Mammals

This page features articles and video presentations about Alberta's mammals. See our Featured Species page for information on other species.

Grizzly Bear by Rick Price

Bear Tracks

2 November 2021

BY COLLEEN CASSADY ST. CLAIR

How can we protect grizzly bears from trains in the mountain parks?

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Swift Fox by Gordon Court
Swift Fox by Gordon Court

The Swift Fox: A Canadian Conservation Success Story

22 April 2021

BY LU CARBYN, NIKKI PASKAR, KRISTY BLY, AND RICHARD SCHNEIDER

The swift fox reintroduction program successfully brought the fastest member of the wild dog family’s population from Extirpated to Endangered, and finally to Threatened. Although it began with an illegal publicity stunt by a game farm, structured efforts soon followed. Habitat conservation continues to be a key issue for swift fox populations.

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Beaver - T. LePrieur
Beaver - T. LePrieur

Where Beavers Go, Surprises Follow

21 April 2021

BY GLYNNIS HOOD

It’s an usually warm day in January and my snowshoes are only partially necessary on the frozen ponds that aid my route through the Ministik Game Bird Sanctuary. As I rest against a beaver lodge to have my tea, I realize that after all these years, there is still so much more to learn about these rodents, which can engineer entire landscapes unlike any other mammal, other than humans.

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Two adult coyotes.
Two coyotes at home in one of Calgary's natural areas. TONY LE PRIEUR

Keep Those Wily Urban Coyotes Wild!

22 January 2021

BY COLLEEN CASSADY ST. CLAIR

I began studying urban coyotes a little over a decade ago because Alberta’s cities, like virtually every city in North America, have seen a steady increase in reports of urban coyotes over time.

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How do bears hibernate?

9 November 2020

How do bears survive the winter? Find out more!

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Why do skunks stink?

9 November 2020

Learn about why our furry friends smell so bad!!

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Big brown bat

Bat House Monitoring at Ellis Bird Farm

15 October 2020

BY SHAYE HILL, MYRNA PEARMAN, CLAUDIA LIPSKI, AND NATALIA LIFSHITZ

Bats are fascinating creatures, playing a critical role in supporting biodiversity.

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Gail Michener with a rotund ground squirrel.

Underground Life

16 August 2020

BY GAIL MICHENER

Richardson’s ground squirrels are regularly seen above ground during daylight hours for seven to eight months of the year, but rarely from late October through late February, generating the perception that they hibernate for a four-month period encompassing winter. Winter does not last that long, so what accounts for such extraordinarily long hibernation seasons?

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Rabbits and Hares

16 August 2020

BY MYRNA PEARMAN

It has been my good fortune to have spent, over the past few years, some quality time in the company of each of Alberta’s three native “bunny” species. All three species — which include two hares and one rabbit — have adapted well to human habitation, taking up residence in farmyards, towns, and cities across the province.

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Recovery of Ord’s Kangaroo Rats on the Suffield National Wildlife Area

30 April 2020

BY PAT FARGEY

Kangaroo rats get their name from their large back legs and feet that they use to hop in a fashion reminiscent of Australian kangaroos. They are sometimes confused with the smaller western jumping mouse, which is also a hind foot jumper.

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