Bear Country USA is home to various species of North American mammals which live in large natural exhibits. While captive born, every effort is made to imitate a wild environment for our animal residents. Larger species roam freely throughout the drive-thru park. Smaller animals, as well as those younger than one year, are exhibited in the Wildlife Walk area. Visitors can observe these animals while strolling on foot.
Nestled over 200 acres amidst towering pines and along rolling meadows just eight miles south of Rapid City, Bear Country U.S.A. offers visitors intimate views of most North American mammals.
Habitat
American Martens are found in the northern reaches of North America. They prefer mixed conifer and hardwood forests.
Diet
Martens eat a variety of foods including squirrels, chipmunks, birds & bird eggs, small rodents, amphibians, reptiles, fish, insects, fruit, nuts, and carrion.
Lifespan
12-17 years.
Weight
1 to 3 pounds.
Scientific Name
Order: Carnivora; Family: Mustelidae; Subfamily: Mustelinae; Species: Martes americana
Breeding
June to August with a gestation period of 28 days. Martens have 1-5 kits.
Fun Facts:
Martens are arboreal which means they prefer to live in the trees. They can win a race against a squirrel running straight up a tree.
Habitat
The Arctic fox is a small fox native to the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and common throughout the Arctic tundra.
Diet
Arctic foxes generally eat lemmings, voles, other rodents, hares, birds, fish, ringed seal pups, eggs, and carrion left by larger predators.
Lifespan
3-5 years in the wild and 7-14 years in captivity.
Weight
7 – 20 pounds.
Scientific Name
Order: Carnivora; Family: Canidae; Species: Vulpes lagopus
Breeding
In April and May, after a 52-day gestation. Litters may contain as many as 25 (the largest litter size in the order of Carnivora).
Fun Facts:
Arctic foxes are primarily monogamous and both parents will care for the offspring. They live in some of the most frigid extremes on the planet, but they do not start to shiver until the temperature drops to -60ºF
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Arctic wolves inhabit some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world: tundra, rolling hills, glacier valleys, ice fields, shallow lakes and green flats. They can live in places where the temperature is consistently below zero and the ground is always frozen. The arctic wolf is one of the few mammals that can tolerate these conditions. They have a keen sense of sight, smell, and hearing. The wolf preys on lemmings and arctic hare, but its most substantial source of food is the musk ox and caribou. Since there is not much grass on the “frozen tundra”, the wolf must travel great distances to find food.
A single wolf pack often travels distances up to 800 square miles in search of prey. When the temperature drops, the pack will follow the migrating animals south. Wolves usually live in small packs, or family groups, that consist of a breeding pair (the alpha male and female), their cubs, and their unmated offspring. All the wolves in the pack look up to and follow the Alpha male and female. The pack cooperates in feeding and caring for the cubs. Lone wolves are usually young males that have left the pack in search of their own territories. They avoid other wolves, unless they are potential mates. When a lone wolf finds unoccupied territory, it will claim it by marking it with its scent. The wolf will then start its own pack when other lone wolves enter the territory.
Wolves must hunt in packs because the animals they hunt (e.g. caribou) are too large for a single wolf to take down. Surprise attacks are almost impossible in the tundra. Once the pack has found a herd of caribou, the caribou will form a circle to protect their young. The wolves now have to somehow get the caribou to shift. To accomplish this, one wolf will move from side to side to try and get the caribou to shift. Once the wolf sees the chance, it acts. Once the wolves have infiltrated the circle the caribou will flee. The wolves will then take down the smaller and weak animals. This is the classic case of “Only the strongest will survive”.
The wolves are always on the move in the fall and winter. But after mating in March, the pregnant female will leave the pack to find a nursery den. Since the ground is often frozen, she is often forced to return to an old den. The cubs are born deaf, blind and helpless. They are totally dependent upon their mother, and she in turn relies on her mate to bring her the food she needs. After about four weeks, the cubs are able to eat meat. The whole pack shares in the job of feeding them with regurgitated meat from a kill. After about a year, the cubs break away of their dependence on their mother and go out on their own.
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The badger prefers open plains, farmlands and the edges of woods. They can also reside in mountainous areas up as far as the arctic-alpine zone, farmland, marshy areas, prairies and deserts. The American badger can be found right across the western two-thirds of the US, and the range extends into Canada in the North and Mexico in the south.
