Forest Field Identification Cards (1 of 28) For more information and resources, visit hctfeducation.ca or contact [email protected] © HCTF Education Forest Field Identification Cards (2 of 28) Range in B.C. Widespread and common throughout most of B.C., except rarely in alpine, grasslands, and densely populated areas. Conservation Status B.C.: Secure (YELLOW LIST) I love my space and live a solitary life, except if I’m a hole on a hillside for the winter. During a warm spell mama bear with cubs. We can be brown, cinnamon in winter, or if disturbed, I can be awakened from or blonde. The Kermode bear or spirit bear, which is a my torpor state. Don’t let my slow lumbering gait black bear, is white. Not a fussy eater, I am omnivorous fool you, I can run up to 55 km per hour, and I am an eating insects, plants, meat and carrion. I feast on excellent tree-climber. berries in late summer and early fall before I den in caves, tree cavities, under fallen wildlife trees or in a GroundBlack Bear mantis ((Ursus ((Litaneutria americanus) minor) Range in B.C. Widely distributed across the province except absent from coastal areas and islands, including Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii. Conservation Status B.C.: Secure (YELLOW LIST) I am the largest member of the deer family. I am a I can swim 19 kilometres and can dive 5 metres browser and need as much as 19 kg of food each day. underwater to forage on aquatic plants. Although I During the winter months, I depend solely on twigs have poor eyesight, I make up for it with my excellent and shrubs to survive. In summer my diet includes senses of smell and hearing. everything green and fresh. We can defend ourselves I need a diversity of open areas and patches of larger from predators with aggressive behaviour, including trees for cover so recently burned or selectively kicks from my front and hind feet. Male moose grow logged forested areas suit me well. antlers each summer and shed them each autumn. Moose ((Alces alces) Range in B.C. Widespread throughout B.C. The related Pacific marten (Martes caurina) is found along the Pacific coast. Conservation Status B.C.: Secure (YELLOW LIST) I prefer to live in old-growth forests, but I have am active 16 hours a day! During the cold months adapted to the changing forest and may also be I may only hunt for a few hours during the warmest found in younger forests. I am a small cat-sized part of the day. I hunt by investigating underneath predator in the weasel family, Mustelidae. My close downed trees and stumps, inside hollow trees, and in relatives include several more familiar animals such as dense clumps of young conifers. I eat a varied diet and the ermine, skunk, and mink. I am curious, energetic, whatever I find, including voles, mice, hare, grouse, and have lightning-fast reflexes, which help me to squirrels, and shrews. I have few natural enemies, find and catch my prey. In the spring and summer I however I must be wary of hawks and owls. American Marten ((Martes americana) For more information and resources, visit hctfeducation.ca or contact [email protected] © HCTF Education Forest Field Identification Cards (3 of 28) For more information and resources, visit hctfeducation.ca or contact [email protected] © HCTF Education Forest Field Identification Cards (4 of 28) Range in B.C. Most common in the southern half of the province; it does not occur on coastal islands. Conservation Status B.C.: Secure (YELLOW LIST) I belong to the weasel family, all of which have well- the wind. Because owls do not have a sense of smell developed scent glands located at the base of the tail. they are one of my main predators. I am omnivorous, My scent glands produce a thick, yellow, oily fluid, or eating a wide variety of plant and animal foods. I am musk. I spray to protect myself as a last resort after especially fond of grasshoppers, crickets, and insect giving warning signals, including growling, hissing, and larvae. I have long, straight claws for digging out the rapidly stamping my front feet. If a threat continues, I burrows of mice, ripping apart old logs for grubs and will turn into a U-shaped position so that both my head larvae, and digging in the sand for turtle eggs. I will and tail face the threat. Then I aim and spray. My spray even eat wasps and bees, which I kill with my front feet. can reach as far as 6m and be carried almost 1 km on Striped Skunk ((Mephitis mephitis) Range in B.C. Widespread in forests throughout B.C. except absent from the southwest coast of the mainland. Conservation Status B.C.: Secure (YELLOW LIST) You will probably hear my chattering call before you know you are in squirrel territory. Not only do I eat see me for I am very territorial and will send out alarm conifer