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 (Rangifer tarandus)Caribou are the only member of the deer family in which both sexes have antlers. The Barrenground and Woodland caribou subspecies are native to North America. Woodland caribou were plentiful in Nova Scotia until illegal hunting, disease, and the loss of their primary food resulted in extinction in our province at the turn of the century. In Scandinavian countries, the European subspecies is commonly called reindeer. These animals are domesticated and are used as work animals. Caribou have many adaptations to help them survive the winter. Weighing as much as 250 kg, caribou have heavy outer coats with wooly fur underneath. Most are brown or grey with some white, but in the winter their fur is lighter in color. Their hooves are broad, flat and deeply cleft to help them walk on ice or snow and in soft bogs and marshes. They also function as paddles when swimming, efficient scoops to uncover lichens, and give them a firm footing on sharp edges and rock. The caribou's main diet is "caribou moss". They also eat green plants and twigs from woody plants. In the fall, the males fight for their harem of 5 to 40 females. The young calves, born in late May or early June, walk in two hours, nurse for two months and join the herd in fall. |
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 (Cervus elaphus)The red deer here in the Park were a gift to Nova Scotia from the Queen Mother of England. Found in Europe, red deer stay in one particular territory and do not stray from it. Except to mate, these animals remain in separate herds most of the year. Stags (males) cast their antlers between February and April. Fully-grown, clean and hard by late September, these antlers are solid bone. Weighing 100 to 250 kg, red deer are a reddish-brown colour with light underparts and a white patch under their tail. They browse in the morning and late afternoon, eating grasses and foliage from deciduous trees. After the stag sheds his velvet in August or September, the herds break up for mating season. Stags give a deep, powerful bellow to the hinds (females) to gather them into harems. The males fight with each other for these females. One young is born in May or June and is covered with hair. The young can stand a few hours after birth, their spots fade in the first or second month, and they are weaned at 8 to 10 months. When alarmed or distressed, the young sound a high-pitched bleat. |
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 (Odocoileus virginianus)White-tailed deer were introduced to Nova Scotia in mid-1890's. Since that time, the population has expanded and are found throughout the province. Herbivores, deer depend upon a mixture of forests and open areas where they can find plenty of food and shelter. This deer is named for its distinctive flag-like tail that is 30 cm long, brown above with a white underside. When disturbed, it will flash the white underside of its tail. Males may weigh up to 150 kg with the females being smaller. Each year bucks (male deer) grow a set of antlers which they shed in the winter. As the new antlers develop, they are nourished by blood vessels in an outer covering called velvet. In early fall, bucks will rub their antlers against young trees or bushes to wear away the velvet. The antlers are used to drive competing bucks away from their females. By the end of a severe winter, often in poor condition, populations can decline due to starvation and predators like bears, bobcats and coyotes. White-tailed deer mate in November and the spotted fawns are born in late May to mid-June. They stand within hours of birth, can run after 3 weeks, and are weaned around 4 months. The mother often leaves her fawns in a secure spot while she looks for food, or to hide them from a potential threat. The fawns remain motionless, their spots acting as camouflage. They have no scent in the first couple of weeks as an adaptation so predators can not find them. The deer in the Park have been raised from fawns. They were brought here by well-meaning people who thought they had found an orphan. Most likely the mother was standing in the woods watching them take her little one! Please leave young fawns where you find them! |
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 (Vulpes vulpes)The red fox is the most widely distributed omnivore on earth. It occurs naturally throughout most of North America, Europe, Asia and northern Africa. It was introduced to Australia. Red fox social units consist of adult females, adult males and their young. During the fall and winter, they are solitary animals living in agricultural areas mixed with woods. Red foxes eat whatever is available. Moles, shrews, woodchucks, squirrels, mice, snowshoe hares, muskrats, grouse and ducks are all part of their diet. They, in turn, are preyed upon by coyotes and bobcats. Weighing between 3.5 and 7 kg, males are larger than females. Red foxes have a sharp pointed face and ears. There are three major color variations of their long silky fur, red being the most common. The "cross" fox is greyish brown and the "silver" fox is totally black. All have the distinctive white tip on their tail. Foxes have acute hearing and a keen sense of smell. They use abandoned woodchuck burrows as their dens, usually located on the edge of a forest, along fence rows, or stream banks. These dens have two or three escape exits. Breeding takes place between February and March, with litters ranging in size from 4 to 8. Females may be courted by several males, but choose only one partner. Born between March and May, the young are ready to leave the den after 14 to 16 weeks. The red fox is known for its skunk-like odor. |
