This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Canada. There are approximatively 200 mammal species native to Canada. Its large territorial size and variety of ecosystems, ranging from mountains to plains to urban housing, mean that Canada can harbour a great variety of species, including nearly half of the known cetaceans. The most well-represented order is that of the rodents, and the smallest that of the Didelphimorphia (common opossums).
Studies of mammals in Canada hearken back to the 1795 northern explorations of Samuel Hearne, whose account is considered surprisingly accurate. The first seminal work on Canadian mammals, however, was John Richardson's 1829 Fauna Boreali-Americana. Joseph Burr Tyrrell was the first to attempt to produce, in 1888, a comprehensive list of Canadian mammalian species. Ernest Thompson Seton and Charles-Eusèbe Dionne's work were also important. Modern Canadian publications with interest in mammalogy include The Canadian Field Naturalist, the Canadian Journal of Zoology and the French-language Le Naturaliste Canadien.[A]
Several species of mammal have particular symbolism. The Canadian Horse and Beaver are official symbols of Canada,[B] and several provinces have designated native species as symbols.
Contents |
Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40 percent of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be kept short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though the capybara, a rodent native to South America, can weigh up to 45 kg (100 lb).
| Common name
(French name) |
Species
(Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Erethizontidae: New World porcupines | ||||
| North American Porcupine
(Porc-épic d'Amérique) |
Erethizon dorsatum (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Forests | South of the tree line | |
| Family Aplodontiidae: The Mountain Beaver | ||||
| Mountain Beaver
(Castor de montagne) |
Aplodontia rufa (Rafinesque, 1817) |
Montane forests | Southern British Columbia |
|
| Family Castoridae: Beavers | ||||
| North American Beaver
(Castor) |
Castor canadensis (Kuhl, 1820) |
Humid areas of forests. | All of Canada below the tree line except drier parts of the Prairies |
|
| Family Sciuridae: Squirrels | ||||
| Eastern Gray Squirrel
(Écureuil gris) |
Sciurus carolinensis (Gmelin, 1788) |
Prefers deep forests, but frequent in urban areas. | Southern Manitoba and northwestern Ontario, southern Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick. |
|
| Eastern Fox Squirrel
(Écureuil fauve) |
Sciurus niger (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Edge of forests and groves | Southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Pelee Island |
|
| Douglas Squirrel
(Écureuil de Douglas) |
Tamiasciurus douglasii (Bachman, 1839) |
Coniferous forests | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| American Red Squirrel
(Écureuil roux)[2] |
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (Erxleben, 1839) |
Forests | Mainland Canada south of the Tree line, except the southern prairies and southwestern British Columbia; Prince Edward, Vancouver and Cape Breton Islands. |
|
| Northern flying squirrel
(Grand polatouche) |
Glaucomys sabrinus (Shaw, 1801) |
Boreal forest | Mainland Canada south of the tree line except the southern Prairies, Prince Edward and Cape Breton Islands |
|
| Southern flying squirrel
(Petit polatouche) |
Glaucomys volans (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Deciduous forests | Southern Ontario, part of Quebec, southern Nova Scotia |
|
| Black-tailed Prairie Dog
(Chien de prairie à queue noire) |
Cynomys ludovicianus (Ord, 1815) |
Dry prairies | Small part of southern Saskatchewan |
|
| Hoary Marmot
(Marmotte des Rocheuses) |
Marmota caligata (Eschscholtz, 1829) |
Alpine tundra | Rockies, Columbia, and Coast Mountains |
|
| Yellow-bellied Marmot
(Marmotte à ventre jaune) |
Marmota flaviventrisa (Audubon and Bachman, 1841) |
Mountains | Central British Columbia and southernmost Alberta |
|
| Groundhog
(Marmotte commune, Siffleux) |
Marmota monax (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Broken ground | Much of mainland Canada west of the Rockies, inland valleys and part western Yukon |
|
| Vancouver Island Marmot
(Marmotte de Vancouver) |
Marmota vancouverensis (Swarth, 1911) |
Near the mountain tree line | Vancouver Island |
|
| Columbian Ground Squirrel
(Spermophile du Columbia) |
Spermophilus columbianus (Ord, 1815) |
Montane open areas | Southern Rocky mountains |
|
| Franklin's ground squirrel
(Écureuil terrestre de Franklin) |
Spermophilus franklinii (Ord, 1815) |
Parklands | Northwestern Ontario and southern Prairies except short-grass prairies |
|
| Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
(Spermophile à mante dorée) |