The American Badger is the largest member of the “weasel” family. It has a distinctive black-and-white face and a white stripe from its nose to its shoulders. The wild, flat body is yellowish gray that becomes more yellowish on the tail and belly. It has short black legs with extremely long front claws, which it uses for digging rodents from the ground. The open burrows dug are very dangerous to rancher’s livestock. It feeds on ground squirrels, gophers, rats, mice, birds, and even rattlesnakes. Its long hair protects it from snakebites, unless a snake strikes it directly on the nose. This very ferocious animal has few enemies. They have been known to attack and kill animals as big as a horse. The Badger forages day and night, but is more nocturnal where humans threaten it. A badger can weigh up to 25 pounds and defends itself when cornered.
Weights vary greatly. Except in those parts of its range where the badger lives in warm conditions all year round, the animal puts on a great deal of body fat over the summer to see it through the winter, and weights are at their greatest at the onset of the cold season.
American badgers are loners, leading solitary lives except when males and females meet up to mate, and when females are rearing their young. Although they generally avoid contact with each other, American badgers occupy large ranges that sometimes overlap. If one badger meets another, they will attack each other.
Its hair is used to make paintbrushes, and the coarse bristles were formerly used in shaving brushes. Forest succession and encroachment into grasslands is reducing the habitat of the badger, an animal vital in controlling rodent populations.
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Bighorn Sheep can be found in all of the southwestern deserts. In places such as the Great Basin, Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of southeast California, Arizona and New Mexico. They reside in the foothills near rocky cliffs and permanent water when seasonally available. Bighorn Sheep rarely inhabit areas that are disturbed by humans. Bighorns spend their summers (when applicable) high in the alpine zone on grass-covered slopes. In winter, they may migrate a considerable distance to reach south or southwest-facing slopes where snow cover is minimal.
The Bighorn is covered with a brown coat. Its belly, rump, back of legs, muzzle and eye patch are all white. The male has a hard and thick set of horns. The horns spiral backwards from the top of the head. The Bighorn Sheep is an excellent climber and jumper.
Bighorns are generally active during the day, feeding morning, noon and evening, then lying down to chew their cud. They retire to their bedding areas for the night, which may be used for many years.
The rutting season is from mid-September to late October. During this time, the males have butting contests where they “butt” each other with their horns. During this, they can reach speeds of 50-70 miles per hour and an estimated force of 2400 pounds.
Bighorn Sheep have superior eyesight and agility and therefore, have few natural predators. What is threatening to them is destruction of their natural habitat and diseases.
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At Bear Country we have over 100 black bear, the world’s largest privately owned collection. In the wild, black bears live primarily in eastern forests, swamps, and western forests and wooded mountains. You rarely spot them higher than 7,000 feet.
To date, the total black bear population in North America is close to pre-settlement numbers – about 1 million. In the US alone there are more than an estimated 600,000 black bear. Stable populations of black bears are found in 38 states and most of Canada. Their range is extensive: Most of Canada, south on the West Coast through northern California, in Rocky Mountain states to Mexico, north MN, WI, and MI; in New England, NY and PA through the Appalachians; in the Southeast, most of Florida and southern Louisiana. They have recently been seen in Texas as well.
The black bear is omnivorous which means it eats vegetables, fruit, breads and meat. We also have a special “bear cake” produced at a local mill that provides them with all the necessary vitamins and nutrients. During autumn, they eat more than usual to gain body fat to sustain them through their winter “hibernation”. Bears do not hibernate, but rather fall into a deep sleep from which they can awaken quickly. When food is abundant, they will eat up to 45 lbs. a day and put on 5 lbs. per day in preparation for winter. During “hibernation”, the bear may only eat once a week, or if it is very cold he will not eat for a month. While “hibernating”, the black bear does not urinate or defecate. Bear Country has participated in the past with researchers at the University of Illinois in a project to study how the bear recycles toxins during “hibernation” with the hope of helping people with kidney disease and osteoporosis.
Breeding season is in late June to early July. The fertilized egg matures to the blastocyst stage and goes dormant. Blastocyst will not implant in the uterus until late November. In early December, embryo development proceeds normally (delayed implantation: a process shared with badgers, mink, weasels, otters, and wolverines). Birth occurs in late January. Gestation is approximately 7 months. The delay in gestation is approximately 5 months and true gestation is approximately 8 weeks. A black bear usually has between 1 to 5 cubs.