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 (urocyon cinereoargenteus)The Silver Fox, also known as the gray fox, derives its name from the Latin word, cinereoargenteus, meaning "silver" or "gray," and the Greek word urocyon, meaning tailed dog. The silver fox is a mutation from the red fox. The upper part of the silver fox's coat is silver and black. It has reddish-brown fur on other parts of its body, including the sides of its neck and legs, its feet, belly and ears. Its ears and bushy tail are tipped in black. An adult silver fox typically weighs about 10 pounds and are about one meter in length. Breed takes place just before spring, with new pups born in April or May. There are usually about three to four pups in a litter. The pups weigh about three ounces at birth, and they open their eyes within 10 to 12 days. Silver Fox enjoy diverse forest habitat and feed on rabbits, mice, rats and other rodents during the winter. In the summer and fall, they also eat berries, small fruit, acorns, grains and small birds. |
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 (Procyon lotor)Raccoons are found throughout Nova Scotia, especially in agricultural areas or near waterways and urban centres. Raccoons are omnivorous and highly adaptable. Seldom seen during the day, they eat frogs, corn, insects, vegetables, eggs, small animals and carrion. Raccoons can become a problem in urban areas and often raid garbage containers for food. Some raccoons living near tidal marshes have adapted to the ebb and flow of tides, foraging at low tide, day or night. Raccoons are not true hibernators but will doze. On warm days they will venture out to look for food. Winter dens usually contain a number of adults and young to conserve heat. Males are generally larger than females. Mature males average about 7.5 kg, while females weigh about 6 kg. Breeding season is from late January to early March and the young are usually born in the middle of April, with 3 to 6 per litter. During the time spent with the female, young raccoons are taught to forage and climb and they become independent by the time they are 1 year old. Raccoons can be tenacious fighters when cornered and do not make good pets. They can be carriers of distemper, rabies and raccoon roundworm. |
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 (Castor canadensis)Beavers are common and are found throughout Nova Scotia. As Canada's national emblem, the beaver serves as a model for hard work and perseverance. When beavers move into a small stream, they build a dam that creates a pond deep enough to keep it from freezing to the bottom. The lodge is the beaver's fortress and are 1.8 to 2.7 m high and 3 to 6 m in diameter built of logs, sticks, mud, and rocks on the bottom of a pond with a living area set above the water level. The covering of mud makes the lodge weather tight. In winter, the mud freezes hard and prevents predators from getting in. Beavers store their winter supply of food under water. They eat the bark of trembling aspens, willows and white birch, as well as leaves, twigs and buds. The paddle-shaped tail is the beaver's most notable body part. Not only does it serve as a rudder when they swim, they use it to prop themselves up when standing, and as a lever when dragging logs. A slap of the tail on water also signals danger to other beavers. Beavers have many characteristics that help them adapt to life in water. The beaver's coat has two layers: an outer protective layer of coarse guard hairs and a dense under layer of fine hair that insulates them. Fur-lined lips close behind their front teeth (incisors) allowing them to clasp on tree branches and roots while under water. When they dive, their nose and ears have valves that close tightly to keep the water out. Besides their normal eyelids, beavers have an inner transparent eyelid that protects the eye when they go under water. They normally can stay under water for 3 to 4 minutes but if necessary, can extend that time to 15 minutes. They have webbed hind feet which enable them to swim up to 800 m under water without surfacing for air. Their weight varies with age, sex and the season, but most adults weight 20 kg. They mate in January and February, with 1 to 8 young born from late April to late June. |
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 (Leporidae)Rabbits were first domesticated by humans in Africa. Today, there are over 30 breeds of domesticated rabbits in North America. Some species kept in Nova Scotia include New Zealand White, Californian, Lops, Rex, Siamese Satins, and Dwarfs. Rabbits and hare may look the same, but they are different. Hares differ from rabbits in that their young are born fully furred and with their eyes open. Young rabbits are born in underground burrows naked, blind, and fully dependent on their parent. Hares do not burrow or dig holes as rabbits do, but nest under rocks, logs or trees. Rabbits are one colour year round. Snowshoe hares undergo two moults each year, from a brown summer coat to a white winter coat. Snowshoe hares have large hind feet with long toes and stiff hairs that act as snowshoes to support them on snow. Common in Nova Scotia, snowshoe hares eat a variety of green vegetation such as dandelions, clover, daisies as well as the leaves of willow and birch trees. In winter, they feed on buds, twigs, bark and needles of trees and shrubs. |
