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Animals

Home > English > Resources > Encyclopedias > Fauna
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Focus on Fauna

Help the Monarchs

Help the monarchs

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Overcoming Barriers
 

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Wild About Birds

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Marine Animals

Marine Animals

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Animals At-A-Glance

Browse through a few of our Canadian species in these "At A Glance" fact sheets. Each page has basic information on some of our Canadian wildlife, with links to detailed, reputable sources such as Hinterland Who's Who and the Government of Canada. Don't see a species you need? Comments or questions? Let us know!

By Type:
Amphibians & Reptiles | Birds | Fish | Insects | Mammals | Pollinators | Backyard Wildlife

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Items 51 - 60 of 91  Previous12345678910Next
mason bee - Jason D. Roberts.jpg

Mason Bee

Approximately 9–11 mm long. These are stocky bees with a round, broad head, robust jaws and round, wide abdomens. Their bodies are metalllic dark blue with long whitish hairs, while their eyes, legs and antennae are black. Females carry pollen on specialized hairs (scopae) beneath the abdomen—a common feature among bees in the Megachilidae family.
mining bee - Andrena milwaukeensis - Ilona Loser.jpg

Mining Bee

9–13 mm long. These bees are on the small side. These fairly hairy bees vary in colour but have pale banding on the abdomen. Females have large, fuzzy facial structures that look like eyebrows and big pollen-collecting hairs (scopae) on the top half of their hind legs—it looks as though they carry the pollen in their armpits.
monarch and liatris - 480px

Monarch Butterfly

Adult wingspan is approximately 9–10 cm. Adult (butterfly) wings are orange with black veins. The hind and forewings have a double row of white spots within a thick black border. There are pale orange and white spots near the tip of the forewing (apex). The underside is similar, though the hind wing is a paler orange. Its black body also had white spots. Newly hatched caterpillars (larvae) are pale green with a dark head. Mature caterpillars have black, white and yellow bands. They have a pair of black filaments (thin fleshy parts that resemble antennae) at the head and tail. The longer pair is at the head.
Moose

Moose

Moose (Alces alces) have long, slim legs that end in cloven, or divided, hooves often more than 18 cm long. The body is deep and massively muscled at the shoulders, giving the animal a humped appearance. It is slab-sided and low-rumped, with rather slender hindquarters and a stubby, well-haired tail. The head is heavy and compact, and the nose extends in an arch terminating in a long, flexible upper lip. The ears resemble a mule’s but are not quite as long. Most moose have a pendant of fur-covered skin, about 30 cm long, called a bell, hanging from the throat. A bull moose in full spread of antlers is the most imposing beast in North America. It stands taller at the shoulder than the largest saddle horse. Big bulls weigh up to 600 kg in most of Canada. The moose is the largest member of the deer family.
Mosquito / Moustique

Mosquito

Mosquitoes are thin, long-legged, two-winged insects and are typically six to 12 millimetres in length. Both males and females have antennae and an elongated "beak" or proboscis three to four times longer than its head.
mourning-butterfly-diane-taylor

Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Adults - The upper wings of the Mourning Cloak Butterfly are red-brown with a thick yellow border along the edge. On the inside edge of this border are bright blue elongated spots. The underside of their wings are dark with thin irregular lines. The border is duller than the upper side and the blue spots are more V shaped. Their wingspan can range from approximately five to ten centimeters. The more north they are found the smaller they tend to be. Caterpillars – The caterpillar is black with tiny white dots and black-branched spines. It has a row of red marks on its back between the bases of these spines.
Bison

North American Bison

The North American bison, or buffalo, is the largest land animal in North America. A bull can stand 2 m high and weigh more than a tonne. Female bison are smaller than males. A bison has curved black horns on the sides of its head, a high hump at the shoulders, a short tail with a tassel, and dense shaggy dark brown and black hair around the head and neck. Another distinctive feature of the buffalo is its beard.
right whale with calf

North Atlantic Right Whale

The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) has a large head that takes up nearly a quarter of the length of its body. Right whales, which can grow up to 18 metres in length can be recognized by:
  • their wide tail flukes and narrow tail stock, large flippers and lack of a dorsal fin;
  • their skin is black and some individuals have white patches on the throat or belly;
  • rough white patches of skin called callosities on their head, chin, and sometimes on the edge of their lower lips. Each whale's callosity pattern is distinctive, enabling scientists to recognize individual whales.
Cardinal 200

Northern Cardinal

The northern cardinal is a medium-sized songbird, with males slightly larger than females. Males are bright red with a black mask around their red bill and a prominent crest on the top of their head. Females are olive brown with red on their wings, tail, and crest, and a red bill. Juveniles are similar in colour to females but have a black bill and a shorter crest. Colouring plays an important role in the lives of male northern cardinals. Males that are brighter red are more successful than their paler counterparts. They have greater reproductive success, get ranges with better food supplies, and are able to feed more frequently.
Northern Flying Squirrel sitting in a tree

Northern Flying Squirrel

Northern flying squirrels are about 30 cm in length and have broad flattened tails. The fur on their back is a cinnamon brown and they have white bellies. The large eyes of flying squirrels facilitate effective night vision. This is necessary because, unlike their more commonly seen cousins, these squirrels hide away during the day and become active about an hour after sunset.
Items 51 - 60 of 91  Previous12345678910Next

 For more species, visit Hinterland Who's Who,  a joint program of the Canadian Wildlife Federation and Environment Canada.

Flora & Fauna:
Amphibians and Reptiles

Discover the world of amphibians and reptiles - their importance on this planet, their needs, their threats

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Flora & Fauna:
Birds

Discover the world of birds - their importance on this planet, their needs, their threats.

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Fish

Canada's Fish

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Flora & Fauna:
Insects

Discover the world of insects - their importance on this planet, their needs, their threats.

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Flora & Fauna:
Mammals

Learn all about Canada's mammals.

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Forests & Fields:
Backyard Wildlife FAQs

Learn more about problem wildlife and how to help.

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