Many of Canada’s Arctic animals are confronting climate change, increased human activity and habitat loss in a fight for survival.
The game is six degrees of Canadian history. Take two seemingly unrelated pieces of Canadian culture and connect the dots through various people, places and events to discover how they’re distantly — or maybe not-so-distantly — related. Along the way, we visit the quizzical and curious, the tragic and comic, and everything in between.
The game is six degrees of Canadian history. Take two seemingly unrelated pieces of Canadian culture and connect the dots through various people, places and events to discover how they’re distantly — or maybe not so distantly — related. Along the way, we visit the quizzical and curious, the tragic and comic, and everything in between.
Zoology is the study of animals, including their classification, behaviour and distribution. The Canadian Encyclopedia is home to over 300 articles on Canadian animals and related topics, organized in this collection by category. Image: ©Paul Nicklen/National Geographic Creative.
Most insects are beneficial, playing many ecological roles. Less than 1% are pests. They are the principal food of many birds and reptiles, and the survival of insect-pollinated plants depends on them.
The narwhal, perhaps best known for its spiralled tusk, is a whale living in Canada’s arctic waters.
Waxwing is a family of birds comprising 8 species, including the true waxwings, the palmchat of Hispaniola and the silky-flycatchers of the southwestern US and Central America.
The fox is a small, carnivorous MAMMAL of the DOG family. Four species inhabit Canada: red or coloured, swift, grey, and Arctic foxes (Vulpes vulpes, V. velox, Urocyon cinereoargenteus, Alopex lagopus, respectively).
To celebrate its 30th anniversary, The Canadian Encyclopedia created 30 lists of 30 things that make us proud to be Canadian, from famous people and historic events, to iconic foods and influential artists.
The sturgeon is a large, primitive, bony fish of class Actinopterygii, family Acipenseridae. The 4 genera and 24 species live in fresh and coastal waters of the Northern Hemisphere.
Smelt (Osmeridae), family of small, iridescent fishes of class Osteichthyes, found in coastal seas, streams and lakes of the northern hemisphere.
Stickleback, of the fish family Gasterosteidae, occur in freshwater lakes and streams and in marine waters along northern coastlines of the northern hemisphere.
The classification of fishes has undergone much change over the last few decades, and further changes are expected, partly because so many groups are poorly known.
A scorpion is a carnivorous and venomous arthropod of the class Arachnida, order Scorpiones.
The domestic cat, a species of flesh-eating mammal belonging to family Felidae, order Carnivora, is a small, lithe, intelligent, soft-furred animal.
Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris), largest and most marine weasel, lives exclusively in shallow seas of the N Pacific, formerly from Japan to California.
Pocket Mouse, small, jumping rodent of the North American family Heteromyidae.
Arachnida is a large class of chelicerate arthropods (segmented, jointed-limbed animals) including the orders Araneae, Scorpiones, Opiliones, Pseudoscorpiones, Solifugae and the subclass Acari.
Annelids are mostly vermiform (worm-shaped), with an anterior (frontal) mouth preceded only by the prostomium, bearing sensory organs; the anus is posterior. Most have bristles (chaetae or setae), usually arranged in 4 groups on each segment.
Zooplankton, weakly swimming animals belonging to many phyla (primary divisions of the animal kingdom), which, as larvae or adults, exist wholly suspended within a water body.
Cetacea, order of mammals consisting of whales, dolphins and porpoises. It includes about 80 living species, with worldwide distribution.
Dolphin and Porpoise, are the common names for small, toothed mammals of the order Cetacea which also includes whales.
Kingbird, see FLYCATCHER, TYRANT.
Zoology is the study of ANIMALS. Zoologists have many interests: some study form (morphology) or function (physiology), from gross to molecular levels; behaviour (ethology); association (ecology); or distribution (zoogeography); and some specialize in one kind of animal.
The Wapiti (Cervus canadensis) is the second largest (after the moose), most highly evolved Old World deer. It is also known as the American elk.
Opossum is the common name for about 8 genera and 65 species of omnivorous mammals comprising the family Didelphidae, one of 2 families of marsupials found outside of Australia. The Virginia or North American opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is the only marsupial native to Canada.
A vertebrate is a member of the phylum Chordata.
Vole, common name for several rodents of family Muridae, found only in the northern hemisphere.
The river otter (Lutra canadensis) occurs throughout North America except in desert and arid tundra regions. In Canada it is scarce, except along the BC coast, where it is abundant and often wrongly identified as a sea otter.
