home to a great variety of animals. American Bison
The American bison is the heaviest land animal in North America, living in open grasslands and plains.
They spend a lot of their time grazing on grasses, herbs and shrubs.
In 2016, the American bison was named national mammal of the United States.
Bison have been around since prehistoric times and there have been some living in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, since then.
Bison used to be hunted for their meat and skins and were an integral part of the culture and diets of indigenous peoples on the Great Plains of the United States and Canada. Unfortunately, they almost became extinct in the late 1800s due to extreme overhunting by European colonizers. American Bison
Thankfully, efforts in recent decades to improve the population have been successful and the American bison is no longer considered endangered.
They have excellent senses of hearing and smell, but very poor eyesight.
The American bison in numbers:
They can weigh up to 2,200 pounds – almost the weight of a small car! They can run at speeds of up to 35mph. Their curved horns can grow up to 2 feet long. Wolverine
The wolverine is a mammal that looks similar to a small bear, but is actually a member of the weasel family. One of their nicknames is ‘skunk bear’ because they use powerful scent glands to mark their territory.
They live in dens in forests, in the colder areas of North America.
Wolverines are omnivores, eating plants, berries and small animals such as rabbits and rats. They also eat larger animals such as deer and use snow to keep their food fresh.
“Wolverine on a quest” by [Tambako The Jaguar] is licensed under CC BY 2.0 Wolverine
Wolverines sleep during the day and hunt at night. Their paws spread out when they walk, enabling them to move easily on snow.
They shake, hiss and scream to scare away predators and are not afraid to take on animals many times their size.
The wolverine in numbers:
Wolverines have a lifespan of 7-12 years in the wild. They travel up to 15 miles a day, searching for food. They can smell prey 20 feet under the snow – very helpful after avalanches!
“Wolverine on a quest” by [Tambako The Jaguar] is licensed under CC BY 2.0 California Condor
The California condor is the largest flying bird found in North America.
Condors have little need to flap their wings as they use the air currents to soar and glide.
Condors nest in rocky areas such as cliff faces and mountains, often near forests.
They are scavengers and eat meat from carcasses of dead animals such as cows and deer.
Interestingly, California condors do not have a sense of smell – they follow other scavengers to find food and use their size to scare off other animals! California Condor
The California condor is critically endangered; in the 1970s, there were only 27 left in the wild. There are thought to be around 300 in the wild today. One of the problems facing condors is lead poisoning. Because they have highly acidic digestive systems, if there are lead bullets in their prey, they can easily absorb it and die. New hunting regulations to outlaw lead bullet use in the condor’s range have made a difference to prevent this.
The California condor in numbers:
The female condor lays only one egg every two years. Condors can live up to 60 years in the wild. Their wingspans can reach 10 feet across. Chipmunk
There are 25 different species of chipmunk and all but one (the Siberian chipmunk) are found in North America. Their name is thought to have come from the indigenous word ‘jidmoonh’, which means ‘red squirrel’ in Odawa.
A chipmunk is a small, striped rodent with a furry, but not fluffy, tail.
They live in burrows and nests or make homes in logs and bushes.
Chipmunk –“Feasting Chipmunk” by [Kurt Bauschardt] is licensed under CC BY 2.0 Chipmunk
A chipmunk’s main diet consists of nuts, seeds, grains and fruit. They must collect plenty of seeds from maple, oak and beech trees to store in their underground burrows to last them throughout the long winter months when they hibernate.
Chipmunks have to be wary of predators, of which they have many, including snakes, coyotes and hawks.
The chipmunk in numbers:
A chipmunk’s cheek pouches can hold up to 7 acorns at once! A chipmunk lowers its body temperature from 33˚C to 5˚C for hibernation. Chipmunks live between 1-3 years in the wild.
Chipmunk –“Feasting Chipmunk” by [Kurt Bauschardt] is licensed under CC BY 2.0 American Beaver
The American beaver is a mammal and the second-largest member of the rodent family.
It has a long, flat, black tail that helps it swim faster and balance when carrying logs. They also use their tails as an alarm system, alerting other beavers by loudly slapping the top of the water when danger is near.