The cubs are born during the “hibernation period” in late January. When they are born, they weigh about nine ounces and are the size of a stick of butter. From then on, they grow very quickly. In March, when they weigh three to five pounds, we collect the cubs from their dens. By May they can be 12 to 20 pounds. While they are on display in our Wildlife Center, their weight will increase to about 75 pounds by the end of the summer. An adult male can weigh as much as 650 pounds, but usually is about 450 to 500 pounds at full weight. The female will reach a maximum weight of almost 400 pounds.
The black bear’s name is deceptive. It is a species name and does not refer to their color. They can range from pure black to cinnamon to blonde. Black bears in the East are nearly black, while those in the West are black to cinnamon with a white blaze on their chest. The black bears in Alaska can have a blue or white color phase to blend with their snowy surroundings.
You will notice many black bears in trees. Unlike the grizzly, who does not have claws that are well-adapted for climbing, the black bear is a very proficient climber. The black bear’s curved claws allow them to easily and quickly climb high into trees and will often sleep in the crotch of branches. Grizzly bears, on the other hand, climb by hugging the tree and grasping branches with their mouth to pull themselves upward. Their claws are straighter, longer and adapted for digging.
Black bears are similar to hogs and are even named the same–males are boars and females are sows, but babies are called cubs. They can live to be about 25 years old.
Black bears breed in June and early July, but the cubs are not born until January. Researchers have found that the gestation period is not as long as it appears. There is a delayed implantation of the fertilized egg in the female bear in December and the gestation period is only eight weeks. This would explain the extremely small size of the newborn cub. Research is this area continues in the wild by government and conservation agencies.
You will notice that some younger black bears have coats that are shedding. They do not reach their full size, coat appearance or breeding age until they are about three years old. They seem to go through a sort of “puberty” stage between their first and third years.
Bear Country does sometimes take in orphaned bear cubs. We have a very famous cub named Coconino. Some hikers found her in 1990 at Big Bear in California. Her eyes were still closed and her umbilical cord attached, an obvious newborn. The hikers took her to a local vet who called Bear Country for advice on feeding the orphan. They named her Coconino, which means “little brown one” in Spanish. She is called Coco for short. The Department of Fish and Game in California found out the vet and his wife had this bear and was going to confiscate her, sending her to a rehabilitation center and turn her back into the wild. The vet and some concerned citizens knew that the cub could never survive in the wild after being hand-raised. They went to the intended rehab center and found that it was visitor facilities that allowed too much contact with humans and did not properly train the animals so survive in the wild. Soon all of Big Bear was on the campaign to find Coco a suitable home. She was featured on the news magazine show “Hard Copy.” Finally, by ruling of the court Coco was given to Bear Country, where she arrived under the media’s watchful eye. Here she is able to live a captive life in a natural environment. She quickly acclimated to the other cubs and seemed to enjoy their company. Some of Coco’s “friends” from Big Bear have come to visit her and they agree that she is in the best possible situation. Bear Country received several letters from her “friends” thanking us for allowing Coco to live here.
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The bobcat primarily occurs in scrubby country and broken forests, but adapts to swamps, farmlands and arid lands if they are rocky or brushy. They range from coast to coast throughout southern Canada.
The Bobcat is gray with distinct black spots. The tail is short and stubby with 2 or 3 black bars. The face has broken black lines that radiate onto the cheek.
It’s is an excellent climber who often waits in the trees to pounce on their prey that includes rodents, hares, squirrels and birds; they also may take the occasional deer. Predators of the bobcat include cougars, coyotes, wolves and humans, who use their fur for trim.
The Bobcat may wander 25- 50 miles, but usually only venture 2 or 3 miles from their territory. The female bobcat is territorial, staking out a home range that varies from two to more than 40 square miles, with overlapping of female boundaries uncommon. Territorial boundaries are marked with urine, scent from anal glands, and feces deposited on the ground and vegetation during frequent boundary patrols. Male territories frequently overlap those of other males, and usually contain the territories of a number of females. Availability of food is the primary factor in determination of the extent of overlap in territorial boundaries. During the breeding season, the two sexes seek each other briefly, resuming their solitary ways after several days. Mating generally occurs in late winter to early spring resulting in two to four offspring arriving after a gestation period of about 60 days. The kittens are generally born in secluded dens, varying greatly depending on local habitat, including rocky outcrops, abandoned burrows, brushy thickets and rotting snags. Blind at birth and weighing less than one pound, the kittens are entirely dependant on their mother for protection and nourishment, although it is not unusual for the male bobcat to help provide food. The kittens first venture from the den at the age of five weeks and by nine months, become more independent and venture out to establish territories of their own.