Spermophilus lateralis (Say, 1823) |
Montane coniferous forests | Southeastern Rockies |
|
| Arctic Ground Squirrel
(Spermophile arctique) |
Spermophilus parryii (Richardson, 1825) |
Tundra without permafrost | Mainland Arctic |
|
| Richardson's Ground Squirrel
(Spermophile de Richardson) |
Spermophilus richardsonii (Sabine, 1822) |
Prairies | South of the Prairie provinces |
|
| Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel | Spermophilus saturatus (Rhoads, 1895) |
Southern British Columbia Cascade Range | British Columbia |
|
| Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel
(Spermophile rayé) |
Spermophilus tridecemlineatus (Mitchill, 1821) |
Groves, swamps, uncultivated land | Southern Prairie Provinces |
|
| Yellow-pine Chipmunk
(Tamia amène) |
Tamias amoenus (Allen, 1821) |
Dry montane forests | Southern and central British Columbia and Alberta |
|
| Least Chipmunk
(Tamia mineur) |
Tamias minimus (Bachman, 1839) |
Edges of forests, groves, but also open spaces | Western Quebec to Yukon |
|
| Red-tailed Chipmunk
(Tamia à queue rousse) |
Tamias ruficaudus (A. H. Howell, 1839) |
High altitude forests and valley pine groves. | Southern British Columbia and Alberta |
|
| Eastern Chipmunk
(Tamia rayé, Petit suisse) |
Tamias striatus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Deciduous forests | Southern half of Ontario and Quebec, and southern Manitoba |
|
| Townsend's Chipmunk
(Tamia de Townsend) |
Tamias townsendii (Bachman, 1839) |
Western Coast lowland and montane Tsuga forests | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Family Geomyidae: Pocket gophers | ||||
| Plains Pocket Gopher
(Gaufre brun) |
Geomys bursarius (Shaw, 1800) |
Fields and banks | Southern Manitoba |
|
| Northern Pocket Gopher
(Gaufre gris) |
Thomomys talpoides (Richardson, 1828) |
Open areas | Southern Prairie Provinces and British Columbia |
|
| Family Heteromyidae: Heteromyids | ||||
| Ord's Kangaroo Rat
(Rat-kangourou d'Ord) |
Dipodomys ordii (Woodhouse, 1853) |
Semi-deserctic areas | Great Sand Hills area |
|
| Olive-backed Pocket Mouse
(Souris à abajoues des plaines) |
Perognathus fasciatus (Wied-Neuwied, 1839) |
Dry plains | Southern prairies |
|
| Great Basin Pocket Mouse
(Souris à abajoues des pinèdes) |
Perognathus parvus (Peale, 1848) |
Dry plains | Great Basin |
|
| Family Dipodidae: Jerboas | ||||
| Woodland jumping mouse
(Souris sauteuse des bois) |
Napaeozapus insignis (Miller, 1891) |
Forest streams | Eastern Canada |
|
| Meadow jumping mouse
(Souris sauteuse des champs) |
Zapus hudsonius (Zimmermann, 1780) |
Wet fields | Eastern Canada (except Anticosti island and Newfoundland) to Yukon |
|
| Western Jumping Mouse
(Souris sauteuse de l'ouest) |
Zapus princeps (Allen, 1893) |
Prairies | Rockies and Prairies |
|
| Pacific Jumping Mouse
(Souris sauteuse du Pacifique) |
Zapus trinotatus (Rhoads, 1893) |
Montane prairies | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Family Cricetidae: Cricetids | ||||
| Southern Red-backed Vole
(Campagnol à dos roux de Gapper) |
Clethrionomys gapperi[5] (Vigors, 1830) |
Forests | Most of the provinces, except Newfoundland and Vancouver Island |
|
| Southern Red-backed Vole
(Campagnol à dos roux boréal) |
Clethrionomys rutilus[5] (Pallas, 1779) |
Shrubby tundra | Mainland Arctic |
|
| Northern Collared Lemming
(Lemming variable)[6] |
Dicrostonyx groenlandicus[7] (Traill, 1823) |
Tundra | Northern Arctic islands |
|
| Ungava Collared Lemming
(Lemming d'Ungava) |
Dicrostonyx hudsonius (Pallas, 1778) |
Tundra | Northern Quebec |
|
| Victoria Collared Lemming
(—) |
Dicrostonyx kilangmiutak[7] (Anderson & Rand, 1945) |
Tundra | Mainland Arctic, Banks, Victoria and King Williams Islands |
|
| Ogilvie Mountains Collared Lemming
(—) |
Dicrostonyx nunatakensis[7] (Youngman, 1967) |
Montane tundra | Ogilvie Mountains |
|
| Richardson's Collared Lemming
(—) |
Dicrostonyx richardsoni (Merriam, 1900) |
Tundra | Arctic, roughly south of the Thelon River Basin |
|
| Sagebrush Vole
(Campagnol des sauges) |
Lemmiscus curtatus (Cope, 1868) |
Sagebrush steppes | Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan |
|
| North American Brown Lemming
(Lemming brun) |
Lemmus trimucronatus (Richardson, 1825) |
Tundra of Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon, also west coast of BC almost South to Vancouver Island |
|
|
| Rock Vole
(Campagnol des rochers) |
Microtus chrotorrhinus (Miller, 1894) |
Rocky areas | Boreal Ontario and Quebec; southernmost Labrador; Gaspesia and northern New brunswick |
|
| Long-tailed Vole
(Campagnol longicaude) |
Microtus longicaudus (Miller, 1894) |
Varied | Western Cordillera |
|
| Singing Vole
(Campagnol chanteur) |
Microtus miurus (Osgood, 1901) |
Alpine tundra | Yukon and neighbouring Northwest Territory. |
|
