Animals in the
Great North Woods
Check them off if you see them!
Beaver
Castor Canadensis
Habitat: Lakes - Streams lined with poplars & birches
Description: Head - Body: 27”- 38”; Tail: 9” - 12”
Beavers are characterized by prominent, orangish front teeth and
a large, scaly paddle like tail. They are a member of the rodent
family and are master dam builders. The bottom foundation of
their dams consist of mud mixed with stone, then trees or branches are dragged from the banking to form the dam itself - sealing
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the cracks and crevices with more mud. After the newly formed
‘pond’ collects enough water, then the ‘Lodge’ is built with sticks and mud leaving entryways and a platform
inside that is raised above the water level where they spend the majority of the day. Kits are born in the spring
and are ready to strike out on their own after two years, often leaving the pond and starting a new pond.
Wolf
Canis Lupus
Habitat: Open forests, tundra
Description: Head - Body: 40” - 52”; Tail: 13” - 19”
Characterized by a visual dog-like appearance, the wolf’s fur is
usually gray but varies from silvery white to black. The wolf
pack, usually numbering four to seven individuals, is a society of
parents, young, and close relatives that follow a rigid hierarchy.
The leader, or alpha male, appears to control the pack’s activities
Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic
and is often the only male to breed; usually he is paired with the
dominant female. Wolves have a wide repertoire of social behavior, communicating by posture, voice and
scent. They cooperate in feeding, protecting and training the pups. They are mainly big-game hunters, preying
on deer and other large mammals, but will also attack smaller mammals and birds.
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Please remember that these are wild animals and caution needs to be taken while wildlife
watching. Even if an animal looks docile, they will protect themselves and their young if they
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feel threatened in anyway. Remember to keep a safe distance and to never remove an animal
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T! from its natural environment. If you see an animal that you think may need attention, please
contact New Hampshire Fish and Game at 603-788-3164.
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Porcupine
Erethizon Dorsatum
Habitat: Often found living in trees or under building
Description: Head - Body: 18”-23”; Tail: 6”-11”
Porcupines have short legs and fat bodies with sharp quills head to
tail and walk with a slow, swaying waddle. When threatened by a
predator, the porcupine turns it’s back, raises it’s quills, and strikes
with it’s tail, embedding the quills on contact. They’re equipped
with over 30,000 barbed quills which grow back much like hair or
Photograph by Bates Littlehales, National Geographic
fur. They are nocturnal and feed off from buds, twigs and bark,
often killing the trees. They will also destroy the outside of buildings by chewing on the wood. The most serious threat to a porcupine is the fisher cat.
Black Bear
Ursus Americanus
Habitat: Swamps; mountains
Description: Head - Body: 4-1/2’ - 5’.; Shoulder height: 2’- 3’
Characterized for fur varying from cinnamon to black with a
brown snout, no shoulder hump, and occasionally a white spot
on their chest.Omnivorous in diet, Black Bears feed on animals
ranging in size from insects to large mammals, as well as on plant
material, carrion, and garbage. In autumn, these bears gain weight
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and retreat into dens under fallen trees, in caves, or in other protected areas. There they sleep for several months, living off stored fat. Black Bears are not true hibernators,
their body temperature does not drop drastically and occasionally they wake up and wander away from their
dens. Cubs are born about the end of January, while the sows are still in their dens. Bears produce exceptionally small offspring relative to adult size. A Black Bear weighs about half a pound at birth, but a mature sow
averages 300 pounds. Males can exceed 600 lbs. or more.
Muskrat
Ondatra Zibethicus
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instead of sticks and mud.
Habitat: Ponds; Lakes; Slow-moving streams; marshes
Description: Head - Body: 9” - 15”; Tail: 7-1/2” - 10-1/2”
Muskrats are aquatic by nature and survive on aquatic plants,
snails, clams, crayfish and frogs. They are also capable of scavenging for food on dry land, often traveling hundreds of feet for a
meal of green plants. They produce several litters a year with up to
11 young per litter. They build lodges much like a beaver does but
their lodges are much smaller and are made from grass and sedges
Lynx
Lynx Lynx
Habitat: Northern Forests; Swamps
Description: Head - Body: 30 - 38”; Tail: 4”
Lynx are characterized by tufted ears, short, black-tipped tail, fur
varied in color but usually grayish tan with scattered spots - furry
and ruff. Lynx are a shy, elusive animal and is an agile climber,
swims well, and travels with ease among fallen timbers and mosscovered boulders. In winter its broad, well-furred feet act as snow
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shoes, allowing swift movement in deep snow. Lynx populations
undergo ups and downs that closely follow those of its chief prey animal, the Snowshoe Hare. When hares
are abundant, the cats produce larger litters and their population increases. Eventually the hare population
crashes, and a decline occurs in the number of Lynx. A similar relationship exists between the owl and rodent
population, but the cycle recurs at shorter intervals.
River Otter
Lontra Canadensis
Habitat: Rivers; Streams; Lakes
Description: Head - Body: 20” - 30”; Tail: 10” - 18-1/2”
Characterized by a weasel-like shape, they have dark brown fur
often with golden gloss on their head and shoulders.They have a
thick and furry tail, tapered towards the tip. Otters are very social
animals, they wrestle, play tag, slide down muddy or snowy riverbanks and roll about in grasses and reeds. They express themhttp://www.otternet.com/galleries/naotter/
selves vocally through chirps, whistles, growls and screams. Although male and female stay together for part of the year, the female drives her mate away before giving birth
to a litter of two of three young in the early spring. When the young are about 6 months old, the father rejoins
them to help teach the young to swim, dive and hunt. Though otters are mainly fish eaters, they also feed on
frogs, crayfish and other small animals. They are also known to take a chicken! Their streamlined bodies,
webbed toes, and eyes and ears that can be closed underwater make them well adapted to an aquatic life.