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During the 15th century, buffalo dominated the American plains with numbers over 60 million. The Plains Indians followed herds sometimes up to 200 miles across the prairies. The Indians depended on the animal for survival and used every part of the buffalo. They used: hides for teepees and clothing, bones for tools and toys, the meat for food, tendons and muscles for sinewy sewing thread and bowstrings, horns for cups and spoons. They used the brains for hide tanning, the eyes for liquid paint thickener, and the buffalo chips for fuel and baby powder. The destruction of the animal, leading almost to extinction, began in 1830 when government policy advocated their extermination to subdue the “hostile” tribes through starvation. By 1900, less than 1000 buffalo remained. But thanks to federal regulation and careful breeding, there are now about 30,000 buffalo in national parks and privately owned rangeland such as Bear Country U.S.A.
A buffalo’s habitat varies. They live primarily on plains, prairies, river valleys and sometimes forests. Free ranging buffalo occur only in national parks and reserves such as Yellowstone and Custer. While we often call these animals buffalo, their proper name is bison. True buffalo only live in Africa and Asia.
The American buffalo is the largest terrestrial animal in North America. Bulls can weigh up to 2000 pounds, but are very good swimmers in spite of their weight. A buffalo will eat anywhere from 2% to 3% of their body weight “A DAY!!!” This means for every 1,000 pounds, 20 to 30 pounds of food is needed. Bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds so if you do the math, that is over 60 pounds of food per animal per day.
During breeding season, the bulls will fight for cow harems. They stand 20 feet apart and charge colliding foreheads with no apparent injury. This continues until one gives up. Bulls have little time to eat during the breeding season and can lose up to 200 pounds. Gestation is anywhere between eight to nine months. Calves are born in late spring and are light tan or Carmel color. After a few days of birth, the calf can keep up with the herd and follows it’s mother until the next spring. As they grow older, they develop heavier and darker hair and the characteristic hump. Buffalo are closely related to cattle and have been successfully crossbred with their domestic cousins to produce a “beefalo.”
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The Canadian Lynx is found in the forests of northern United States and Canada. They are found mostly in forested areas, swamps, and in the tundra in Northern Canada.
They are stout-bodied animals with thick, soft fur and short, stubby tails. They also have a tuft of hair, more than 2 cm long, at the tip of each ear. Their backs are dark Grey and their belly is grayish-white, often with black spots. They have long legs and extremely large feet that enable it to travel easily over deep snow. They are very agile climbers, spending some of their time in good weather on the limbs of trees, waiting for the weaker mammals and terrestrial birds that constitute their prey to pass beneath them.
It is common for Canadian Lynx to stalk their prey. They generally hunt alone, although group hunting and ambushing has been observed. They feed mostly on Snowshoe Hares. They will also eat small birds, rodents, deer, and caribou. Although not a timid hunter, the lynx will rarely contest its prey if confronted by other carnivores and will leave the kill uneaten. But when it comes to protecting their young, nothing holds them back.
They den in hollow logs, caves, beneath roots and other sheltered places. The Lynx’s range is about 50 miles, but their breeding range is considerably smaller (5 miles). They breed in the months of January and February and the gestation period is about two months. Litters can be anywhere from one to four kittens, but usually the mother will give birth to two kittens. By the fall, the youngsters will be well on their way to fending for themselves. Kittens may take meat at one month, but are not weaned until five months old. When winter comes they have still not got their adult teeth or fully developed their claws so that, although they will be accompanying their mother on hunting expeditions for some time, they are not yet able to survive alone. They stay with their mother until the next mating season, when they are usually chased away by suitors. Siblings often stay together for a time after separating from their mother.
These cats have a function of predation to perform to keep the wild animals and birds in proper numbers. Where they have been eliminated by over-shooting and trapping, an over abundance of animals such as rabbits and grouse have occurred. Their only refuge is in the deep woods and sometimes not even that can save them from the site of the human’s gun.
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In the wild, the coyote lives in the open plains of the west and brushy areas of the East.
