Wildlife Identification

Signs to Track ID

1. Survey your surroundings
1. Scat, Environment, Direction of Track, Other Tracks
2. ID Walking Pattern
• Zig Zag (Perfect Walk) = deer, moose, fox, coyote, bobcat, etc.
• Waddlers = 4 prints = bear, skunk, woodchuck, racoon, muskrat, beaver, porcupine, etc.
• Bounders = front feet down then leap = 2 paws side by side ex: otters, weasels

Signs to Track ID

ID Walking Pattern

D. Hoppers - rear feet slightly ahead of front feet pushing off so front land first but hind feet land in front ex: rabbits and rodents like mice squirrels and chipmunks

ID Track Characteristics

• Width and Length ex: fox smaller than wolf but be careful - wolf pup could have same size as adult fox

Signs to Track ID

ID Track Characteristics

• Number of Toes - ex: bear = five, canines = four
• Nails - canines do, felines don't (retractable)
• Depth - bigger animal = deeper track, conditions vary ex: rain = deeper = loose ground
• Front/Rear - can be sized/shaped differently
• Webbing - aquatic/semi-aquatic species
• Stride - Measurement from heel of one print to heel of other print (same side)
• Straddle - Measurement from width of outside left to out right

Slide Requirements (may include more but MUST include items below)

YOU WILL PRESENT THIS - BE SURE YOU CAN PRONOUNCE ALL ITEMS BULLET POINTS NOT PARAGRAPHS

1. Species Name (common & scientific)
2. Your Name- top of slide
3. Species Photo & Track Photo (front and hind)
4. Explanation/Summary of:
1. Habitat
2. Diet
3. Pelt
4. Conservation Status
5. Works Cited - MLA format - bottom of slide

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Black Bear - Urus americanus

Mrs. Propson

1. Habitat
1. Swamps, bogs, forests (seldom in open)
2. Remote in most Eastern/Southern states, native, expanding
2. Diet
• Omnivorous, opportunistic (insects to elk to berries)
3. Pelt
• Jet black, cinnamon, blond
• Can have white blaze and light brown nose
• 5-6 feet high, 2-3 ft wide at shoulder, 300-600 pound animal

"About Bears." Revel Stoke Bear Aware . N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2016. <http://revelstokebearaware.org/wp-content/uploads/Black-bear1.jpg>.

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Black Bear - Urus americanus

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• -Conservation status - least concern
• -Solitary except in estrus
• -Semi-hibernate
• -2-3 young
• -Live 12-15 years
• -Note front feet smaller than hind
• -5 toe pads

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• Deal, Kevin H. Wildlife and Natural Resource Management. 4thth ed. Stamford, CT: Cengage, 2017. 101-15. Print.
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Wolf-Canis lupus

Habitat

• Wolves live in many different habitats such as forests, woodlands, and deserts

Diet

• They prefer to eat big animals such as deer, elk and moose. If they have to they will eat rodents.

Pelt

• A wolfs pelt can range from pure white to pure black but it depends on the type of wolf.
• All four paw/claws usually show, rounded ears, grey and white in color

Conservation status

• Wolves are not a concern because they have a stable population and very few people hunt them.

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Tracks

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Kaden Tesarik

Coyote - Canis latrans

• Habitat
• Forest, Shrubland, Grassland, Desert
• Found in South America and North America
• Diet
• Omnivores, eat small mammals(rabbits & mice), fruit, birds, vegetables
• Pelt
• Grayish Brown with the color on the head color ranging from Silver-Gray to Black
• Pointed snout, tail tucked, bushy tail
• 25-35 pounds
• 1.9 to 2.2 feet at shoulder
• Conservation Status- Least Concern
• Most commonly in a pack but can be a lone coyote
• Live 13-15 years

Crystal Anhalt

Jordan - Gray Fox

Habitat-Rock mountains and Ridges but can also be found in wooded areas, grasslands and desert

Diet-Small mammals, insects, and birds

Pelt-Gray color with some red(legs and neck). Average size is 8.5 lbs when full grown. They stand about 15 inches tall

Hind smaller than front - small dog size

No special conservation status

Live 6-8 years in the wild

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Kyle - River Otter Lontra Canadensis