| Montane Vole
(Campagnol montagnard) |
Microtus montanus (Peale, 1848) |
Shortgrass alpine prairies | Central south British Columbia |
|
| Prairie Vole
(Campagnol des prairies) |
Microtus ochrogaster (Wagner, 1842) |
Prairies | Prairie provinces |
|
| Tundra Vole
(Campagnol nordique) |
Microtus oeconomus (Pallas, 1776) |
Wet tundra | Western Arctic |
|
| Creeping Vole
(Campagnol de l'oregon) |
Microtus oregoni (Bachman, 1839) |
Humid coniferous forest | Southern British Columbia |
|
| Meadow Vole
(Campagnol des champs) |
Microtus pennsylvanicus (Ord, 1815) |
Wet fields | All of Canada except Arctic and westernmost ranges |
|
| Woodland Vole
(Campagnol sylvestre) |
Microtus pinetorum (Le Conte, 1830) |
Deciduous forests | Southernmost Ontario and Quebec |
|
| Water Vole
(Campagnol de Richardson) |
Microtus richardsoni (De Kay, 1842) |
Alpine prairies and streams | Cascades and southern Rockies |
|
| Townsend's Vole
(Campagnol de Townsend) |
Microtus townsendii (Bachman, 1839) |
Saline marshes and fields | Vancouver Island, nearby islands and Fraser River delta |
|
| Taiga Vole
(Campagnol à joues jaunes) |
Microtus xanthognathus (Leach, 1815) |
Forest streams | From southwester Hudson Bay through northern Prairies and Yukon |
|
| Muskrat
(Rat musqué) |
Ondatra zibethicus (Linnaeus, 1766) |
Wetlands | Most of Canada outside the Arctic and southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Western Heather Vole
(Campagnol des bruyères) |
Phenacomys intermedius (Merriam, 1889) |
Varied | British COlumbia |
|
| Eastern Heather Vole
(Phénacomys d'Ungava) |
Phenacomys ungava (Merriam, 1889) |
Varied | Quebec, Ontario and Labrador to southern Yukon |
|
| Northern Bog Lemming
(Campagnol-lemming boréal) |
Synaptomys borealis (Richardson, 1828) |
Peatlands | Labrador to Alaska; Gaspesia and northern New Brunswick |
|
| Southern Bog Lemming
(Campagnol-lemming de Cooper) |
Synaptomys cooperi (Baird, 1857) |
Peatlands | Western Manitoba, central and southern Ontario and Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia |
|
| Bushy-tailed Woodrat
(Rat à queue touffue) |
Neotoma cinerea (Ord, 1815) |
Mountains | Western Cordillera |
|
| Northwestern Deer Mouse
(—) |
Peromyscus keeni[9] (Rhoades, 1894) |
mild a rainy forests | West of the Coastal Mountains |
|
| White-footed Mouse
(Souris à pattes blanches) |
Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque, 1818) |
Deciduous forests | Southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia |
|
| Deer mouse
(Souris sylvestre) |
Peromyscus maniculatus (Wagner, 1845) |
Anywhere except wetlands | Much of Canada south of the tree line except Newfoundland |
|
| Western Harvest Mouse
(Souris-moissonneuse occidentale) |
Reithrodontomys megalotis (Baird, 1858) |
Prairies | Okanagan Valley (ssp. dychei), south of Alberta and Saskatchewann (ssp. megalotis) |
|
| Northern Grasshopper Mouse
(Souris à sauterelles) |
Onychomys leucogaster (Wied-Neuwied, 1841) |
Southern Prairies | Prairies |
|
The lagomorphs comprise two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). They can resemble rodents, but differ in a number of physical characteristics, such as having four incisors in the upper jaw rather than two.
| Common name
(French name) |
Species
(Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Ochotonidae: Pikas | ||||
| Collared Pika
(Pica à collier) |
Ochotona collaris (Nelson, 1893) |
Mountains above the tree line | Rockies of the Yukon |
|
| American Pika
(Pica d'Amérique) |
Ochotona princeps (Richardson, 1828) |
Mountains near the tree line | Southern British Columbia and Alberta |
|
| Family Leporidae: Rabbits and hares | ||||
| Eastern Cottontail
(Lapin à queue blanche) |
Sylvilagus floridanus (J. A. Allen, 1890) |
Open woodlands | Southern Manitoba, Saskatchewan Ontario and Quebec | |
| Mountain Cottontail
(Lapin de Nuttall) |
Sylvilagus nuttallii (J. A. Allen, 1890) |
Dry plains | Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Okanagan and Similkameen valleys. |
|
| Snowshoe Hare
(Lièvre d'Amérique) |
Lepus americanus (Erxleben, 1777) |
Forest and marshes | Much of mainland Canada except southernmost Ontario |
|
| Arctic Hare
(Lièvre arctique) |
Lepus arcticus (Ross, 1819) |
Tundra | Canadian Arctic (including Arctic Archipelago), Labrador, Newfoundland |
|
| White-tailed Jackrabbit
(Lièvre de Townsend) |
Lepus townsendii (Bachman, 1839) |
Fields | Southern prairies, Okanagan Valley |
|
The only primates that live in Canada are human beings. They are only distantly related to the New World monkeys of Central and South America, and the species originated in east Africa. Humans first arrived in large numbers to Canada around 15,000 years ago from North Asia, and surged in migration starting 400 years ago from around the world, especially from Europe.