This opportunistic eater has adapted to man and his farmland. The coyote is very unpopular with farmers who think of him as a livestock eater. However, coyotes mainly eat rodents, rabbits and small animals. They will only hunt large animals, such as a deer, in groups of two or more.
The coyote is the best runner of the canids (dog family: wolves, dogs) reaching speeds of 25 to 30 mph, even 40 mph over short distances, and leaping up to 14 feet in a single bound.
The coyote is the symbol of the American west with his night howls, barks and wails.
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The elk are also called “Wapiti”, which is the Cree Indian word for “white” referring the color of the animal’s rump.
In the wild, elk live chiefly in high, open mountain pastures in summer, and in lower wooded slopes or dense woods during the winter.
They are named just like cattle: cow, bull, calf. We handle and manage then like cattle. In the summer, the cows and calves live together while the bulls form “bachelor” herds. In the fall, breeding season the bulls fight, sometimes to the death, for a harem. The bull elk will stand on its rear legs and strike out with his sharp, cloven hooves. Not only are the bulls strong, they are very fast, running up to 35 mph, and, unlike deer, they can move through the forest almost silently. The calves are born with white spots for camouflage just like a deer fawn.
Each March the bulls shed their rack of antlers. The rack will drop off completely and the next one is already starting to grow. The new antlers, which grow almost an inch a day, are filled with blood vessels and can weigh up to 35 pounds. The antlers have a velvet-like covering, which is why we call this process “in the velvet.” They will reach their full length in mid-summer when the blood vessels inside dry up and the much-lighter antler becomes calcified like a bone. Preparing himself for breeding season, the bull runs the velvet off on tree limbs and sharpens the tines.
Habitat
Heavily forested habitats throughout Canada and northwestern/northeastern United States.
Diet
They are omnivores. Their diet consists of anything from birds, small mammals and insects to nuts, berries, and mushrooms.
Lifespan
7 years in the wild and 10+ years in captivity.
Weight
4-13 pounds.
Scientific Name
Order: Carnivora; Family: Mustelidae; Genus: Pekania; Species: Pekania pennanti.
Breeding
Gestation begins around February, with a gestation period of about 50 days. They give birth to one to four kits.
Fun Facts:
While they share some similar characteristics with pigs, they are referred to as hogs, they are not closely related to domestic pigs or the wild boars that plague many areas in the US. The band is a closed group that never accepts outside individuals to join their group, and will expel roughly 1 in 10 offspring from the group.
Habitat
Ground hogs inhabit rolling farmland, grassy pastures, small woodlots and bushy fence lines.
Diet
Ground hogs are herbivores. Some of their favorites include alfalfa, clover, corn, apples, peanuts, and vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes and lettuce.
Lifespan
6 years in the wild and 10 years in captivity.
Weight
7-11 pounds.
Scientific Name
Order: Rodentia; Family: Sciuridae; Species: Marmota monax
Breeding
In early spring, after 30-day gestation, 2-7 kits are born.
Fun Facts:
Ground hogs are also known as Woodchucks. They are very vocal mammals. When alarmed, they give a loud, shrill whistle and will grind their teeth. Ground hogs are one of the few true hibernators.
General Information
The Mountain lion is a very agile animal. It can easily cover 23 ft. in a single leap. They are known for their speed and quickness. One wouldn’t think that such a large animal could be quick, but they are.
Mountain lions are carnivores (meat eaters) and generally hunt in daylight where there are no humans. The mountain lion stalks its prey and when it attempts to flee, it pounces on the back of an animal with a powerful leap that knocks it to the ground. Once the lion has its prey on the ground, the prey can be killed with a single bite to the back of the neck. Mountain lions have huge hunting territories, and they eat all kinds of different animals. Deer is their principal source food, but they have been known to feed on rancher’s cattle. They can run very fast over short distances, but they tire quickly. Therefore, the cat must capture its prey on the first attack. If the prey is able to avoid the initial attack, it usually escapes. Mountain lions rarely share hunting territories and usually avoid each other. On the off chance two meet, they will make no attempt to defend their own territories or take over those of others.
The territories of male mountain lions may overlap those of females, so the males can detect when females are ready to mate. During a 14-day period of mating, a male and female hunt together and sleep next to each other. The female later gives birth in a carefully hidden den, located between rocks or in a cave. Blind at birth, the cubs have spotted coats until they are six months old. They begin to take meat provided by their mother at six weeks. Although they can hunt for themselves after nine months, they usually remain with their mother for two years. The cubs then leave her and wonder off to establish a territory of their own.