• Habitat River Otters can live in ponds, marshes, lakes and rivers
• River Otters can live in cold or warm climates as long as there is enough food for them to eat,
• they usually use abandoned burrows or empty holes which River Otters use to hide from predators
• Diet fish, crabs, crayfish, frogs and turtles and river otters are known for consuming aquatic plants and eat small mammals such as Rabbits and Muskrats

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Kyle River Otter Lontra Canadensis

• Pelt Fur is dark brown and around by the river otters face and belly it is a lighter brown color
• 3 to 4 feet long
• Weigh 11 to 30 pounds
• Conservation Status least concern but we do need to monitor there population because they were almost hunted to extinction in the 19 century
• Habitat destruction and water pollution can put River Otters at risk for extinction

• River otters PUPs live with their mother for about 6 months
• River Otters are pups for about 2 years then the River Otters mature into adults
• River Otters live to be 8 or 9 years old
• Tail ⅓ of body length
• Swim with back up
• Long and semi-aquatic
• Dark and sleek while wet
• Arch back to project body forward

Beaver-Castor

Ava Oakley

• Habitat
• They live in ponds,lakes,rivers,marshes,streams,and wetland areas.
• Semi-aquatic
• They are one of the few animals that modify their habitat they build dams.
• Beavers are found across North America with the exception of California and Nevada deserts and parts of Utah and Arizona.

• Diet
• Herbivores eating leaves, woody stems, and aquatic plants.

• Pelt
• Yellow-brown almost black coat, and a broad flat scaly tail.
• They have large orange teeth that grow throughout their whole life.
• Their tail is about 10 inches long and their body is 45 inches, their shoulder height is 12-24 inches , and their weight is 32-66 pounds.
• Short/flat face

• Conservation status- Least Concern

• Life Span- 10-12 years

Braidyn Muskrat

-The muskrat is a medium-sized semiaquatic rodent native to North America and an introduced species in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America.

Habitat- The muskrat is found in swamps, marshes, rivers, ponds, lakes, drainage ditches and canals

Diet-eats aquatic vegetation like cattails, sedges, rushes, water lilies and pond weeds. In some areas it also eats clams, mussels, snails, crayfish, small fish and frogs.

Peltdark -brown color with golden brown and sliver shades. Such fur coats usually have a waterproof underfur and a longer hair overlayer.

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Conservation status- lest concerned.

Life span- About 10 years

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1.3 – 4.4 lbs

16 – 28 in.

Fisher - Pekania pennanti

• Habitat
• Prefers mature forests with access to water and limited open areas
• Diet
• Carnivore primarily but will go to obnivoristic habits if limited on food
• Bird, fish, small mammals, & nuts/berries
• Pelt
• 24 - 30 inches long with a long bushy tail
• Grizzled dark brown, blackish on rump and tail, cream-white bib on their chest
• 8 pounds(female) to 18 pounds(male)
• Conservation Status - Least Concern
• Still threatened by habitat loss and deforestation
• Mostly found alone
• 3 - 4 kits per liter
• Estimated to be around 10 years

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Brant Cracraft

American Pine Marten-Martes Americana

Brooke Grossheim

Habitat

-Woodland

-Found in dense northern forests and prefer

coniferous/mixed hardwood forests

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Diet

-Primarily Carnivore-small mammals like squirrels and rodents

-Will occasionally eat fruit and insects

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Pelt

-Total length is 15-23 in, has long bushy tail

-golden brown fur with a yellow chest with

two vertical lines running above the inner corners of their eyes

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Conservation Statues

-Protected under the Federal Species at Risk Act

-Least Concerned/Population in decreasing-main cause is habitat loss and direct predation

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Mink - Neovison vison

Habitat

• They are semi-aquatic and can be found in wetlands. Such as large marshlands, along lakeshores, rivers, and streams.

Diet

• Carnivorous. They eat frogs, salamanders, fish, crayfish, muskrats, mice, and voles. Along with aquatic birds and their eggs and occasionally hares and rabbits.

Pelt

• Deep, rich brown, white, or black.
• May have white markings on throat, chest, and underparts.
• 12-20 inches with a 13-23 cm tail, 4.5 pounds or less.

Conservation status

• Least concern.

Solitary except during mating season.

Litter size 2-8.

They live seven years, but most live less than a year to less than three years.

