Tag / Alberta Wildlife

Mule deer are found in the Western portion of North America – the Rocky Mountain regions and get their name from their large “mule like” ears.  They are more grey in colour than their cousin the White Tailed Deer. The mule deer’s tail is black-tipped, whereas the whitetail’s is not. Mule deer forage and mate in the fall as do others in the deer family with fawns being born in the spring.   Humans and automobiles top the list of enemies but their natural enemies would be mountain lions, coyotes and also bears.  They are always alert and rely on speed to avoid harm.  These photos were taken in Alberta near Jasper.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

As I was reviewing my Alberta Wildlife section I noticed this cute little Columbian Ground Squirrel was omitted. Mostly grey with some golden/brown highlights here and there.  These gopher sized ground squirrels were hanging out along a walking path to a waterfall and gratefully accepting handouts from passersby.  Easy to take photos of as they did not duck under cover at all.   This one turned its back on me however, so I guess I have been officially “dissed” by a ground squirrel !

Enjoy!

Sharon

The graceful and swift running Pronghorn Antelope weigh between 90 and 125 pounds, and stand about 3 1/2 feet at the shoulder. The upper body and outside of the legs are tan to brown and the cheeks, lower jaw, chest, belly, and rump are usually white. Its horn is really a hollow sheath which is shed – this being unique to Pronghorn Antelope. These antelope are found mostly in the southern portions of Alberta and Saskatchewan. We saw 4 different groups of Pronghorn this August and they were all in Saskatchewan. They are easy to spot from a distance because they live in wide open fields and not in treed areas.

Enjoy !
~Sharon