| Common name (French name) |
Species (Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family | ||||
| Human being
(Homme moderne) |
Homo sapiens sapiens (Linnaeus, 1758) |
urban areas or agricultural areas, but also found in other settings | everywhere, more common in the south |
|
Soricomorphs are insectivorous mammals. Shrews closely resemble mice while moles are stout-bodied burrowers.
| Common name
(French name) |
Species
(Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Soricidae: Shrews | ||||
| Northern Short-tailed Shrew
(Grande musaraigne) |
Blarina brevicauda (Say, 1823) |
Deciduous forests | Eastern Saskatchewan to Maritime provinces |
|
| North American Least Shrew
(Petite musaraigne) |
Cryptotis parva (Say, 1823) |
Fields, clearings and salt marshes | Long point, Ontario |
|
| Arctic Shrew
(Musaraigne arctique) |
Sorex arcticus (Kerr, 1792) |
Peatlands and marshes | From the Northwest Territory to central Quebec |
|
| Maritime Shrew
(Musaraigne des Maritimes) |
Sorex maritimensis (Smith, 1939) |
Peatlands and marshes | New Brunswick and Nova Scotia |
|
| Marsh Shrew
(Musaraigne de Bendire) |
Sorex bendirii (Smith, 1939) |
Coniferous forests | Fraser Valley |
|
| Masked Shrew
(Musaraigne cendrée) |
Sorex cinereus (Smith, 1939) |
Varied | Most of Mainland Canada except northernmost Quebec; Prince Edward and Cape Breton islands |
|
| Long-tailed Shrew
(Musaraigne longicaude) |
Sorex dispar[11] (Batchelder, 1911) |
Wet banks | Appalachians, Pennsylvania to New Brunswick |
|
| Smoky Shrew
(Musaraigne fuligineuse) |
Sorex fumeus (Miller, 1895) |
Deciduous forests | Great lakes to Maritimes |
|
| Gaspé Shrew
(Musaraigne de Gaspé) |
Sorex gaspensis[11] (Anthony & Goodwin, 1924) |
Near forest streams | Gaspesia and northern New Brunswick; Cape Breton Island |
|
| Prairie Shrew
(Musaraigne des steppes) |
Sorex haydeni (Baird, 1857) |
Grassland | Southern Prairies |
|
| American Pygmy Shrew
(Musaraigne pygmée) |
Sorex hoyi (Baird, 1857) |
Forest clearings | Yukon and eastern Cordillera to Labrador and Maritimes |
|
| Merriam's Shrew
(Musaraigne de Merriam) |
Sorex merriami (Dobson, 1890) |
Grasslands | Extreme southern British Columbia |
|
| Montane Shrew
(Musaraigne sombre) |
Sorex monticolus[13] (Merriam, 1890) |
Montane streams and marshes | Western Cordillera |
|
| American Water Shrew
(Musaraigne palustre) |
Sorex palustris (Richardson, 1828) |
Lakes and marshes | Western Cordillera to Labrador and Maritimes except southern Prairies and southernmost Ontario |
|
| Preble's Shrew
(Musaraigne de Preble) |
Sorex preblei (Jackson,1922) |
Montane streams and marshes | Southcentral British Columbia |
|
| Trowbridge's Shrew
(Musaraigne de Trowbridge) |
Sorex trowbridgii (Baird, 1857) |
Coniferous forests | Lower Fraser Valley |
|
| Tundra Shrew
(—) |
Sorex tundrensis (Merriam, 1900) |
Tundra | Yukon and Northwest territory |
|
| Barren Ground Shrew
(—) |
Sorex ugyunak (Anderson & Rand, 1945) |
Tundra | Mainland Arctic |
|
| Vagrant Shrew
(Musaraigne errante) |
Sorex vagrans (Baird, 1857) |
Montane streams | Southern Cordillera |
|
| Family Talpidae: Moles | ||||
| Star-nosed Mole
(Condylure étoilé) |
Condylura cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Wet forests | Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Labrador, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia |
|
| Coast Mole
(Taupe du Pacifique) |
Scapanus orarius (True, 1896) |
Alpine coniferous forest | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Townsend's Mole
(Taupe de Townsend) |
Scapanus townsendii (Bachman, 1839) |
Fields | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Shrew-mole
(Taupe de Townsend) |
Neurotrichus gibbsii (Baird, 1858) |
Banks | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Eastern Mole
(Taupe à queue glabre) |
Scalopus aquaticus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Open woodlands | Point Pelee area |
|
| Hairy-tailed Mole (Taupe à queue velue) |
Parascalops breweri (Bachman, 1842) |
Dry loose soils | Southern Quebec and Ontario |
|
Chiropteras' most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals in the world naturally capable of flight. Bat species account for about 20% of all mammals.
