United States
£ GBP
A Northern pocket gopher can dig an amazing half a metre of tunnel through compacted clay soil in just 15 minutes. North American beavers, along with humans, are the only mammals whose impact on their environment is so massive that it can be clearly seen with the naked eye from outer space. And there really are narwhals – the single-tusked mammals that likely inspired the unicorn legend – living in the waters surrounding Greenland.
Learning about any of these mammals on their own brings out fascinating traits and stories. But when considered alongside the entire mammal population of Canada – from the tiny olive-backed pocket mouse to the enormous killer whale, and the Arctic-dwelling polar bear to the more southerly red bat – a spectacular portrait emerges of the diversity and beauty of Canada's animal life.
The Natural History of Canadian Mammals is a beautifully illustrated, up-to-date guide to all 215 known species of mammals in Canada. It features brand-new, full-colour images of each species, as well as stunning photographs from Canadian Geographic magazine's national photography competitions depicting the animals in their natural environments.
Along with being a visual treat, The Natural History of Canadian Mammals is jam-packed with information accessible to readers at all levels. Detailed descriptions are provided of each mammal's appearance, habitat, and behavior, while colour maps show their full distribution across Canada, North America, and globally. The Natural History of Canadian Mammals also includes practical guides on tracking and identification for readers who would like to learn how to spot mammals in the wild. Among its most special features is a series of colour plates with vignettes of the Canadian representatives of each group, sized relative to one another for easy comparison and linked to the full species accounts later in The Natural History of Canadian Mammals.
Comprehensive and immensely valuable, The Natural History of Canadian Mammals will become a treasured companion for scientific researchers, animal lovers, and all those wishing to gain a greater appreciation of Canada's natural wonders. The Canadian Museum of Nature, Canada's national natural history museum, continues to author these wonderful books in its goal to inspire a greater understanding of the natural environment.
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction
List of Acronyms and Initialisms
Species Accounts:
1. Order Didelphimorphia: New World opossums
opossums: Family Didelphidae Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)
2. Order Primates: apes and monkeys
3. Order Rodentia: rodents
mountain beavers: Family Aplodontiidae
Mountain Beaver (Aplodontia rufa)
squirrels: Family Sciuridae
Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)
Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)
Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans)
Hoary Marmot (Marmota caligata)
Yellow-bellied Marmot (Marmota flaviventris)
Woodchuck (Marmota monax)
Vancouver Island Marmot (Marmota vancouverensis)
Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
Columbian Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus columbianus)
Franklin’s Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus franklinii)
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus lateralis)
Arctic Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus parryii)
Richardson’s Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus richardsonii)
Cascade Mantled Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus saturatus)
Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus)
Yellow-pine Chipmunk (Tamias amoenus)
Least Chipmunk (Tamias minimus)
Red-tailed Chipmunk (Tamias ruficaudus)
Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)
Townsend’s Chipmunk (Tamias townsendii)
Douglas’ Squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglasii)
Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
beavers: Family Castoridae
North American Beaver (Castor canadensis)
kangaroo rats and pocket mice: Family Heteromyidae
Ord’s Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys ordii)
Olive-backed Pocket Mouse (Perognathus fasciatus)
Great Basin Pocket Mouse (Perognathus parvus)
pocket gophers: Family Geomyidae
Plains Pocket Gopher (Geomys bursarius)
Northern Pocket Gopher (Thomomys talpoides)
jumping mice: Family Dipodidae
Woodland Jumping Mouse (Napaeozapus insignis)
Meadow Jumping Mouse (Zapus hudsonius)
Western Jumping Mouse (Zapus princeps)
Pacific Jumping Mouse (Zapus trinotatus)
rats, mice, voles and lemmings: Family Cricetidae
voles, lemmings and muskrat: Subfamily Arvicolinae
Northern Collared Lemming (Dicrostonyx groenlandicus)
Ungava Collared Lemming (Dicrostonyx hudsonius)
Ogilvie Mountains Collared Lemming (Dicrostonyx nunatakensis)
Richardson’s Collared Lemming (Dicrostonyx richardsoni)
Sagebrush Vole (Lemmiscus curtatus)
Nearctic Brown Lemming (Lemmus trimucronatus)
Rock Vole (Microtus chrotorrhinus)
Long-tailed Vole (Microtus longicaudus)
Singing Vole (Microtus miurus)
Montane Vole (Microtus montanus)
Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster)
Tundra Vole (Microtus oeconomus)
Creeping Vole (Microtus oregoni)
Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus)
Woodland Vole (Microtus pinetorum)
North American Water Vole (Microtus richardsoni)
Townsend’s Vole (Microtus townsendii)
Taiga Vole (Microtus xanthognathus)
Southern Red-backed Vole (Myodes gapperi)
Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus)
Northern Red-backed Vole (Myodes rutilus)
Common Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)
