You could not miss seeing this black and white striped skunk out for a walk on a sunny and warm winter day. They are normally nocturnal so I am not sure why this one was on a walk about during mid-day.  It was walking along and rooting under the snow here and there in search of food.  These photos were taken in the Pinawa area.  About the size of a domestic cat, skunks won’t bother you unless they feel threatened and it is very wise not to annoy them.  In all fairness to the skunk their body language will give you warning if you are too close.  Their diets consists mainly of insects and they do eat small rodents as well. Sometimes in more rural areas  skunks will damage lawns by digging for food.  I especially love the baby skunks and they are adorable reminding me of kittens following along behind their mother.  One campground in the Whiteshell that I frequented had many skunks which would appear with the onset of dusk and they wandered around the campsites in search of food. They were so used to people and being fed that they were almost like the campground pets.  One walked right under my camp chair one night on its way to the lakeshore for a drink of water.  I enjoyed watching them wander about without feeling threatened.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

This adult beaver was busy eating the leaves and branches of a recently harvested branch.  Two adults were floating this branch in the water only to be met by two beaver kits (photos below).  The little kits swam out from the edges of the creek to meet their parents and promptly started munching on the leaves as well.

I recently saw a nature show featuring the Canadian Beaver who is wreaking havoc in South America.  In South America they are known as  Super Beaver because of their ability to alter entire ecosystems.  It seems our Canadian Beavers are very adaptable to different environments, are active for longer periods throughout the day and therefore create their watery worlds at a faster rate. Our transplanted Canadian Beavers are thriving and destroying forests and valleys on the island of Tierra del Fuego.   Beavers also create wetland habitats for the benefit of other species and are nature’s greatest engineers.  The most fascinating rodent and so much fun to watch!

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Related to Beaver?  No.  Related to a Rat?  No.  It is said they are more likened to an overgrown field mouse.  Thick, richly coloured fur which keeps them warm in the icy cold waters throughout winters.  They build little mud/reed lodges for sleeping and eating in.

They are active during the later hours of the day. Muskrats do not have webbed feet and their tail is bald; both feet and tail are sparsely covered with fine hairs.  Their tail is long and more round than flat and does look like a rat tail. They use musk glands to scent their trails and communicate. Muskrats are found in slower moving rivers, streams and marshy areas and inhabit virtually all areas of North America. Valued for their fur, they are trapped in large numbers and they have numerous air borne and land predators. In spite of this their population remains healthy.  There are many fascinating facts (how they have adapted to eating underwater) about these mammals which have so well adapted to their aquatic habitats.  Check out the following Muskrat Fact Sheet at Hinterland Who’s Who

Below:  A good view of the hind feet

Below:  A muskrat’s tail – round and bare

Muskrats use their front feet like hands to grip their preferred food like cat tails.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

We were fishing one summer afternoon and from a distance saw an object moving up and down a rock face in Nopiming Provincial Park.  We moved closer to take a look and found this young beaver quite high up on the rocks.  It appeared to be dining on wild straberries growing in the rock crevices.  I love watching these animals  – when they are out and about they always have a purpose to what they are doing.    After a while, the beaver moved back down to water level,  slipped in and at that point slapped its tail for us.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

This photo is cropped closely to give you a good look at the woodchuck’s paws.  Very hand-like with long claws for digging.  In a previous post of a woodchuck the colour was more grey-dark brown while this one is clearly more a rusty brown colour. Woodchucks are also known as groundhogs.  A very handsome woodchuck indeed!

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Beavers spend a lot of time grooming their fur.

Their way the  beaver uses its “hands” to grasp branches or food remind me of the racoon – very nimble.

Below:  Beaver dam and lodge.  The water level on the high side was about 4 feet higher than the low side .  These beavers are master builders!

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Beaudry Park is a small Provincial Park on the Manitoba prairie just west of Winnipeg. The Assiniboine River rambles through here and this is a great place to go walking in the summer or cross-country skiing in the winter. The park supports many varieties of birds and small mammals. Beaver and muskrats can be seen swimming in the river. It’s a nice place to go if you just want to get out of the city for a while as it is only about 10 minutes from the perimiter. Today is another cute critter, the Thirteen Striped Ground Squirrel. This little fellow was busy stuffing his cheeks with fresh grass but never far away from one of his escape routes. There were numerous holes in the ground. The first photo shows the striping on the back of the squirrel.

Below:  Ground Squirrel peeking out of burrow . . .  Was I still there ?

Enjoy !

~Sharon

Woodchuck or Groundhog ? Actually it is one and the same and can be called by either name. Woodchucks are one of the larger members of the rodent family and like the beaver, its teeth grow continually. Unlike the beaver, woodchucks prefer drier areas where greens are abundant. The colours vary from  albino to black but are usually shades of brown. Woodchucks are characterized by their black feet. They are burrowing animals with long front claws and strong hind legs used for digging. When not sunning themselves they are foraging for greens. Usually a litter of four young are produced and can be seen in May.

The beaver is able to see as well  under the  water as it can on land and is a graceful and strong swimmer.    It builds impressive dams, canals and lodges.  A beaver mates for life and the female is the central figure in the family units.  Beavers are continually grooming their dense brown fur. The beaver’s teeth continuously grow and they are capable of cutting down very large trees, preferring birch, poplar, trembling aspen and willow. Beavers are a member of the rodent family.   A litter of three or four kits is born in May or June. Beavers will slap their large broad tail on the water when alarmed signalling  danger.  Beavers are most active from dusk till dawn.   They make a lot of communication noises and if you are lucky enough to be able to sit and watch them you would be amazed at the loud chewing and grunting sounds they do make. Beavers played an important role in Canadian history during the fur trade era.

The beaver below was standing up on shore pulling down on some branches.

Beaver Swimming . . .

Enjoy

~Sharon