Jon Atkinson - World and Wildlife Photographer

Contact: JPA123ab@hotmail.com

CANADA WILDLIFE

 

CAN1: Grey Wolf at Omega Park (Parc Oméga), Quebec.

The grey wolf, also known as the timber wolf, prefers the open tundra and forest and is one of the most widespread land mammals, inhabiting various ecosystems throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The wolf is a social animal who mates for life and lives in packs of up to 15 individuals.

CAN2: Coyote, Omega Park (Parc Oméga), Quebec, Canada.

These members of the dog family the Coyote once lived in open prairies and deserts, but now roam the continent's forests and mountains. They are highly adaptable and with the destruction of their primarily habitat have moved into urban areas and cities in North America.

CAN3: Grey Wolf at Omega Park (Parc Oméga), Quebec.

Although they are called grey wolves the colour range of these ancestors of domestic dogs vary drastically from brownish-gray, to all black, to all white. Their diet consists of large mammals such as elk, deer and moose as well as smaller mammals like beavers and rabbits.

CAN4: Moose, Omega Park (Parc Oméga), Quebec, Canada.

Moose are found on the rocky, wooded hillsides of the western mountain ranges; along the margins of lakes, muskegs, and streams of the great boreal forest; and even on the northern tundra and in the aspen parkland of the prairies. They are the largest of all deer who can weigh up to 800 kilogram and during breeding season a mature bull carries a large rack of antlers that may extend more than 180 cm between the widest tips.

CAN5: Ibex, Omega Park (Parc Oméga), Quebec, Canada.

Ibexes are strictly herbivorous and survive on a diet of grass, moss, flowers, leaves and twigs. If leaves and shoots are out of reach, Ibexes often stand on their rear legs to reach this food. They eat during late afternoon and evening hours, descending at this time from the high steep cliffs and into the lower alpine meadows below.

CAN6: Coyote, Omega Park (Parc Oméga), Quebec, Canada.

CAN7 Arctic Wolf, Omega Park (Parc Oméga), Quebec, Canada.

The Arctic wolf is a subspecies of the grey wolf. Adult Arctic wolves are between 25 and 31 inches in height and reach weights of up to 175 pounds. Females are usually smaller and lighter than males. They measure between 3 and 5 feet from head to tail.

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CAN8 Bison in the Snow, Omega Park (Parc Oméga), Quebec.

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. The grazing habits of bison are similar to those of domestic cattle. Bison eat grasses, sedges, and other ground-growing plants.

CAN9 Grey Wolf at Omega Park (Parc Oméga), Quebec.

Wolves are highly territorial animals, and generally establish territories far larger than they require to survive in order to assure a steady supply of prey. Territory size depends largely on the amount of prey available: in areas with an abundance of prey, the territories of resident wolf packs are smaller.

CAN10 Groundhog, Quebec City, Canada.

The groundhog prefers open country and the edges of woodland, and it is rarely far from a burrow entrance. Since the clearing of forests provided it with much more suitable habitat, the groundhog population is probably higher now than it was before the arrival of European settlers in North America.

CAN11 Black Bear, Parc Mauricie, Quebec.

The American black bear is the smallest and most common species of bear in North America. Black bears are omnivores which typically live in largely forested areas, but sometimes leave forests in search of food. They become attracted to human communities because of the immediate availability of food so are species most often encountered by people.

CAN12 Arctic Wolf, Omega Park (Parc Oméga), Quebec, Canada.

Arctic wolves inhabit some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world where the temperature rarely rises above -22° F and the ground is permanently frozen. Arctic wolves usually live in small packs or family groups consisting of a breeding pair, their pups, and their unmated offspring from the prior seasons.

CAN13 Wapiti, Omega Park (Parc Oméga), Quebec, Canada.

Wapiti, known as Red Deer in Europe, are the second largest deer in the world, second only to the Moose. Wapati weigh between 230 and 450 kg and stand 0.75-1.5 m high at the shoulder and they live in open forest and near forest edges. Their antlers can measure up to1.5 m across tip to tip. Males often weigh twice as much as females.

CAN14 Groundhog, Quebec City, Canada.

Groundhogs are one of the few species that enter into true hibernation often building a separate "winter burrow" for this purpose. This burrow is usually in a wooded or brushy area and remains at a stable temperature well above freezing during the winter months. In most areas, groundhogs hibernate from October to March or April. To survive the winter, they are at their maximum weight shortly before entering hibernation. They emerge from hibernation with some remaining body fat to live on until the warmer spring weather produces abundant plant materials for food.

CAN15 Wild Boar at feeding station, Omega Park (Parc Oméga), Quebec, Canada.

Wild boar can be black, brown or dark grey and are the size of a domestic pig up to 5 feet long weighing as much as 300 pounds. Their fur is coarse and stiff, the tail is thin and straight and both males and females have small tusks. A group of wild boar are called 'sounders' and usually consist of 2 or 3 females and their piglets which are striped.