Many folk tales repeat the savagery of cougars, their numerous attacks on man and their bloodcurdling screams, but authentic, unprovoked attacks on man are far less numerous than those of the domesticated bull. Unless cornered, the cougar avoids contact with man, but at bay he is an adversary that should command respect and caution.
These cats spend most of their time on the ground, but they are adept at climbing trees and often do so when pursued by dogs. Their chief range preferences are rocky, precipitous canyons, escarpments, rim rocks or, in the absence of these, dense brush. Heavily timbered areas usually are avoided. Looking for scrapes, the signpost of the male, which consist of small piles of leaves, grasses and so forth, which he scrapes together and on which he urinates, can usually detect the presence of a cougar in an area. These are best looked for on their travel routes along the ridges and rim rocks.
Contrary to popular opinion, cougars seldom use caves as dens. An area under an overhanging ledge, a crevice in a cliff, a dry cavity in a jumbled pile of rocks, an enlarged badger burrow, a cavity under the roots of a tree or a dense thicket seem to be more desirable.
Their food is almost entirely animal matter, but. as with domestic cats, grasses may be eaten occasionally. The chief item of diet is deer Analyses of stomachs revealed that in the Southwest the mule deer accounted for 54 percent of the total food (by frequency of occurrence); white-tailed deer, 28 percent; porcupines, 5.8 percent; cottontails, 3.9 percent; jackrabbits, 2 percent; domestic cows, 1.6 percent; miscellaneous (including sheep, goats, skunks, foxes, coyotes, beavers, prairie dogs and grasses), 4.7 percent – In certain areas they are known to kill and feed upon horses, particularly colts. In general, the cougar’s food habits are of neutral or beneficial character. The high percentage of predation on deer probably is beneficial from a game management view in most instances because the cougar tends to prevent overpopulation of deer, which is the bane of the game manager in many areas where this cat has been exterminated.
Cougars are thought to be monogamous, at least for the mating period. The female is said to initiate the courtship and mating act. There appear to be no regular periods of reproduction. A female containing four large embryos was killed in April; another with three young nearly ready to be born was killed on January 20. Also, records are available for October and December. The gestation period is about 3 months. The number of young ranges from two to five, averaging three. At birth, the kittens are woolly, spotted, have short tails and weigh about 1 pound each. They develop teeth when about a month old, are weaned when about 2 or 3 months old and may remain with their mother until more than 1 year old. Adult females usually breed every other year.
Habitat
Northern Mexico to Central and Western United States and Canada.
Diet
They are herbivores. Feeding on grass, beans, pods, nuts, acorns, and berries.
Lifespan
9-11 years.
Weight
150-203 pounds.
Scientific Name
Order: Artiodactyla; Family: Cervidae; Genus: Odocoileus; Species: Odocoileus hemionus.
Breeding
Typically mate during the fall. After a gestation period of 190-200 days, does typically give birth to 2 fawns.
Fun Facts:
While they share some similar characteristics with pigs, they are referred to as hogs, they are not closely related to domestic pigs or the wild boars that plague many areas in the US. The band is a closed group that never accepts outside individuals to join their group, and will expel roughly 1 in 10 offspring from the group.
Habitat
Very adaptable from arid scrublands to tropical rain forest ranging from southwestern United States into South America.
Diet
They are omnivores. Feeding on insects, roots, grasses, seeds, fruit, and cacti; particularly prickly pear.
Lifespan
10 years in the wild and 20+ years in captivity.
Weight
40-80 pounds.
Scientific Name
Order: Artiopdactyla; Family: Tayassuidae; Genus: Pecari; Species: Pecari tajacu.
Breeding
Can bear young year round but most often between November and March. After a gestation period of 141-151 days they give birth to an average litter of 2-3 piglets.
Fun Facts:
While they share some similar characteristics with pigs, they are referred to as hogs, they are not closely related to domestic pigs or the wild boars that plague many areas in the US. The band is a closed group that never accepts outside individuals to join their group, and will expel roughly 1 in 10 offspring from the group.