| Common name
(French name) |
Species
(Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Vespertilionidae: Vesper bats | ||||
| Silver-haired bat
(Chauve-souris argentée) |
Lasionycteris noctivagans (La Conte, 1831) |
Deciduous forest lakes | All of southern Canada except Gaspesia and northern Maritimes |
|
| California Myotis
(Chauve-souris de Californie) |
Myotis californicus (Audubon & Bachman, 1842) |
West Coast forests | West Coast and Okanagan Valley |
|
| Western Small-footed Myotis
(Chauve-souris pygmée de l'Ouest) |
Myotis ciliolabrum (Merriam, 1886) |
Dry areas | Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan |
|
| Long-eared Myotis
(Chauve-souris à longues oreilles) |
Myotis evotis[14] (H. Allen, 1864) |
Varied | Southern British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan |
|
| Keen's Myotis
(Chauve-souris de Keen) |
Myotis keenii (Merriam, 1895) |
Forests | West Coast |
|
| Eastern small-footed myotis
(Chauve-souris pygmée de l'Est) |
Myotis leibii (Audubon & Bachman, 1842) |
Montane forests | Southern and south-central Ontario, southwestern Quebec |
|
| Little brown bat
(Petite chauve-souris brune) |
Myotis lucifugus (La Conte, 1831) |
Varied, including cities | Yukon to Atlantic Canada |
|
| Northern long-eared myotis
(—) |
Myotis septentrionalis[15] (Trouessart, 1897) |
Forests | Central to Eastern Canada |
|
| Fringed Myotis
(Chauve-souris à queue frangée) |
Myotis thysanodes[15] (Miller, 1897) |
White pines forest | Southcentral British Columbia |
|
| Long-legged Myotis
(Chauve-souris à longues pattes) |
Myotis volans (H. Allen, 1866) |
Varied | British Columbia and Alberta |
|
| Yuma Myotis
(Chauve-souris de Yuma) |
Myotis yumanensis (H. Allen, 1864) |
Open areas | West Coast and Okanagan Valley |
|
| Pallid bat
(Chauve-souris blonde) |
Antrozous pallidus (LeConte, 1856) |
Dry plains | British Columbia |
|
| Big brown bat
(Grande chauve-souris brune) |
Eptesicus fuscus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1796) |
Varied, including cities | British Columbia to southern Quebec and New Brunswick |
|
| Spotted bat
(Oreillard maculé) |
Euderma maculatum (J. A. Allen, 1891) |
Near waterways | Inner British Columbia |
|
| Western Red Bat
(Chauve-souris rousse de l'Ouest) |
Lasiurus blossevillii[16] (Lesson and Garnot, 1826) |
Open spaces and cities | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Eastern Red Bat
(Chauve-souris rousse de l'Est) |
Lasiurus borealis (Müller, 1776) |
Open spaces and cities | Alberta to southern Maritimes |
|
| Hoary Bat
(Chauve-souris cendré) |
Lasiurus cinereus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1796) |
Forests | British Columbia to northern Hudson Bay and Maritimes |
|
| Eastern Pipistrelle
(Pipistrelle de l'Est) |
Pipistrellus subflavus (F. Cuvier, 1832) |
Forest, fields and waterways | Southern Ontario, Quebec and Maritimes |
|
| Townsend's Big-eared Bat
(Oreillard de Townsend) |
Corynorhinus townsendii (Cooper, 1837) |
Open woodlands | Southern British Columbia |
|
Cetaceas includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. They are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life with a spindle-shaped nearly hairless body, protected by a thick layer of blubber, and forelimbs and tail modified to provide propulsion underwater.