Beavers live in lodges that they build under water out of branches and mud.
Their teeth grow continuously, so they must gnaw trees to stop them getting too long. American Beaver
Beavers are herbivores and eat plants, leaves, roots and tree bark.
Beavers are amazing architects. They spend a lot of their time building dams to create ponds and canals by felling trees, weaving branches together and making them waterproof with mud.
The American beaver in numbers:
Female beavers give birth to 1-4 kits each year. They can stay underwater for 15 minutes without coming up for air. There are only 2 species of beaver: the American beaver and the Eurasian beaver. Cougar
A cougar (sometimes known as a mountain lion, panther, catamount or puma) is a wild cat native to America. They have many names because they have a huge range across North and South America and can live in forests, deserts and mountains and use thick bushes for shelter.
Cougars hunt at night, especially at twilight. They are carnivores and mainly eat deer but also eat smaller mammals, such as raccoons, rats and even porcupines!
One to six cubs are born to a female cougar every two years. They stay with the mother until they are about 18 months old.
“Cougar” by [Daniel Garcia Neto] is licensed under CC BY 2.0 Cougar
Cougars have been known to attack pets but attacks on humans are very rare.
Although cougars are large, they are not always the biggest (apex) predator in their habitat and may need to give up their kill if a grizzly bear, black bear or alligator comes along.
The cougar in numbers:
They can live for around 8-13 years in the wild. Cougars can run at speeds up to 80kph. They can leap 15 feet up a tree.
“Cougar” by [Daniel Garcia Neto] is licensed under CC BY 2.0 I can answer questions about North American animals.
1. Look at page 2, Which 2 things vary greatly? 2. Where have the American Bison been living since prehistoric times? 3. How fast can an American Bison run? 4. What is the Wolverine’s nickname? 5. Name 3 ways the Wolverine scares away predators? 6. Which sense does a California Condor not have? 7. What is one of the problems a California Condor faces? 8. What does the indigenous word ‘Jidmoonh’ mean? 9. How many acorns can a chipmonk’s cheek pouch hold at once? 10. Name 1 way an American Beaver’s tail helps it? 11. How long can an American Beaver stay underwater for? 12. How long do Cougar cubs stay with their mother? 13. Which animals would a cougar give up their kill for? North American Wildlife Watch the clip. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07w3b95 Web Exclusive: Filming an Enchanted Forest. Answer the following questions.
1. What were the 2 main challenges of filming the fireflies?
2. What do both the male and females use?
3. Is it the male or the female who takes to the air? Watch the clip. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07w7w08 Web Exclusive: Colliding Worlds. Answer the following questions.
1. In which season do the manatees gather together in huge numbers?
2. Who are they distantly related too?
3. What attracts them to these waters in Florida?
4. What has been a leading cause in Manatee deaths?
5. What action did the people of Florida take to help the manatees?
6. What are manatees otherwise known as?
7. How did helping the manatees, help the state of Florida?
8. Why do you think this clip is called colliding worlds? Which of the two clips was your favourite? Why? Explain why you liked it the most. Watch the clip. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07vpn27 Web Exclusive: Peril on the Prairie Answer the following questions.
1. What other animal is a Prairie dog likened too?
2. What is the name of the Prairie dog which keeps watch?
3. What animal is a predator to the Prairie dog pups? Watch the clip. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07vpn23 Web Exclusive: A Seaside Picnic Answer the following questions.
1. What tasty treat does the Black bear find under the rock?
2. How much food does a Black bear get from the beach, in Spring?
3. Are Black bears sociable creatures? Give evidence to support your answer. Watch the clip. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/58gTv9jKC3wW3L zLWsyRLk7/tales-from-tennessee Web Exclusive: Tales from Tennessee. Answer the following questions.
1. How tall is the pile of rocks the River Chubb collects and builds?
2. Why do they stack piles of rocks?
3. How long does it take them to move each stone?
4.What is the name of the collection of rivers? Which clip was your favourite out of them all? Why? Explain why you liked it the most.