Canada Day is a national holiday and is celebrated on the 1st of July. It was not until 1879 that July 1st was officially declared a national holiday, first named Dominion Day until later renamed Canada Day in 1982. Canada Day is an opportunity for the country to celebrate what it means to be Canadian and a very important part of our Canadian heritage is the abundance of wildlife that lives on our doorstep. Canada is home to over 200 species of mammals and 462 species of birds. This diverse range of animals includes the Canada Goose, Canada Lynx, Moose, Beaver, Wolverine, bison, Arctic hare, badger, black bear, reindeer (caribou), grizzly bears, mountain lions, polar bears, snowshoe hare, beluga whale, bighorn sheep, and walrus, to name but a few.
Top 5 Animals Canada is Known For
One of the best known and most widely recognized animals found in Canada is the polar bear and approximately two-thirds of the polar bears in the world can be found living in Canada. But Canada also has many other amazing and fascinating animals that many tourists come to see every year and should not be overlooked by the locals.
The Busy Beaver
The beaver is synonymous with Canada and was adopted as the country’s national emblem in 1975. These easily recognizable animals with their oversized incisors are highly industrious and can be found building dams, canals, and lodges in rivers and streams across the country. One of our Skedaddle Technician Supervisors, Keith shares an experience. “We did work a few years ago to screen a gap between the dock/river/house to keep mink out. Customer just started seeing a beaver drag sticks under the dock.”
They are well known for their large teeth, these incisors are about 20 – 25mm long and will continue to grow throughout the beavers lifetime.
Not only does the beaver represent the early history of the country, but it is also a symbol of the nations industrious spirit.
The Cunning Canada Lynx
The Canada lynx is a predominantly nocturnal animal and is not often spotted during the day. The lynx is similar in looks to a regular household cat, but that’s where the similarity ends. The Canada lynx is a ferocious predator, relying on both speed and skill to catch their prey. The lynx is also similar in looks to a bobcat but if you know what to look for, they are easy to tell apart. Lynx has longer tufts of hair on its ears, a black-tipped tail, longer legs, and bigger paws.
To add in a personal perspective, Tisha who is our GM for the Skedaddle Durham region shares, “Our Skedaddle Durham team is proud to partner with Soper Creek by starting an employee of the month program where we sponsor a baby animal like this baby lynx named Vino by providing rehab donations to ensure the proper care.”
The lynx is a mid-size carnivore that targets small prey and plays an important role in the Canadian ecosystem, but it requires snow, space, and hares to ensure its long-term survival and is under threat from the destruction of its habitat. The lynx thrives in the Canadian forests by relying mostly on a diet of snowshoe hares and they make their dens underneath fallen trees, stumps, rock ledges, and thick bushes. The large fur covered paws of the lynx are like snowshoes which help make them more efficient hunters in the thick snow.
The Amazing Moose
The moose is the largest and heaviest member of the deer family and it is flourishing in Canada. The total population of moose in Canada is estimated to be between five hundred thousand and a million. Moose are solitary herbivores that are typically found living in deciduous forests. An adult moose will consume almost 10,000 calories a day, grazing high grass and shrubs and eating pine cones, and can weigh up to 1,543 pounds. In the winter they will clear areas of snow with their large hooves so that they can eat the mosses and lichen underneath the icy layer. Check out this story of a friendly moose wandering around this homeowners property. These animals if curious enough would have no problem coming into the house if a door was open.
A flap of skin, known as a bell, hangs below the throat of every moose and the males are easily recognizable by their huge antlers that can have a span of up to 6 feet. The large hooves of the moose, are like the paws of the Canada lynx, acting like snowshoes and support the large bulk of the animal in the slushy snow or on muddy ground. And quite surprisingly, despite their size, moose are excellent swimmers who are very much at home in the water. When the snow melts, they can often be spotted in rivers and lakes eating aquatic plants.
The Elusive Wolverine
This is most definitely not a character from the X-Men franchise, and more surprisingly, it isn’t even a wolf. The Wolverine, which can best be described as looking like a small bear, is, in fact, an extremely shy animal that is a member of the weasel family. Wolverines tend to keep to themselves and hideout in dens that are tunneled into the snow or hidden under rocks and boulders. This compact and muscular carnivore has a well-deserved reputation for being ferocious and can kill a prey significantly larger than itself. Wolverines will also scavenge the leftovers from the kills of larger predators. It is extremely rare to spot a wolverine in the wild and they tend to live high up in the Canadian forests.
The Graceful Canada Goose
The Canadian goose, weighing up to 20 pounds, is the largest goose in the world and is easily identifiable by its distinctive black head and white chinstrap.
Canada geese are extremely adaptable and are able to thrive wherever grasses, grains, and berries are found in abundance. Bill Dowd, Skedaddle President & CEO explains, “We want to educate the public that geese are yes beautiful to look at, but they can be aggressive and are a potential risk of injury to the public.” Although Canada geese are migratory birds, in many parts of North America they now remain permanently in parks, suburban developments, golf courses, and other human habitats. In the beginning of the 20th century the Canada goose population was under threat but thanks to a successful wildlife protection program their numbers have now increased significantly, ensuring their survival for the future.
At Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control we are passionate about animals and want to ensure the survival of all Canadian wildlife. We realize that it is not always easy for people to share their space with wildlife but with a little patience and understanding we can all work together to ensure that there is a place for Canadian wildlife to survive and thrive alongside us.
One way to protect our wildlife is to ensure that wildlife control and removal is always carried out by a trained expert. Never try to deal with wildlife problems on your own, call Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control and we will take care of the problem for you.
Loading...