| Common name
(French name) |
Species
(Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Balaenidae: Right Whales | ||||
| Bowhead whale
(Baleine boréale)[17] |
Balaena mysticetus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Polar ice shelf in winter, coastal waters in the summer. | Arctic Ocean | |
| North Atlantic Right Whale
(Baleine franche)[20] |
Eubalaena glacialis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Temperate coast waters | North Atlantic |
|
| North Pacific Right Whale
(Baleine franche)[20] |
Eubalaena japonica (Lacépède, 1818) |
North Pacific |
|
|
| Family Balaenopteridae: Rorquals | ||||
| Northern Minke Whale
(Petit rorqual) |
Balaenoptera acutorostrata (Lacépède, 1804) |
Temperate or polar seas. | Northern Atlantic and Pacific |
|
| Sei Whale
(Rorqual boréal) |
Balaenoptera borealis (Lesson, 1828) |
Temperate seas. | Atlantic and Pacific oceans |
|
| Blue Whale
(Rorqual bleu) |
Balaenoptera musculus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Temperate and polar waters. | Atlantic and Pacific oceans |
|
| Fin Whale
(Rorqual commun) |
Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
High sea. | Atlantic and Pacific oceans |
|
| Humpback Whale
(Baleine à bosse) |
Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781) |
Coastal waters, often penetrates estuaries. | Atlantic and Pacific oceans |
|
| Family Eschrichtiidae: Grey Whale | ||||
| Gray Whale
(Baleine grise) |
Eschrichtius robustus (Lilljebor, 1861) |
Temperate continental shelf waters. | Pacific Coast |
|
| Family Monodontidae: Narwhal and Beluga | ||||
| Narwhal
(Narval) |
Monodon Monoceros (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Edge of Arctic ice sheet. | Eastern Arctic Ocean |
|
| Beluga
(Bélouga) |
Delphinapterus leucas (Pallas, 1776) |
Arctic coast waters. Often swim deep up rivers. | Eastern and Western Arctic Ocean | |
| Family Phocoenidae: Porpoises | ||||
| Harbour Porpoise
(Marsouin commun)[27] |
Phocoena phocoena (Linnaeus, 1758) |
East and West Coast |
|
|
| Dall's Porpoise
(Marsouin de Dall) |
Phocoenoides dalli (True, 1885) |
Continental shelf. | North Pacific |
|
| Family Physeteridae: Sperm Whale | ||||
| Sperm Whale
(Cachalot) |
Physeter macrocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Very deep waters. | Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Only migrating males are found in Canadian waters. |
|
| Family Ziphidae: Beaked Whales | ||||
| Cuvier's Beaked Whale
(Baleine à bec de Cuvier) |
Ziphius cavirostris (G. Cuvier, 1823) |
Uncertain | North Pacific and Atlantic |
|
| Baird's Beaked Whale
(Grande baleine à bec) |
Berardius bairdii (Stejneger, 1883) |
Near continental shelf cliffs | North Pacific |
|
| Bottlenose whale
(Baleine à bec commune) |
Hyperoodon ampullatus (Forster, 1770) |
Subarctic waters | North Atlantic and part of Arctic |
|
| Sowerby's Beaked Whale
(Baleine à bec de Sowerby) |
Mesoplodon bidens (Sowerby, 1804) |
Deep ocean. | Temperate North Atlantic |
|
| Hubbs' Beaked Whale
(Baleine à bec de Moore) |
Mesoplodon carlhubbsi[29] (Moore, 1963) |
Temperate waters | North Pacific |
|
| Stejneger's Beaked Whale
(Baleine à bec de Stejneger) |
Mesoplodon stejnegeri (True, 1885 ) |
Cold, high sea. | North Pacific |
|
| Family Delphinidae: Oceanic Dolphins | ||||
| Bottlenose Dolphin
(Grand dauphin) |
Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821) |
Coastal waters. | Occasional in the Maritimes |
|
| Short-beaked common dolphin
(Dauphin commun à bec court) |
Delphinus delphis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Temperate high sea | Atlantic and Pacific Continental shelves |
|
| Atlantic White-sided Dolphin
(Dauphin à flancs blancs) |
Lagenorhynchus acutus (Gray, 1828) |
Temperate high sea. | North Atlantic |
|
| Pacific White-sided Dolphin
(Dauphin à flancs blancs du pacifique) |
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens (Gill, 1865) |
Temperate and subarctic seas. | North Pacific |
|
| White-beaked Dolphin
(Dauphin à bec blanc) |
Lagenorhynchus albirostris (Gray, 1846) |
High, cold sea. | North Atlantic |
|
| Orca
(Épaulard or Orque) |
Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Prefers coastal waters. | Atlantic, Pacific and parts of the Arctic | |
| Short-finned Pilot Whale
(Globicéphale du Pacifique) |
Globicephala macrorhynchus (Gray, 1846) |
Varied. | Pacific Ocean |
|
| Long-finned Pilot Whale
(Globicéphale de l'Atlantique) |
Globicephala melas (Traill, 1809) |
Varied. | North Atlantic |
|
The Carnivoras include over 260 species, the majority of which eat meat as their primary dietary item. Carnivores have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.