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 (Canis latrans)Although the predatory habits of coyotes have brought them into direct competition with people, they are very wary of humans and will avoid people if possible. In Nova Scotia, their main diet includes deer and snowshoe hare. As well, they eat field mice, blueberries, woodchucks, porcupines, insects, birds and garbage. Primarily nocturnal, coyotes rely on their acute hearing and sense of smell. First recorded in Nova Scotia in 1977, the Eastern coyote is the newest large mammal resident and is now widespread across the province. It is considerably larger than its western counterpart, and has a darker, coarser coat. They also run in larger, more organized packs. Coyotes are as big as a medium-sized dog and range in colour from cream to almost black. The most common colour is tawny-grey with a black swath along the middle of the back from shoulder to tail. In the Maritimes, a reddish shade is common. Adults weigh approximately 16 kg, with males sometimes exceeding 25 kg. Coyote pairs often mate for life. Five to 7 pups are born in late April or early May. Both parents look after their young, which are born blind and helpless. Young coyotes are fully grown at one year, but often do not reach sexual maturity until their second year. |
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 "Small in stature, but mighty in spirit." The famous Sable Island Horses descended from livestock Thomas Hancock of Boston sent to the Island in 1760. It is thought that Hancock helped himself to horses belonging to the deported Acadians, horses he was paid to transport to the American colonies. Around 200 wild horses roam the dunes and marram grass on Sable Island. The once domesticated horses returned to their natural social system of small herds, each defended by a stallion and led by an older herd mare. Each herd has a range of about 3 square kilometres, with 40 to 50 herds on the Island. When winter arrives, bringing with it snow and freezing rain, the herd mare huddles the herd close together for warmth. The horses grow thick, woolly coats and search out protection in the hollows between the sand dunes. The population is characterized by rapid growth, interrupted by periodic crashes every few years. After several mild winters, the population will increase, but many old or very young horses will die during the next harsh winter. Other than on Sable Island, Nova Scotia's wildlife parks are the only other place in the world where a person can see these sturdy little horses. In 1960, the Federal Crown Assets Disposal Corporation put these horses up for sale. It was believed they were stunted due to inbreeding and lack of food. The horses were to be taken off Sable Island before they starved to death and used for something functional, such as dog food or glue. Many children wrote to then Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, who intervened and protected the horses from all human interference. Today, the Sable Island Horses are still protected by the Sable Island Regulations, which fall under the Canada Shipping Act. |
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 (Ursus americanus)Black bears are the smallest and most common North American bear in Canada and the only bear found in Nova Scotia. Bears that frequent dumps or park areas can be extremely dangerous. They are good swimmers and climbers and can sprint short distances at speeds up to 56 km/h. Standing about one metre at the shoulder and two metres long, males may weigh as much as 220 kg (450 lbs). Females weigh about 140 kg (300 lbs). Bears begin to den up in late fall, where they usually stay all winter. Although not true hibernators, their body temperature drops by 4 to 5 C and their breathing drops to as little as 2 to 4 breaths per minute. Their metabolism slows and they are fully unconscious but will awaken if disturbed. Cubs are born in late January to early March. Usually 1 to 2 cubs are born, weighing only 250 gr but will grow rapidly to 3 kg at six weeks of age. By 5 months, the cubs have been weaned and by 6 months they are feeding themselves but stay with their mother for another year. |
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 The cougars you see in the Wildlife Park are from the western Canada sub species. Cougars are the largest species of cats found in Canada. Males weigh between 40 and 85 kg and are 1.5 to 2.7 m long. The long tail is a distinctive feature of the cougar. They range in colour from grey, to brown, cinnamon, buff and a variety of shades in between. The cougars have great hearing, large eyes that let in lots of light to see better at night and moveable whiskers that sense anything close, even without touching. Deer, moose, snowshoe hare, beaver, birds, mice and frogs make up the bulk of the cougar's diet. Solitary by nature, cougars constantly patrol their home territories and prefer to live in remote woodlands and highlands. They can easily leap more than 4 metres (13 feet). The last documented evidence of the cougar in Atlantic Canada was along the New Brunswick/Maine border around 1930. Many people have reported sightings of cougars, but no actual specimens have turned up in Nova Scotia. It is considered unlikely that there is a breeding population of eastern cougar in our province. The cougar species is not threatened in Canada but the population of the eastern subspecies is currently classed as indeterminate and receives full protection in both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. |
