Friendly abandoning a hamburger This raccoon was given the name Friendly moments before I took this picture, which shows the garbage bandit fleeing our back deck and leaving an old hamburger patty behind. I went to check out a raucous-like noise outside, and this buddy was sitting at the backdoor with its little hand on … Continue reading Nature in Canada: Raccoons
Tag: Wildlife
A Book Review: How Sustainable is Wildlife Management in Canada?
A great book with a great cup of coffee Oh Canada, our home and native land. Humanity often forgets that we do not merely share land amongst ourselves. There are other sentient beings that depend on everything the landscape has to offer as well: wildlife. How can Canada’s environmental policy and law be characterized in … Continue reading A Book Review: How Sustainable is Wildlife Management in Canada?
American Toads: How Sustainable Are Amphibian Populations?
This Fall, I took a course in Conservation Biology, which provided me with the opportunity to ask my professor, David Green, what species of toad I happened to stumble upon in my yard last summer. According to him, an expert in the field of amphibian research, this is a female American Toad, scientifically known as … Continue reading American Toads: How Sustainable Are Amphibian Populations?
Nature in Canada: Chipmunks
This is our friendly backyard chipmunk Jimmy (we don’t actually know if it’s a male though). Chipmunks can range from 4 to 7 inches in size with 3 to 5-inch tails, weighing 1 to 5 oz. in total (2). Jimmy comes to see us daily, usually during the afternoon, for seeds. It runs right up … Continue reading Nature in Canada: Chipmunks
Nature in Canada: Mourning Doves
Despite the cliché rhyme, the dove does exhibit and yearn for true love. For several years now, I have been observing the strength of the beautiful bond between a pair of mourning doves living in my backyard, and it has not faded one bit. They rarely leave each other’s side, and can often be seen … Continue reading Nature in Canada: Mourning Doves
Nature in Canada: Red Foxes
With reference to Dora the Explorer (a beloved childhood television show), Swiper began swiping quite a long time ago. Dating back to the Illinoian glaciation during 300 000 to 130 000 BP, the fossil record shows red foxes having crossed the Bering Land Bridge from Eurasia into North America. The red foxes migrated southward into … Continue reading Nature in Canada: Red Foxes
Nature in Canada: Groundhogs
Groundhogs are most commonly known for their ability to announce the arrival of springtime on February 2nd in Canada and the United States (and for driving off a cliff with Bill Murray). However, there is much more to know about these adorable creatures aside from their cultural stereotypes. Belonging to the rodent family Sciuridae, groundhogs … Continue reading Nature in Canada: Groundhogs