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Sophie Jaskolski

Becca Long Tailed Weasel

• Long Tailed Weasel, also known as Mustela Frenata Emmons
• Habitat- Found in temperate and subtropical habitats in North and Central America
• Habitat- These range from crop fields to small wooded areas to suburban areas
• Diet- Small rodents like mice and meadow voles
• Pelt- Brown fur on top and white fur on their belly
• Conservation status- Least Concern (Stable Population)

Logan Marquardt Short Tailed Weasel

(Mustela Erminea)

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• Habitat-The Short Tailed Weasel inhabits brushy or wooded areas throughout Eurasia and Northern areas of North America
• Diet-Small rodents such as mice, rats, voles, rabbits, and chipmunks
• Pelt-In the summertime pelt is a rich shade of brown with a black tipped tail and the feet are and in wintertime the pelt is white as the snow but they retain the black-tipped tail.
• Population Status-Least Concern

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Logan Marshall Least Weasel

• Scientific name-Mustela nivalis
• Diet-voles and mice, birds, eggs, insects, shrews and moles
• Fun fact-Mustela means “one who carries off mice” Nivalis means “of the snow”
• Habitat-meadows, grasslands, and marshy and shrubby habitats, they are generally not found in dense forests or sandy deserts
• Pelt-brown, grey or black with white or yellowish markings. All weasels become all white in the winter
• Conservation status-range from secure to vulnerable due to human trapping”thought to kill game birds”, habitat and prey loss, poisoning, competition from other species, and predation.
• Size-smallest of all wesels at an average of 6.2-7.5 in

Bobcat (Lynx rufus)

• Habitat
• Forests and mountain areas
• Brush land and semi-deserts
• Diet
• Mainly rabbits and hares
• Can also include rodents, birds, bats, and sometimes adult deer
• Pelt
• Brown/brownish red, white spotted underbelly and short black tipped tail
• Conservation
• Least concern
• 725,000-1,020,000 in the wild

Vanessa Paquette

* Bobcats are often confused with a similar species, the Lynx. A Lynx will have the longer black hair standing up on its ears whereas a bobcat will have none of that extra hair.

Ronnie Canadian Lynx

Diet: The Candian lynx eats a variety of small mamals like rodents, birds and squirls.

Habitat: The lynx habitat could include a a forest and could be a snowy condition as well.

Pelt: In winter the fur coat that is usually thick long and grey. In summer the coats are short thin and light brown.

Conservation Staties: Least Concern

Will - Badger (Taxidea Taxus)

1. Habitat
1. Live in dry, open grasslands, fields, and pastures.
2. Remote in Western, Central, and Northeastern United States, native, expanding
2. Diet
• Carnivora, only eat meat.
3. Pelt
• Brown, Grey, Black, and White
• White line in head and a white jaw
• 18-22 inches in size, Range from 14-16 lbs.

Badger (Taxidea Taxus)

• Conservation Status - Least Concern
• Lifespan: 24 years

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• The badger does not hibernate in the winter, but it may sleep for a few days at a time when it is very cold. The American badger spends most of its time on the ground or under the ground, but it can swim, and it even dives underwater.

Gavin Sinkula - Racoon - Procyon lator

• Habitat
• They can be found in open grasslands
• Densence wooded forest near creeks as they are good swimmers and hunt fish on occasion
• Along with high populated cities or towns
• Diet
• They have a mixed diet of fish, small mammals, and or insects
• They will also eat berries and or other fruits and vegetables.
• Meanwhile there city counterparts will usually feast on left overs which is usually the same thing.
• Pelt
• North American racoons are more shaggy and rugged. With a gray, black, blond, brown and or even a silver tint.

• Interesting fact
• Due to the close human and animal interactions in cities they are becoming more domesticated and in some cases are pets.

