Animals of the Great Lakes Region

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Animals of the Great Lakes Region
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Animal characteristics to focus on are

• Habitat
• Behavior
• Their importance to the ecosystem(niche)
• Things that endanger the species
• Economical benefit the animal provides
• What the track of the animal looks like

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Order Rodentia

• Rodents

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The Beaver
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Facts about the beaver

• Largest North American rodent(45-60 lbs)
• Common around water where they make large dams
  and domed lodges
• Tracks are often obscured by their tail
• Large webbed rear foot
• Valued for their fur
• Beavers mate for life

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Beaver Lodge
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Track of the beaver
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The Porcupine
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Porcupine facts

• Porcupines are nocturnal vegetarians
• Porcupines eat the cambian(inner bark) of trees
  and can do extensive damage to mature forests
• Have poor eyesight and usually climb trees to
  avoid predators but will defend themselves with
  quills
• Love salt
• Newborn porcupines weigh more than grizzly bear
  cubs

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Porcupine

• 24-35 inches long
• 11-30 lbs
• About 30,000 quills - 3 inches long
• In winter, makes a den in a cave, log, or hollow
  tree
• Predator - fisher
• Unique courtship-

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Tree girdled by a porcupine
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Track of the porcupine
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The Red Squirrel
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Red Squirrel Facts

• Rust Red to Grayish-red and weighs 7-12 ounces.
• Abundant in any kind of forest.
• Feeds heavily on pine seeds- buries green cones
  in moist soil during the fall.
• Has a variety of calls to announce its home range
  or presence of intruders.

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Red Squirrel Tracks
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Muskrat
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Muskrat Facts

• One of the largest members of the rodent family
• Naked tail
• Hind feet are partially webbed
• Uses a bank den made of mud and plants
• Food aquatic vegetation, cattail, arrowhead,
  water lily, occasionally crayfish, mussels, small
  fish, turtles and frogs.
• Humans are the major enemy trapping
• Raccoon and mink are main predators.

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Muskrat Track
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Order Carnivora

• Carnivores

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The Raccoon
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Raccoon Information

• Found in a wide range of habitats and den up for
  colder months of year
• Prints look like a human handprint
• Often rest in trees
• Omnivores
• Known for their curiosity and mischievousness
• Great night vision

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Raccoon Tracks
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The Bobcat

• Active at any time but frequently hunt at night.
  They eat small animals but have taken animals as
  large as deer
• Can range up to 50 miles during one day
• Usually hunt from ground, but can pounce from
  trees
• Four toes on front and rear tracks
• Nails are not visible on track
• Bobcats have short tails
• They are born blind(during spring) and remain
  with mother until the fall

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Bobcat Picture
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Track of the Bobcat
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The Coyote
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Coyote Notes

• Grizzled gray or reddish brown coat, prominent
  ears and yellow eyes, they weigh between 20 and
  40 lbs.
• They used to live only in the prairies and out
  west, but now are widespread.
• Man is their major enemy
• Track closely resembles that of the dog, but
  usually follows a straight path.

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Coyote Track
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Timber Wolf
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Wolf Notes

• Color is grizzled gray to black and average
  weight is 55-130 lbs.
• Prefer open tundra and forests. They once
  inhabited most of North America, but now only
  exist in Canada, Alaska and parts of the U.S.
  They have been wiped out in some areas because of
  human fear, superstition and hatred.
• Wolves mate for life and live in packs.
• Prey on large mammals- they hunt in packs by
  slashing tendons or driving prey towards awaiting
  pack members.

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Wolf Tracks
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Red Fox
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Red Fox Facts

• Small, dog-like animal. Rusty-red coat with
  white underparts.
• They prefer to live at the edge of fields, but
  can be found on farms, prairies, beaches and
  woodlands.
• They are omnivores and have many enemies
  including the coyote, lynx and humans
• Susceptible to rabies.

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Red Fox Tracks
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The Black Bear
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Black Bear Info.

• The smallest and most common North American
  bears-(200-600lbs)
• Omnivorous and will eat almost anything
• Nocturnal animals, but can be active during the
  day
• Hibernate during winter months
• They eat large amounts of roughage and hair
  before hibernation. This forms a plug which is
  eliminated when they leave the den
• Popular to hunt, the meat is eaten and fur made
  into rugs

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Black Bear Tracks
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The Weasels

• Family Mustelidae

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The River Otter
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Otter Info

• Playful members of the weasel family
• Can remain underwater for several minutes- they
  have valved ears and noses to keep water out
• Fur is very thick and warm
• Very good fishers, but will eat shellfish,
  amphibians and small mammals
• Partially webbed feet
• Intelligent animal

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Otter Tracks
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More Otter Tracks
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The Marten
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Marten Info

• Dark brown to blonde in color and weigh between 1
  and 4 lbs.
• Feed on squirrels, rabbits, birds, mice, eggs,
  berries, seeds and honey
• Valued pelts and logging have led to extirpation
  in many parts
• It prefers land to water

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Marten Track
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The Striped Skunk
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Skunk Info

• Skunks are about the same size as a house cat
• Have the ability to spray a yellow, oily, musk up
  to 10 feet.
• Omnivores that will eat wide range of vegetation,
  insects, grubs, small mammals and eggs
• Chief predator is the great horned owl
• Pigeon toed track, claws are usually visible

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Skunk track
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Mink
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Mink Facts

• Have a lustrous fur and long bushy tail. Usually
  weigh between 1 and 4 lbs.
• Populations have been limited by pollution and
  trapping
• Live along rivers, creeks, ponds, lakes and
  marshes
• Feed on fish, muskrats, frogs, crayfish, eggs,
  insects and worms

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Mink Track
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The Badger
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Badger Notes

• Largest animal of the weasel family(7-25 lbs.),
  stout and shaggy. Has a white stripe from snout
  to shoulder.
• They prefer farmlands, open fields and the edges
  of woods
• Usually feed on squirrels, gophers, rabbits and
  mice which they dig out of their burrows.
• Unharmed by rattlesnake venom, except when they
  are bit in the nose
• Coarse hair is used to make high quality
  paintbrushes and shaving brushes
• Changing habitats succession are limiting badger
  numbers.

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Badger Tracks
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The Fisher
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Fisher Facts

• Prefer mature coniferous forests and stay clear
  of open areas.
• One of the few animals that will eat a porcupine.
  They will also eat rabbits, squirrels,
  chipmunks, birds, insects, seeds and berries.
• It is a wide-ranging year-round hunter
• Valued for its fur and has few enemies

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Fisher Tracks
hind
Front
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The opossum
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Opossum Info

• The only North American marsupial and the only
  animal in N.A. with a prehensile tail
• Naked tail is used for climbing as well as for
  storing fat
• Only non-primate with opposable thumbs that allow
  for grasping
• When born they weigh about 1/200 of an ounce and
  are less than a half inch long(The whole litter
  can fit in a teaspoon)
• They can play dead(play possum) when attacked.
  They also salivate and emit foul odor to repel
  predators

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Opossum track
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Whitetail Deer
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Deer Info

• The most common, widespread deer in the world.
• Most common game animal in the U.S.
• Active at night, and bed down during mid-day.
• Social animals, found in herds. But, bucks with
  bucks and does with does.
• Have keen senses and are very wary of people.
• Can adapt to a wide range of habitats.

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Deer Tracks
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