Muskrat – Ondatra Zibethicus

Distinguishing Features – Overall colouration, silvery-brown to dark brown oily, waterproof fur with chestnut to hazel sides; underparts, grayish; tail flattened vertically, without fur; hind feet, partially webbed. Size Male: .48 – .6 m (1.6 – 2 ft) Female: .51 – .57 m (1.7 – 1.9 ft) Habitat Common throughout Northwestern Ontario, primarily in lakes, … Read more

Raccoon – Procyon Lotor

Distinguishing Features – Overall colouration, grizzled-gray mixed with reddy-brown, giving “salt & pepper” look, darker on back; sides, more grayish; underside, brownish with a whitish highlights. Dominant black mask extends from eyes across cheeks. Ears, edged in white; tail bushy with prominent dark rings. Size 75 – .93 m (2.5 – 3.1 ft) Habitat Much … Read more

Gray Wolf “Timber Wolf” – Canis Lupus

Distinguishing Features – Overall colouration, varied, from the most common gray tones to blacks and whites, to medium tones of cream, gray, brown and orange. Hair, bristly. Size 1.5 – 2 m (4.9 – 6.7 ft) Habitat Widespread throughout Northwestern Ontario in a variety of habitats where a good supply of food is available. Diet … Read more

Common Shrub Species – Northwestern Ontario Forest

Table of Contents Acer spicatum – Mountain Maple – “White Maple” Alnus crispa – Green Alder Alnus rugosa – Speckled Alder Amelanchier bartramiana – Mountain Juneberry Amelanchier humilis – Shadbush Amelanchier sanguinea Saskatoon – “Red-twigged Serviceberry, Juneberry” Andromeda glaucophylla – Bog Rosemary Arctostaphylos uva-ursi – Bearberry Chamaedaphne calyculata – Leatherleaf Chimaphila umbellata – Pipsissewa – … Read more

Pine Marten – Martes Americana

Distinguishing Features – Overall colouration, lustrous fur, varying from pale buff to dark brown; underparts paler brown. Ears, pale with whitish edges. Body, long; feet, dark brown; claws, semi-retractable. Size Male: .54 – 63 m (1.8 – 2.1 ft) Female: .48 – .6 m (1.6 – 2 ft) Habitat Throughout Northwestern Ontario, preferring mature coniferous … Read more

Meadow Horsetail – Equisetum Pratense

General – Green, bottlebrush-like perennial, from spreading rhizomes; stems annual, erect, hollow, slender, 10 – 50 cm tall, 1 – 4 mm thick, die back each year; fertile and sterile stems dissimilar; fertile stems unbranched at first, later develop many whorls of branches; sterile stems mostly single, whitish green, with 10 – 18 minutely roughened … Read more

Woodland Horsetail “Wood Horsetail”- Equisetum Sylvaticum

General – slender perennial from deep, creeping rhizomes; stems die back each year, erect, hollow, 15 – 60 cm tall; 2 markedly different stem types; fertile stems unbranched at first, later have mostly compound branches, green to tan; sterile stems much branched, usually single, green, with 10 – 18 minutely spiny ridges; many branches, again … Read more

American Toad – Bufo Americanus

Distinguishing Features – Overall colouration, highly variable, usually a shade ofbrown (rarely gray, red, or greenish). There are black spots on the upperside which contain one or two warts; these black spots often have a white border. Oval partoid gland behind each eye. Underside, white or yellowish, mottled with black. Usually a light mid dorsal … Read more

Blue-spotted Salamander

Distinguishing Features – Medium sized. Colouration, shiny black dorsal color that may vary from dark blue-black to a lighter gray-black; conspicously marked with light blue flecks on the sides and tail. Four toes on front feet and five toes on hind feet. Costal grooves number 12. Size 10 – 14 cm (4 – 5.5 in) … Read more

Northern Leopard Frog

Distinguishing Features – Most familiar frog of Northwestern Ontario. large. Overall colouration, varying shades of green or brown; round black spots scattered randomly about the back and on the sides. Underside, plain white. Two light ridges down run along length of back. Forelimbs, spotted; hind legs, striped. Size 8.9 cm (3.5 in) Habitat Common throughout … Read more