White-Tailed Deer
Odocoileus Virginianus
Habitat: Forests; Swamps; Brushy areas near swamps
Description: Head - Body: 4’ - 6 ‘.; Tail: 7 - 11”
Characterized by reddish brown fur in the summer or grayish
brown in the winter, they have a white underside of the tail which
is raised when alarmed. Antlers have a main beam with several
prongs.The White-tailed Deer favor the clearing of land and cutting of forests for browsing, especially for the young. They are
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more readily seen in the early morning and at dusk. Females normally don’t have antlers and the males begin growing them several months after birth, shed them each winter
and develop them anew each spring and summer. The age of a deer cannot be told by the size of the antlers or
the number of tines, for antler growth is determined by nutrition, not age.
Red Fox
Vulpes Vulpes
Habitat: Farmlands; Forests with open areas
Description: Habitat: Farmlands - Forests with open areas
Length: 20” - 30”; Tail: 14”-16”
Red Fox are usually reddish on the back and face with white on
their under parts, have a bushy white-tipped tail, black legs and
feet.Red Foxes are not always red. Though the fur of this species
usually has a reddish cast, some are black with silver guard hairs
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(silver foxes) and some are red or brown with dark areas on the
under parts extending up along the shoulders and back (cross foxes). Such color variation, caused by genetic
differences, can occur even among pups in the same litter.Kits are born in the spring and weaned when one
month old. They are more active in the early morning and late afternoon. These notorious chicken thieves
are actually quite opportunistic in diet, although they prey mainly on small mammals and birds, they also eat
insects, carrion, and fruits.
Gray Fox
Urocyon Cinereoargenteus
Habitat: Open woodlands; Chaparral
Description: Head - Body: 22” - 30”; Tail: 10”-15”
Characterized by a coarse coat, salt-and-pepper gray, with orange
and white markings, their tail is bushy, black-tipped with a stripe
on the top. Foxes belong to the canine family (dog) and canids
are noticably deficient in tree-climing abilty, but the Gray Fox is
unusual, it climbs trees readily by clasping the trunk with its front
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legs and pushing itself up with its hind feet. Like other foxes, this
grizzled animal uses ground burrows for escape holes and birthing suites. Gray Foxes den in hollow logs, tree
trunks and rock caves.
Snowshoe Hare
Lepus Americanus
Habitat: Norther and Alpine forests; Swamps; Brushy areas
Description: Head - Body 15 - 18-1/2”; Tail- 2”
Dark brown color, white in winter, large hind feet. Twice a year
the Snowshoe Hare changes color (also called the Varying Hare).
Beginning in September, the brown summer coat is gradually replaced by white-tipped hairs, a process lasting up to three months.
The reverse process begins in March. The Snowshoe Hare goes
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through another seasonal change in autumn and develops dense
fur pads on its feet. Their diet also changes with the seasons where in the summer, green plants are their main
diet and in the winter they browse on twigs and buds. Like other hares and rabbits, they rest in thick cover
during the day.
Coyote
Canis Latrans
Habitat: Prairies; Open Forests; Brush
Description: Head - Body: 32” - 40”; Tail: 12” - 15”
Characterized by gray fur on their back with red on their flanks,
tawny legs, feet and ears. They run with their tail held between
their legs. Coyotes have drastically extended their range and
commonly occur in the northeastern states. They adapt well to the
presence of man and have moved into areas extensively cleared
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for farming. They are primarily predators on rodents, rabbits and
other small animals and are frequently dubbed livestock-killers. Occasionally several adults cooperate in
hunting large prey such as deer. Coyotes belong to the dog family. They resemble German Shepherds and have
been know to mate with domestic dogs.
Moose
Alces Alces
Habitat: Northern forests; often around freshwater.
Description: Head - Body: 7-1/2 ‘; Tail: 2-1/2” - 3-1/2” Shoulder height: 5’- 6-1/2’. They are the largest of the deer family
with massive antlers that are flattened and pronged. They have
a fleshy dewlap on their throat and the upper lip overhangs the
lower. Males may weigh more than a thousand pounds in the
falltime. Standing or swimming in lakes and ponds, they feed on
Photo by Lorna Colquhoun
many kinds of aquatic plants. Moose are not social animals, they
are solitary or associate in small groups most of the year. In the fall the males become restless and aggressive,
engaging in antler-to-antler combat, searching for mates. Calves are born in the spring (often twins) and remain hidden and inactive for several days. Wolves and bears prey on the calves, as they also do on the old and
weak but few predators can successfully challenge a healthy adult. Moose swim well and run easily through
the snow. Their formidable weapons are their legs and hooves. The male sheds his antlers in mid-winter and
begins to grow them again in the spring.
Woodchuck (Ground Hog)
Marmota Monax
Habitat: Open Forests; Forest Edges; Rocky Areas; Roadsides
Head - Body 14 - 20”; Tail 4-1/2 - 6-1/2”
Chunky body, short legs and a small bushy tail. Contrary to
popular belief, the groundhog (woodchuck) doesn’t emerge from
its burrow to look for its shadow. They hibernate through the
winter in a burrow that consists of an extensive system of tunnels, chambers and multiple entrances until late winter. Soon
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after emerging, mating takes place and the young are born four
weeks later. Their favorite cuisine is clover, alfalfa and other plants.