| Common name (French name) |
Species (Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Felidae: Felines | ||||
| Canadian Lynx
(Lynx du Canada)[32] |
Lynx canadensis (Kerr, 1792) |
Forests | Most of Canada |
|
| Bobcat
(Lynx roux) |
Lynx rufus (Schreber, 1777) |
Varied | Southern Canada |
|
| Cougar
(Cougar) |
Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771) |
Mountain, marshes, dense forests | Mountainous regions of Alberta and British Columbia |
|
| Family Canidae: Canines | ||||
| Arctic fox
(Renard arctique or polaire)[34] |
Alopex lagopus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Tundra | Northern Canada[35] |
|
| Swift Fox
(Renard véloce) |
Vulpes velox (Say, 1823) |
Desert and dry prairie | Southern Prairie Provinces |
|
| Red Fox
(Renard roux) |
Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Varied | All of Canada except part of the Arctic Islands and West Coast |
|
| Gray Fox
(Renard gris) |
Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Schreber, 1775) |
Varied | Southern Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec |
|
| Coyote
(Coyote) |
Canis latrans (Say, 1823) |
Varied | Rockies through southern prairies to southwestern Quebec. |
|
| Gray Wolf
(Loup)[37] |
Canis lupus (Say, 1823) |
Varied | All of Canada except Anticosti and Prince Edward Islands. Going extinct in several areas. |
|
| Family Ursidae: Bears | ||||
| American black bear
(Ours noir) |
Ursus americanus (Pallas, 1780) |
Varied | Most of Canada except Arctic and Prince Edward Island. |
|
| Brown Bear
(Ours brun) |
Ursus arctos (Linnaeus, 1758 ) |
Open spaces, mostly alpine and Arctic tundra | Rockies, mainland Northwest Territory and Nunavut.[38] |
|
| Polar Bear
(Ours blanc or polaire) |
Ursus maritimus (Phipps, 1774) |
Edge of ice fields | Arctic Sea and coasts |
|
| Family Procyonidae: Raccoons and allies | ||||
| Common Raccoon
(Raton laveur)[39] |
Procyon lotor (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Riparian forests | Southern Canada except Rockies and Cape Breton Island |
|
| Family Mustelidae: Mustelids | ||||
| Stoat
(Hermine) |
Mustela erminea (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Varied | All of Canada except part of southern prairies and Anticosti Island |
|
| Long-tailed Weasel
(Belette à longue queue) |
Mustela frenata (Lichtenstein, 1831) |
Open areas | Southern Rockies to western Ontario, southern Ontario to western Nova Scotia |
|
| Least Weasel
(Belette pygmée)[40] |
Mustela nivalis (Linnaeus, 1766) |
Varied | Yukon to Labrador, except southern Quebec and Ontario. |
|
| American Mink
(Vison d'Amérique) |
Mustela vison (Schreber, 177) |
Wetlands and rivers | Most of Canada, except the Arctic, part of the prairies and Anticosti Island. Introduced to Newfoundland |
|
| American Marten
(Martre d'Amérique) |
Martes americana (Turton, 1806) |
Coniferous and mixed forests | Rockies to Labrador and Newfoundland, except Prairies. Extinct in several parts of Eastern Canada. |
|
| Fisher
(Pékan) |
Martes pennanti (Erxleben, 1777) |
Coniferous and mixed forests near rivers | British Columbia to central Quebec, reintroduced in parts of the Maritimes. |
|
| Wolverine
(Carcajou) |
Gulo gulo (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Boreal forest, Arctic tundra | Largely extinct in southern Canada West of the Rockies. Found in much of continental Canada and the Arctic Islands |
|
| American Badger
(Blaireau d'Amérique) |
Taxidea taxus (Schreber, 1777) |
Fields | Southern Prairies, south-central British Columbia and southernmost Ontario |
|
| Northern River Otter
(Loutre de rivière) |
Lontra canadensis (Schreber, 1777) |
Rivers, lakes and swamps | Most of Canada except part of the Arctic and southern prairies |
|
| Sea Otter
(Loutre de mer) |
Enhydra lutris (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Sea and coast | Vancouver and Goose Island coast |
|
| Family Mephitidae: Skunks | ||||
| Western Spotted Skunk
(Moufette tachetée occidentale) |
Spilogale gracilis (Merriam, 1890)[44] |
Thickets and bushes | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Striped Skunk
(Moufette rayée) |
Mephitis mephitis (Schreber, 1776) |
Forests, cultivated areas, valleys | Rockies to the Maritmes. Introduced in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia in the 19th century. |
|
| Superfamily Pinnipedia: Pinnipeds | ||||
| Family Otariidae: Eared seals | ||||
| Northern Fur Seal
(Otarie à fourrure)[45] |
Callorhinus ursinus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Sea | Off the coast of British Columbia; appreciates rocky outcrops. Occasionally reported from the Arctic. |
|
| Steller Sea Lion
(Otarie de Steller)[46] |
Eumetopias jubatus (Schreber, 1776) |
Coast waters | British Columbia; appreciates rocky outcrops. |
|
| California Sea Lion
(Otarie de Californie) |
Zalophus californianus ((Lesson, 1828)) |
Coast waters | Near Vancouver Island. |
|
| Walrus
(Morse) |
Odobenus rosmarus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Arctic shallows | James Bay to Groenland. Extinct in Western Arctic and the Magdalen Islands. |
|
| Family Phocidae: Earless seals | ||||
| Hooded Seal
(Phoque à capuchon) |
Cystophora cristata (Erxleben, 1777) |
Sea | Atlantic from Gulf of the Saint Lawrence to northern Baffin Island. |
|
| Bearded Seal
(Phoque barbu) |
Erignathus barbatus (Erxleben, 1777) |
Sea | Arctic Ocean |
|
| Grey Seal
(Phoque gris) |
Halichoerus grypus (Erxleben, 1777) |
Sea rocks, and reefs | East Coast |
|
| Northern Elephant Seal
(Éléphant de mer du Nord) |
Mirounga angustirostris (Gill, 1866) |
Tropical and temperate sea waters | Occasional in British Columbia |
|
| Harp Seal
(Phoque du Groenland) |
Phoca groenlandica (Erxleben, 1777)[47] |
Cold waters | Gulf of Saint Lawrence to James Bay and Groenland. |
|
| Harbour Seal
(Phoque commun) |
Phoca vitulina Linnaeus, 1758 |
Coast waters and some interior lakes. | Most Canadian coasts except the colder part of the Arctic |
|
| Ringed Seal
(Phoque annelé) |
Pusa hispida (Schreber, 1775) |
Arctic waters and ice-floes | Arctic Ocean |
|
The Even-toed ungulates are ungulates whose weight is borne about equally by the third and fourth toes, rather than mostly or entirely by the third as in perissodactyls. There are about 220 artiodactyl species worldwide, including many that are of great economic importance.