seeds, but I also eat fungi, flowers, berries, calls to all the forest dwellers. I do not hibernate and young birds, bird eggs and some invertebrates. My am active throughout the winter, when I depend on feeding habits help to spread conifer seeds and my caches of cones that I collect over the late summer mushroom spores throughout the forest. I use the and fall. Wherever you see a large pile of cones you’ll cavities of wildlife trees for dens and for nesting. Red Squirrel ((Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) Range in B.C. The most widespread shrew in BC, found across the mainland and most islands, in all biogeoclimatic zones. Conservation Status B.C.: Secure (YELLOW LIST) I am hyper. I am go, go, go all the time. I will starve to and other birds that will devour me. Like all shrews I death if I don’t eat every 3 hours. Hence I am a fierce do not hibernate. I use echolocation to navigate my predator always on the hunt for insects and other small territory. I can have as many as four litters of small invertebrates such as worms and sowbugs, babies in a year. Each litter can have up to 10 babies. which I find primarily by sound and smell. I have tiny That’s 40 babies in one year! eyes and poor vision. I need to watch out for owls Dusky Shrew ((Sorex monticolus) For more information and resources, visit hctfeducation.ca or contact [email protected] © HCTF Education Forest Field Identification Cards (5 of 28) For more information and resources, visit hctfeducation.ca or contact [email protected] © HCTF Education Forest Field Identification Cards (6 of 28) Range in B.C. Widespread across the mainland and islands in a wide range of habitats. Conservation Status BC: Secure (YELLOW LIST) My species is in trouble. Although for centuries I had I help keep forest pests’ populations under control and if the largest distribution and was the most common bat you don’t like mosquitoes, then you want me around to in Canada, my species has been struck with a deadly keep them away from you. I am an opportunistic feeder, fungus, Geomyces destructans, which causes White Nose but I especially enjoy moths, mosquitoes, beetles and Syndrome (WNS). This fungus was likely spread by cave midges. I catch my food using echolocation. I eat about explorers who unknowingly transported it from Europe 1000 insects per night, or half of my body weight. Watch to North America. Other threats include the disturbance for me as the sun sets and just before sunrise. Owls, or destruction of my hibernating sites (hibernacula) and snakes, raptors, cats, raccoons, and weasels are my main maternity colonies, habitat loss, and the use of pesticides predators. I roost behind the bark and in the cavities of and presence of toxins in the food web. wildlife trees. Little Brown Bat ((Myotis lucifugus) Range in B.C. A common resident of western and southern B.C. in many forest types. May move from mountains to lowlands in winter. Conservation Status BC: Secure (YELLOW LIST) I am B.C.’s official bird. My vibrant blue colouring and berries and fruits and in summer and by eating many my bold inquisitive and noisy habits make me easy insects I help keep the insect population in check. to pick out in forest habitats. Like ravens, crows and My population has actually increased since the 1970’s magpies I am a member of the Corvidae family. I am most likely because I am a versatile generalist found omnivorous. I love pine seeds, acorns, and other nuts in a wide variety of habitats and I can adapt easily to and seeds, especially during fall and winter. I also eat human-caused habitat fragmentation. Steller’s Jay ((Cyanocitta stelleri) Range in B.C. Widespread. Most common in hilly and mountainous areas. Conservation Status B.C.: Secure (YELLOW LIST) I am a highly intelligent large black bird related and invertebrates. I also scavenge carcasses. I am an to crows, jays, magpies and nutcrackers. I live up important inhabitant of many ecosystems, helping to 21 years in the wild, making me one of the nutrient cycling by consuming carrion and controlling species with the longest lifespan in all songbirds! prey populations. Of high importance to Indigenous I will eat just about anything I can find! I eat adult Peoples throughout Canada, I appear in myths, and nestling birds, eggs, small mammals, sick and legends, art and tradition. dying larger mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish Common Raven ((Corvus corax) For more information and resources, visit hctfeducation.ca or contact [email protected] © HCTF Education Forest Field Identification Cards (7 of 28) For more information and resources, visit hctfeducation.ca or contact [email protected] © HCTF Education Forest Field Identification Cards (8 of 28) Range in B.C.