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Marten
Marten (Martes americana), slender weasel specialized for life in the northern coniferous forests; found from Alaska and BC to Newfoundland and into the US.
Butterfly
Butterfly, term referring to insects of order Lepidoptera [Gk "scaly wings"]. The Canadian fauna includes 272 known species, compared to 695 known from North America as a whole, and over 20 000 worldwide.
Caribou
Caribou are members of the deer family. They may be further categorized based on where they live and how they behave. Caribou in Canada are generally categorized into three types: peary, barren-ground and woodland. Taken together, caribou are found in most Canadian provinces and territories, with the exception of the Maritimes.
Flatfish
Flatfish is the common name for fish belonging to the order Pleuronectiformes. There are 14 families of flatfish and over 800 species worldwide. In Canadian waters there are approximately 39 species of flatfish, from five families. These families are Pleuronectidae, Bothidae, Paralichthyidae, Scophthalmidae and Cynoglossidae. Familiar flatfishes found in Canada include halibut, plaice, flounder and turbot. Among their distinguishing features, flatfish have both eyes on one side of their body.
Moose
Moose are the largest living member of the deer family (Cervidae). Four subspecies are found in Canada: the Alaska/Yukon moose (Alces alces gigas), the shiras moose (Alces alces shirasi), the western Canada moose (Alces alces andersoni) and the eastern Canada moose (Alces alces americana). They live in every province and territory except Prince Edward Island. Often considered a symbol of Canada, the moose is featured on Ontario’s provincial coat of arms.
Fish Classification
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.
Mammal
The word mammal is derived from the milk-producing mammary glands that are unique to the class Mammalia.
Aphid
Aphid, or plant louse, small, soft-bodied insect that sucks plant sap. Aphids belong to order Hemiptera, suborder Homoptera.
Mackerel
Mackerel (Scombridae), family of pelagic (open-sea) fishes of class Actinopterygii. The family also includes tunas, albacores, skipjacks, bonitos and ceras.
Monarch Butterfly
Monarch Butterfly, the only butterfly of the family Danaidae (order Lepidoptera) found in Canada.
Chiroptera
Chiroptera is the order of mammals (Mammalia) that includes all bats, living (~1200 species) and fossil.
Termite
Termites are social insects of the infraorder Isoptera. They may be thought of as “social cockroaches,” as they evolved from their wood-eating cockroach ancestors approximately 200 million years ago.
Bird Sanctuaries and Reserves
Protection may be achieved by various means, including land-use zoning, long-term agreements with landowners and outright acquisition of land by wildlife agencies. Protected land areas may be designated as national wildlife areas, conservation areas, game reserves, etc.
Killer Whales
Three ecologically distinct types of killer whales have been identified in British Columbia: residents, transients and offshores. These three populations have overlapping ranges, but appear to be socially and reproductively isolated.
Gannet
The gannet, or northern gannet (Sula bassanus) is a large, long-winged seabird, white except for conspicuous black wing tips and yellowish tinged head.
Bowhead Whale
The bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) is a large baleen whale living in Arctic waters. Two populations are found in Canada: the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Sea population and the Eastern Canada-West Greenland population. During the summer, the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Sea population is found in the waters of the Yukon and the Northwest Territories, while the Eastern Canada-West Greenland population is found in Davis Strait, Baffin Bay, Lancaster Sound, Hudson Strait, Foxe Basin, northwest Hudson Bay and the channels and fjords of the Arctic Archipelago. Commercial whaling began in the 1500s and ended around 1915. Both populations of bowhead whale were severely reduced by this industry. While their numbers have increased, other challenges, such as climate change and oil and gas development, pose threats to bowhead whales.