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Porcupines possess a very unique defense system. A porcupine’s first line of defense is escaping from danger by climbing up a tree. However, if such an escape is not possible, the porcupine has many options. Porcupines are the only mammal in North America to use quills to deter predators. Around 30,000 quills are present on the dorsal side of a porcupine. Because loosing quills is very expensive to a porcupine, these animals have developed several warning signs to precede their use of their ultimate weapon. If visual and accoustic warnings fail, a porcupine will erect its quills, and simultaneously release a nasty scent. Quills are only used if the threat has not been deterred by these other means. (Roze, 1989; Roze, 2002; Sweitzer and Berger, 1992).
Porcupines use a combination of acoustic, chemical, visual, and tactile communication.
Habitat
Central and western North America.
Diet
They are herbivores. Their diet is comprised of forbs, shrubs, grasses, and cacti.
Lifespan
Typically up to 10 years.
Weight
88-106 pounds.
Scientific Name
Order: Artiodactyla; Family: Antilocapridae; Genus: Antilocapra; Species: Antilocapra americana.
Breeding
After a gestation period of 7-8 months, they give birth to an average of 1 fawn, with twin fawns also being common.
Fun Facts:
It is the fastest mammal in the Western hemisphere, and second only to the African cheetah. It can reach speeds up to 55mph.
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Raccoons range from North, Central, and South America.
Raccoons inhabit forested areas with mature and/or hollow trees in which to nest. They have adapted to live in urban and rural areas.
Raccoons vary in color from blond to dark gray with the characteristic rings around eyes and tail. They have small, articulate paws used to pick up food, dig, or aid in climbing.
Fun Facts: Their species name “lotor” means “washer” in Latin. Raccoons are very vocal have been heard to purr and growl at each other. A raccoon is a curious animal and it uses its paws and nose to explore new surroundings.
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Red foxes utilize a wide range of habitats including forest, tundra, prairie, desert, mountains, farmlands, and urban areas. They prefer mixed vegetation communities, such as edge habitats and mixed scrub and woodland. They are found from sea level to 4500 meters elevation. (MacDonald and Reynolds, 2005)
Coloration of red foxes ranges from pale yellowish red to deep reddish brown on the upper parts and white, ashy or slaty on the underside. The lower part of the legs is usually black and the tail usually has a white or black tip.
Red foxes use a variety of vocalizations to communicate among themselves. They also use facial expressions and scent marking extensively. Red foxes have excellent senses of vision, smell, and touch. (MacDonald and Reynolds, 2005)
Works cited: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Vulpes_vulpes.html
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Wild reindeer are found in Scandinavia and northern Russia. Both male and female reindeer have antlers. New antlers are fully grown by July, but do not harden until fall. These are the only members of the deer family (Cervidae) whose females grow antlers. The antlers are covered with “velvet”, vascularized tissue, in summer. The males drop their antlers in winter, while pregnant females usually retain their antlers until after they give birth in the spring. Their coats are very think which provides them with excellent insulation. Their hooves are very broad which enable them to travel efficiently through snow and swamp. Their hooves also make a clicking sound when they walk. When people hear the sound, they often think that the reindeer has an injured ankle. But this is normal. Their diet is mosses, lichens, and other tundra plants.
Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) are semi-domesticated caribou. Although similar, there are fundamental differences in the behavior of reindeer and their wild cousins, caribou. They tend to be smaller than caribou, with shorter legs, and are a lighter color. It is believed they have been domesticated in Eurasia for at least 7000 years, which is longer than the horse (Edwards, 1994) In Eurasia reindeer are classified as either domesticated or wild, while in North America they are called reindeer if they are of the Eurasian domesticated variety, or caribou if they are of the wild variety. This domesticated factor makes them different from caribou in that they need to be tended on the range to keep them safe from predators, and may need to be driven to a better grazing area if theirs becomes sparse.
Reindeer eat lichen in winter and spring, and grass, birch and willow leaves, mushrooms. They will always try to go to where the new greens are, which may be contrary to the direction the herder wants the herd to go. During the summer, herds move to breezy places, either near the shore or high up so they may avoid flies. Insects are very bothersome to the reindeer, making them very unruly and difficult for the herder to keep track of or round up. Near fall, the herd begins to move inland, toward more sheltered areas. They winter in open forest and on slopes, where the wind may blow the snow off the forage.
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Otters can dive down to depths of 10 feet and can hold their breath up to 40 seconds under water. By using a combination of running and gliding otters have been clocked at speeds of 15-18 mph on ground, and can swim 6-7 mph.