Heather Vole (Phenacomys intermedius)
Northern Bog Lemming (Synaptomys borealis)
Southern Bog Lemming (Synaptomys cooperi)
New World rats and mice: Subfamily Neotominae
Bushy-tailed Woodrat (Neotoma cinerea)
Northern Grasshopper Mouse (Onychomys leucogaster)
Keen’s Mouse (Peromyscus keeni)
White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus)
Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)
Western Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis)
Old World rats and mice: Family Muridae
House Mouse (Mus musculus)
Norway Rat (Rattus norvegicus)
Roof Rat (Rattus rattus)
New World porcupines: Family Erethizontidae
North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)
Nutria: Family Myocastoridae
Nutria (Myocastor coypus)
4. Order Lagomorpha: pikas, hares and rabbits
pikas: Family Ochotonidae
Collared Pika (Ochotona collaris)
American Pika (Ochotona princeps)
hares and rabbits: Family Leporidae
Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus)
Arctic Hare (Lepus arcticus)
European Hare (Lepus europaeus)
White-tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus townsendii)
European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
Mountain Cottontail (Sylvilagus nuttallii)
5. Order Soricomorpha: shrews and moles
shrews: Family Soricidae
Northern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda)
Least Shrew (Cryptotis parvus)
Arctic Shrew (Sorex arcticus)
Pacific Water Shrew (Sorex bendirii)
Cinereous Shrew (Sorex cinereus)
Long-tailed Shrew (Sorex dispar)
Smoky Shrew (Sorex fumeus)
Prairie Shrew (Sorex haydeni)
Pygmy Shrew (Sorex hoyi)
Maritime Shrew (Sorex maritimensis)
Merriam’s Shrew (Sorex merriami)
Dusky Shrew (Sorex monticolus)
North American Water Shrew (Sorex palustris)
Preble’s Shrew (Sorex preblei)
Olympic Shrew (Sorex rohweri)
Trowbridge’s Shrew (Sorex trowbridgii)
Tundra Shrew (Sorex tundrensis)
Barren Ground Shrew (Sorex ugyunak)
Vagrant Shrew (Sorex vagrans)
moles: Family Talpidae
Star-nosed Mole (Condylura cristata)
Shrew-mole (Neurotrichus gibbsii)
Hairy-tailed Mole (Parascalops breweri)
Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus)
Coast Mole (Scapanus orarius)
Townsend’s Mole (Scapanus townsendii)
6. Order Chiroptera: bats
free-tailed bats: Family Molossidae
Big Free-tailed Bat (Nyctinomops macrotis)
plain-nosed bats: Family Vespertilionidae
Pallid Bat (Antrozous pallidus)
Townsend’s Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii)
Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus)
Spotted Bat (Euderma maculatum)
Silver-haired Bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans)
Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis)
Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus)
California Myotis (Myotis californicus)
Western Small-footed Myotis (Myotis ciliolabrum)
Long-eared Myotis (Myotis evotis)
Keen’s Myotis (Myotis keenii)
Eastern Small-footed Myotis (Myotis leibii)
Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus)
Northern Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis)
Fringed Myotis (Myotis thysanodes)
Long-legged Myotis (Myotis volans)
Yuma Myotis (Myotis yumanensis)
Evening Bat (Nycticeius humeralis)
Eastern Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus subflavus)
7. Order Carnivora: carnivores
cats: Family Felidae
Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis)
Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
Cougar (Puma concolor)
dogs: Family Canidae
Coyote (Canis latrans)
Grey Wolf (Canis lupus)
Grey Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)
Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus)
Swift Fox (Vulpes velox)
Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
bears: Family Ursidae XX
North American Black Bear (Ursus americanus)
Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)
Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)
fur seals and sea lions: Family Otariidae
Northern Fur Seal (Callorhinus ursinus)
Steller Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus)
California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)
walrus: Family Odobenidae
Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus)
true seals: Family Phocidae
Hooded Seal (Cystophora cristata)
Bearded Seal (Erignathus barbatus)
Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus)
Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris)
Harp Seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus)
Spotted Seal (Phoca largha)
Harbour Seal (Phoca vitulina)
Ringed Seal (Pusa hispida)
weasels: Family Mustelidae
Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)
Wolverine (Gulo gulo)
Northern River Otter (Lontra canadensis)
American Marten (Martes americana)
Fisher (Martes pennanti)
Ermine (Mustela erminea)
Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata)
Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes)
Least Weasel (Mustela nivalis)
Sea Mink (Neovison macrodon)
American Mink (Neovison vison)
American Badger (Taxidea taxus)
skunks: Family Mephitidae
Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
Western Spotted Skunk (Spilogale gracilis)
raccoons and allies: Family Procyonidae
Northern Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
8. Order Perissodactyla: horses and other odd-toes ungulates
horse: Family Equidae
Domestic Horse (Equus caballus)
9. Order Artiodactyla: deer,cattle and other even-toes ungulates
deer: Family Cervidae
Moose (Alces americanus)
Wapiti/Elk (Cervus elaphus)
Fallow Deer (Dama dama)
Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus)
White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Caribou (Rangifer tarandus)
pronghorn: Family Antilocapridae
Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana)
cattle, sheep and goats: Family Bovidae
American Bison (Bison bison)
Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus)
Muskox (Ovibos moschatus)
Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis)
Thinhorn Sheep (Ovis dalli)
10. Order Cetacea: whales, dolphins and porpoises
Suborder Mysticiti: baleen whales
right and bowhead whales: Family Balaenidae
Bowhead Whale (Balaena mysticetus)
North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis)
North Pacific Right Whale (Eubalaena japonica)
rorquals: Family Balaenopteridae
Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
Sei Whale (Balaenoptera borealis)
Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
grey whale: Family Eschrichtiidae
Grey Whale (Eschrichtius robustus)
Suborder Odontoceti: toothed whales
ocean dolphins: Family Delphinidae
Long-beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus capensis)
Short-beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis)
Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus)
Long-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala melas)
Risso’s Dolphin (Grampus griseus)
Atlantic White-sided Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus)
White-beaked Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris)
Pacific White-sided Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens)
Northern Right Whale Dolphin (Lissodelphis borealis)
Killer Whale (Orcinus orca)
False Killer Whale (Pseudorca crassidens)
Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba)
Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
beluga and narwhal: Family Monodontidae
Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas)
Narwhal (Monodon monoceros)
porpoises: Family Phocoenidae
Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
Dall’s Porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli)
sperm whales: Family Physeteridae
Pygmy Sperm Whale (Kogia breviceps)
Dwarf Sperm Whale (Kogia sima)
Sperm Whale (Physeter catodon)
beaked whales: Family Ziphiidae
Baird’s Beaked Whale (Berardius bairdii)
North Atlantic Bottlenose Whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus)
Sowerby’s Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon bidens)
Hubbs’ Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon carlhubbsi)
Blainville’s Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon densirostris)
True’s Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon mirus)
Stejneger’s Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon stejnegeri)
Cuvier’s Beaked Whale (Ziphius cavirostris)
Domestic mammals:
Domestic Cattle (Bos taurus)
Domestic Dog (Canis familiaris)
Domestic Goat (Capra hircus)
Domestic Cat (Felis catus)
Domestic Sheep (Ovis aries)
Domestic Pig (Sus scrofa)
Appendix 1: Identification of shrew skulls
Appendix 2: Identification of voles, lemmings and muskrat skulls
Appendix 3: List of colour art ascribed to artist
Appendix 4: Scientific names of plants and animals mentioned in the text
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
Donna Naughton, a biologist at the Canadian Museum of Nature, has collected, illustrated, photographed, and studied mammals for over thirty years. She has been a principal contributor to Mammals: An Explore Your World Handbook and the Handbook of Canadian Mammals series.
"This glossy-paged comprehensive, stunningly illustrated, updated volume of The Natural History of Canadian Mammals is not just extensive, extremely informative and easy to use, but it can be read and enjoyed by readers all over the planet from inquisitive middle school students and interested adults, to the scientific community."
- Gay Ann Loesch, American Association of School Librarians
"This outstanding book will be the reference of first choice on mammals in Canada for many years to come. The accounts are clearly written, full of fascinating detail, technically accurate, and up to date. Equally important, the text is straightforward and readily accessible to the public at large as well as to students and scientists alike. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in Canadian mammals and every school should have a copy in their library."
- Dr. Ian Stirling, FRSC, Adjunct Professor, University of Alberta and Scientist Emeritus, Environment Canada
"The Natural History of Canadian Mammals tells this country's story in lively ways that are unexpectedly wonderful and warm-blooded."
- Randy Boyagoda, The National Post (January 4, 2013)
"The Natural History of Canadian Mammals is a magnificent work"
- Joseph Morin, Kemptville EMC (Dec 13, 2012)
"Naughton writes with the clarity required for a general audience, keeping her language understandable for people without scientific backgrounds."
- Anne Watson, Canadian Geographic (December, 2012)
"An engaging, beautiful, useful text that while heavier and bulkier than a smart phone, is infinitely more fun to use, taking its readers down a rabbit hole of other worldliness. From one page to the next Naughton's book is guaranteed to surprise readers [...] I recommend this book to the widest audience possible – BC Studies readers and beyond – in hopes that it might stir in readers an awe for nonhuman life as deep as Naughton's."
- Rosemary-Claire Collard, BC Studies (April 2013 (online))
"The loving work of over a decade, this encyclopedia commands respect and offers the old fashioned security that at any moment I can look up any Canadian mammal."
- Severn Cullis-Suzuki, Canada's History (Aug-Sept 2013)
![How to Find and Identify Mammals [Revised Edition]](http://mediacdn.nhbs.com/jackets/jackets_resizer_medium/21/210208.jpg?height=150&width=106)