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 Found throughout southern Canada, the bobcat is known by a variety of names, including bay lynx, lynx cat, barred bobcat, red lynx and wild cat. The bobcat is about three times the size of a house cat but has a very short tail. Often confused with lynx, bobcats have shorter legs, smaller paws and lack distinctive ear tufts. Stalkers of small game, bobcat diets consist mainly of snowshoe hare and other small rodents. They have been known to eat insects, vegetation, frogs and occasionally carrion. Large males may occasionally kill weak, old or young deer. Coyotes prey on bobcats and kittens may also be killed by foxes or great horned owls. Bobcats can be found throughout Nova Scotia. They usually will not move into areas that are frequented by coyotes because of competition for food. Although more aggressive than the lynx, environmental conditions likely determine their range as the bobcat cannot travel well in deep snow, unlike the lynx. Bobcats use various dens for daily resting spots, as well as birth sites. They breed from February through March, with 3 to 4 kittens born about 62 days later. |
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 (Lynx canadensis)Although rarely seen, the lynx is the most common wild feline in Canada. Lynx once roamed all of Nova Scotia. Because of human pressures and competition for food and space from their closest relative the bobcat, their range has been largely limited to the Cape Breton Highlands. Lynx are medium-size, grey-brown cats, weighing approximately 9 to 10 kg and 85 cm in length. Lynx have longer fur and legs than a bobcat, a black-tipped tail and black-tufted ears. With oversized padded paws that act as snowshoes, they are adept at travelling over deep snow yet are agile climbers and can swim when necessary. Lynx are active year round, moving mainly at night. Breeding season takes place between mid-March and early April. Two to 4 kittens are born blind and helpless 9 weeks later. Weaned by 12 weeks, kittens stay with their mother until the following breeding season. Lynx depend on snowshoe hare for about 60 per cent of their diet. They also eat grouse, small mammals, carrion, and have been known to kill deer or moose calves. When snowshoe hare populations fall, food becomes scarce. Their population declines until hare numbers begin to rebuild. The lynx - hare relationship is often used as an example of predator - prey interaction. Prey controls the predator! |
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 (Mephitis mephitis)Mephitis is the Latin word for bad odour. Known to most people by their smell, skunks have a distinctive, strong odour and spray they will use to protect and defend themselves. The animals here at the Park have had their scent glands removed. Skunks, common throughout Nova Scotia, rarely attack people or other animals without cause and they give fair warning by stamping their feet and grunting. Two glands near the base of their tail eject a strong musk in a fine stream. They can aim up to 4 or 5 m in any direction by twisting their rump. Contrary to popular belief, they can spray when their hind feet are lifted off the ground. Skunks have long, lustrous and shiny black fur. They have a white stripe between their eyes and a prominent white stripe runs down either side of their back from head to tail. Skunks mate in late February and early March. The young are born blind and deaf around the middle of May in litters of 4 to 6. By the time they are 5 to 7 weeks old, they can emit their first musk. They gather in community dens of a dozen or more individuals for the winter, which is mostly made up of females and their young. Creatures of opportunity, skunks eat insects, frogs, mice, eggs, berries and leaves. They search for food at night, but can sometimes be seen in the daytime. Skunks live in agricultural areas, forests and along river valleys. They build nests of dried grass and leaves in underground burrows, or live under a building, in a wood pile or under a stump. |
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 (Erethizon dorsatum)Canada's second largest rodent, porcupines can be a metre long and weigh about 10 kg. Their large, robust bodies have short, powerful legs equipped with sharp claws. They are found in every province and territory except Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. They are common across Nova Scotia but extremely rare on Cape Breton Island. Porcupines are the only mammals in North America with long, sharp quills. Quills are released on contact and are not thrown as many people believe. They serve as protection from predators. An adult porcupine may have as many as 30,000 quills. Porcupines grow back damaged or lost quills in 10 days to 6 months. Fishers are the only predators that regularly feed on porcupines. They repeatedly attack the bare underside and face area. Bobcats and coyotes occasionally prey on porcupines. Porcupines prefer forested areas. Their primary food sources are buds, small twigs and the inner bark of a variety of species of trees but can be found grazing on clover, alfalfa, and other herbs. Primarily solitary animals, porcupines mate during early October and November. A single young is born after a gestation period of 7 months. Young porcupines can eat solid food and climb trees a few hours to a day after birth. They are born with soft quills about a quarter inch long that become hard within minutes. |
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