Works cited:
Reed-Smith, Janice. North American River Otter Husbandray Notebook, 2nd Edition. John Ball Zoological Garden. 2001
Dewey, T. and E. Ellis. 2003. “Lontra canadensis” (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed October 16, 2007 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Lontra_canadensis.html.
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Skunks use scent marking to communicate presence and reproductive state to other skunks. They also communicate visually, by raising their fur and changing posture. Skunks have a good sense of hearing, but their vision is poor. They are mostly silent, but do make a variety of sounds such as churring, hisses, and screams.
A skunk has perhaps the most widely known defense system of any mammal, the scent-spraying mechanism. Striped skunks usually do not discharge the foul smelling contents of their scent glands unless mortally threatened. When faced with danger they arch the back and erect the tail and hair. When mortally threatened they bend into a U-shape with both head and rump facing the enemy. They then emit two streams of fluid from scent glands located just inside the anus, which meet after travelling about a foot, finally spreading into a fine spray that can travel up to 2 or 3 meters. The spray often causes nausea and burns the eyes and nasal cavities of the unfortunate target. Because of their offensive odor, skunks are rarely preyed on by mammalian predators.
Works cited: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Mephitis_mephitis.html
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Timber wolves are widely distributed. They are found in various parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. In the United States, they range from the Rocky Mountain ranges to areas in the Great Lakes states. Timbers can be found of prairies and forests, but usually not in high mountain ranges because of the lack of food. Their color ranges from nearly white to nearly black, but are usually grayish.
The “pack” is a very complex and strict organization. They communicate through posture, voice, and scent. The alpha, or dominant, male is the leader. Only the alpha male and alpha female are allowed to breed. The entire pack cooperates in feeding, protecting, and training the pups. The pack distinguishes its territory by marking it with urine and feces. Dominant males can stare down other wolves in the pack to prevent a fight and dominate females do the same to prevent females from mating with her mate, but fights are very rare. Some members may stay with the pack for life.
Wolves are big game hunters. After a howling chorus, the pack will leave the den for the evening hunt with one adult guardian staying behind to watch over the young. Timber wolves will generally hunt in packs of 12 or more during the non-breeding season. They feed on anything that is available. They primarily hunt birds and mammals such as deer and caribou. Their hunting range can be up to 60 miles is diameter. Wolves can run up to 40 miles an hour and can easily cover 50 miles a day. By smell alone, wolves can locate prey, other pack members or enemies. It can tell them if other wolves were in the territory, if they were male or female, and how recently they visited.
In the spring, females have litters of one to eleven pups. The pups are born blind and deaf, so they have to depend on the their mother and other members of the pack. The whole pack takes care and raises the pups (non-breeding females produce milk and males compete to baby sit). The pups also eat regurgitated food. When the hunters return from a hunt, the pups will jump and bite at their throats to get them to regurgitate the undigested meat from the recent kill. The pups normally stay with the parents until the following winter, but may remain much longer. Parents and their young constitute a basic pack.
Under the Endangered Species Act, the gray wolf is listed as a threatened species in Minnesota and as an endangered species in the United States. The decreasing numbers of wolves are the result of encroachments on their territory by humans, who have regarded wolves as competitors for prey and as dangerous to livestock, pets, and people. However, very few wolves attack humans. There might be “some” isolated incidents, but which is usually the case in those, the wolf was only trying to protect itself from the invasion from the human. There have been some efforts to try to reintroduce the wolf back into the wild, but those efforts have been very controversial.
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Beavers are found throughout all of North America except for the northern regions of Canada and the deserts of the southern United States and Mexico
The Beaver is North America’s largest rodent.
Beavers live in lodges, of which there are three types: those built on islands, those built on the banks of ponds, and those built on the shores of lakes. The island lodge consists of a central chamber, with its floor slightly above the water level, and with two entrances. One entrance opens up into the center of the hut floor, while the other is a more abrupt descent into the water. (Encarta, 2004)
Beavers have dark brown fur; large chestnut colored incisors; a black scaly tail; and webbed hind feet. Beaver fur is water repellent. Their nose and ears have valves that allow them to close underwater, and a thin membrane covers each eye to protect the beaver while swimming under water.
Beaver secrete Castorium, which is used in attracting a mate and marking territories, this is what gives the beaver its odd odor.