| Common name (French name) |
Species (Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Cervidae: Deers | ||||
| Wapiti
(Elk) |
Cervus canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758)[48] |
Varied, prefers open areas. | Southern Rockies and part of the prairies, reintroduced in several part of its former range. |
|
| Moose
(Orignal) |
Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Subarctic and open forests | Yukon to New Brunswick. Introduced in Newfoundland, Cape Breton and Anticosti Islands. |
|
| Mule deer
(Cerf mulet) |
Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque, 1817) |
Subarctic and open forests | West Coast to Prairies |
|
| White-tailed deer
(Cerf de Virginie)[50] |
Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmerman, 1780) |
Glens, rivers, marshes, forest edges. | Southern Rockies and Prairie Provinces to coast of Labrador and Maritimes. Introduced on Prince Edward and Anticosti Islands. |
|
| Caribou
(Caribou) |
Rangifer tarandus (Zimmerman, 1780) |
Tundra, Taiga and boreal forest | Boreal forests across Canada, art parts of the Arctic and Rockies |
|
| Family Antilocapridae: The Pronghorn | ||||
| Pronghorn
(Antilope d'Amérique or Pronghorn) |
Antilocapra americana (Ord, 1815) |
Prairies and plains | Southern Saskatchewan and Alberta. |
|
| Family Bovidae: Bovids | ||||
| American Bison
(Bison)[51] |
Bison bison (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Varied | South of the Great Slaves Lake. Small reintroduced population found in several parts of its former range. |
|
| Mountain goat
(Chèvre de montagne) |
Oreamnos americanus (Blainville, 1816) |
Mountains | Various parts of the Western Cordillera |
|
| Muskox
(Boeuf musqué) |
Ovibos moschatus (Zimmermann, 1780) |
Arctic tundra | Canadian Arctic |
|
| Bighorn Sheep
(Mouflon d'Amérique) |
Ovis canadensis (Shaw, 1804) |
Alpine prairies | South and southeastern Rockies |
|
| Dall Sheep
(Mouflon de Dall) |
Ovis dalli Nelson, 1884 |
Alpine tundra | Yukon and northern British Columbia |
ssp. dalli
|
Didelphimorphia is the order of common opossums of the Western Hemisphere. Opossums probably diverged from the basic South American marsupials in the late Cretaceous or early Paleocene.They are small to medium-sized marsupials, about the size of a large house cat, with a long snout and prehensile tail.
| Common name (French name) |
Species (Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Didelphidae: New World opossums | ||||
| Virginia Opossum
(Oppossum d'Amérique or de Virginie) |
Didelphis virginiana (Kerr, 1792) |
Humid lowland forests. | Southwestern Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. Considered an exotic species by British Columbia. |
|
A number of wild mammalians may be found in Canadian territory without being confirmed natives. Some were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced. These include the House Mouse (Mus musculus), and Norway and Black Rats (respectively Rattus norvegicus and R. rattus). Other include escaped animals; the Coypu (Myocastor coypus), European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and Hares (Lepus europaeus),[52] as well as feral cats, dogs and horses fall into this category. Fallow Deers (Dama dama) and Wild Boars (Sus scrofa) were introduced for hunting.
Finally, other species are encountered only accidentally, or so rarely in Canadian territory that it is impossible to tell whether they are permanent resident. Most of these species are cetaceans, some generally poorly known: Risso's Dolphin (Grampus griseus), the Dwarf and Pygmy Sperm Whales (Kogia sima and K. breviceps), Blainville's and True's Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon densirostris and M. mirus), the False Killer Whale (Pseudorca crassidens), and the Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba). The Big Free-tailed and Evening Bats (respectively Nyctinomops macrotis and Nycticeius humeralis), as well as the New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) are found mostly in areas south of the U.S.-Canada frontier, and occasionally in Canada.
The only Canadian, and also last known specimen of the Sea Mink (Mustela macrodon) was captured on Campobello Island, in Nova Scotia in 1894. It is unknown whether the species was ever native to the country, but an unidentified animal reported in 1785 suggest it might have been more common in the Maritimes.
Out of three species that have gone extinct in Canada in written history, two have since been reintroduced. It is not clear whether a fourth species, the aforementioned Sea Mink, was ever a resident of Canada.
The Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes) went extinct in Canada in 1937. Between the 1950s and 1981, it was suspected to be extinct until a wild population was discovered in 1981 in Wyoming. The Swift Fox and Sea Otter both went extinct in Canada in the 1930s, but were successfully reintroduced in the beginning of the 1970s.
|
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