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Moths are distinguished from butterflies by having threadlike or feathery antennae. Most are nocturnal. They vary in size from adults of some leaf miners with wings spreading little more than 3 mm to the Asian atlas moth, spreading 20 cm.

The mussel is a bivalve (hinged shell) mollusc of either the marine order Mytiloida or the freshwater superfamily Unionacea.

Muskox (Ovibos moschatus), shaggy, horned Artiodactyl of the cattle family (Bovidae); occurs naturally only in Canadian arctic tundra (mainland and Arctic Archipelago), Alaska and in Greenland.

Pacific salmon include 7 species of fish belonging to the genus Oncorhynchus, family Salmonidae.

 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.

Mountain Beaver (Aplodontia rufa), most primitive living member of order rodentia. Unlike true beaver, mountain beaver has no close living relative.

The mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) is an even-toed, hoofed mammal of the cattle family (Bovidae), derived during the ice ages from the primitive Asiatic goat-antelopes.

The mountain sheep is a highly successful, medium-sized, even-toed mammal (see Artiodactyla) of the cattle family (Bovidae), genus Ovis.

Mouse, common name for several rodents of suborder Myomorpha, 13 species of which are found in Canada.

Plover is the common name for a family (Charadriidae) of shorebirds with 2 subfamilies: Charadriinae, including true plovers; and Vanellinae, including lapwings.

   Oriole is the common name for members of 2 families of birds. The Old World family Oriolidae occurs from Europe through Africa and Asia to Australia.

The owl (order Strigiformes) is an efficient, carnivorous, nocturnal bird of prey.

The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is a crow-sized, long-winged bird of prey, generally acknowledged to be the swiftest bird (attaining speeds of over 320 km/h).

Pickerel, common name for 3 closely related carnivorous, soft-rayed freshwater fishes in the pike family (Esocidae).

The passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) is extinct.

The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is Canada’s only marsupial. It belongs to one of three marsupial families native to the Americas. The Virginia opossum’s northernmost range reaches into Southern and Southeastern Ontario, Southern Quebec and the lower Fraser Valley in British Columbia. However, this range is slowly expanding north, likely due to climate change.

Oyster is a common name for bivalve (hinged shell) molluscs, including true oysters (order Ostreoida) and tropical pearl oysters (order Pterioida), found chiefly in temperate and warm shallow waters.

Pheasant is the common name of birds in the family Phasianidae.

Pipit is the common name for some birds of the family Motacillidae, which also includes wagtails.

Of the world's 23 species, only the North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) occurs in Canada, throughout mainland forests and thickets.