Savannah - Opossum- Didelphidae

• Habitat
• Prefer woodsy habitats- particularly deciduous forests
• Commonly found near a water source such as lake or streams
• Highly adaptable and can survive in urban areas and near humans
• Diet
• They are opportunistic feeders and feed on a wide variety of items
• Ex: small animals, insects, eggs, plants, and garbage
• Pelt
• The coat is thick and long with a brown on black color with a whiter face
• Pink nose and feet, pointed face
• 5 toes front and pack
• Conservation Status: Least Concern

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Front Foot

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Back Foot

Logan Springstube - Striped Skunk

5 toes and wide tread

White stripe (can be multiple)

Black coat

No bushy tail

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Emily - Spotted Skunk (Spilogale putorius)

Habitat:

• Eastern United States, Midwest
• Can be found in grasslands, coniferous forest, and mixed forests, quick stride
• Needs brush and thick cover

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Diet:

• Omnivores - diet consists of mainly insects, (bees and wasps) but also mice, shrews and chipmunks
• Will hunt for small animals, but usually eats leftover carrion

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Pelt:

• Intense black fur striped with broken white spots
• Weighs 1.5 lbs
• Ranging from 18-22 inches long (1-2 ft )

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Conservation Status:

• Classified as Vulnerable by IUCN Red List
• 3-10 year life span

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Kayla - White Tailed Jackrabbit

Habitat:

• Open grasslands, forests, pastures, and open fields

Diet:

• Herbivores - grasses, shrubs, and broad leaved plants

Pelt:

• Their backs are a grey or brown to yellow with a grey or white underbelly
• White tail
• Long ears with black tips
• In winter their coats turn all white

Description:

• Can run about 35 mph covering 15 ft per bound
• Live to about 5 years
• About 2 ft long
• 3-4 inch tail
• Weigh about 9-10 lbs
• 4 foot pads

Conservation status:

• Least concern

Hunter American Rabbit(Oryctolagus Cuniculus)

• Habitat: Farmlands, prairie and dunes
• Diet: weeds, grasses, clovers, vegetables plants
• Pelt: light brown, grey, white
• Conservation status: Threatened
• Life span: 5-8 years old

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Squirrel - Sciuridae

Habitat

• Squirrels live in almost every habitat, including a rainforest to a desert. Besides for high polar regions or the driest deserts.

Diet

• Usually eat plants like nuts or acorns but they will eat small insects or bird eggs if it is convenient

Pelt

• Greyish brown to a red color with white on their belly. 9 to 12 inches in length and 0.88 to 1.3 pounds average.

Conservation Status

• Stable and have a lifespan of 5 to 10 years.

Kyler Walske

Preston- Chipmunk/ Tamis

Habitat

• Nests, Bushes, or logs

Diet

• Mushrooms, berries, nuts, and grains
• They can also eat insects, baby birds, frogs, and bird eggs.

Pelt

• Redish-brown, with white and blacks stripes
• 1.1 to 1.6 grams

Conservation status

• Least Concern

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Deer Mouse - Peromyscus maniculatus

• Habitat
• Are all over the United States
• Most common in prairies and woodlands
• Diet
• Seeds,grains and nuts
• As well as some small insects
• Pelt
• Reddish brown with a white under belly
• 7 to 10 cm and weighs 10 to 24 grams
• No concern
• Live with many other animals in an area
• 4-6 offspring
• Live up to 8 years in captivity but less than 1 in the wild

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Seth Wavrunek

Ryan Weber

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Prairie Mouse - Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii

Habitat - sand prairie, dry to dry-mesic prairie, surrogate grasslands, and barrens habitat.

Diet - seeds, fruits, nuts, acorns, green plant material, fungi, worms, snails, arthropods, and invertebrates. In autumn they collect and store food for use in winter. Omnivore

Pelt - grayish-brown with white underside, total length 5 ½”-6 ⅝”, weight 0.68-0.87 ounces at maturity. Grey with white stomach. Large ears

Conservation - Least Concern

Prairie mouse live on average of 8 yrs.

Females may have litters containing from one to eleven young with typical litters containing four, five, or six babies. Litter size increases each time a female deer mouse gives birth until the fifth or sixth litter and decreases afterwards.

https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/information/prairie-deer-mouse/

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Colt - Turkey

Habitat hardwoods,forest

The pelt cast 85$

Trevor - Whitetail Deer

• Pelt It is worth about 25$
• and its diet is corn,nuts, fruits, grass, also leaves.

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• They are commonly found in temperate forests, partially wooded lowlands, open prairies, savannahs, mountains, tropical forests, and wetlands.

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• And the conservation status is least concern

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• Scat looks like pebbles and usually spread apart.
• and the size of the track 5 ½ to 6in.

Drake - Red Fox