North American Wildlife

North American Mammals

This page is a photo index of all the North American Mammals on the site. Although many of the North American animals on the site have several photos, this page shows only the first picture of each animal. Click on the photo or the text link to go to the detail page for that North American animal. (The detail pages have larger North American animal photos, fact sheets and distribution maps).

Bison, Sheep, Goats and Peccary

The Bison is a large bovine animal with distinctive shoulder hump and large head. The fur is brown, with longer hair on front part of body, especially in males. The horns are black and curve upwards....
American Bison
(Bison bison)
5 images
The Mountain Goat is a sturdy goat with thick white coat. It has black horns about 20-30cm long. The hooves are large and oval shaped.
Mountain Goat
(Oreamnos americanus)
5 images
The Muskox has stocky body with short legs and long thick hair to protect it from the cold. The hair  can grow nearly to the ground in older specimens. Both male and female have cream colored horns...
Muskox
(Ovibos moschatus)
3 images
The Bighorn Sheep has brown coat in summer that becomes faded by winter. The male has large broad horns that can weigh up to 14kg. The female has much smaller horns. They are found in small groups,...
Bighorn Sheep
(Ovis canadensis)
3 images
There are two subspecies of Dall's Sheep. <i>Ovis dalli dalli </i>has white or creamy white wool, sometimes with grey patches on middle of back. Some have black tail and some have white tail. <i>Ovis...
Dall's Sheep
(Ovis dalli)
3 images
Collared Peccaries look like pigs. They are grayish black, with a yellow tinge on cheeks and a white or yellowish collar over the shoulders round to the throat. Males and females are very similar in...
Collared Peccary
(Pecari tajacu)
3 images
The White-lipped Peccary is dark brown to black with white markings along the jaw from the neck to the chin. The hair is coarse and bristly. The young are reddish brown with some brown, black stripe...
White-lipped Peccary
(Tayassu pecari)
1 image

Deer and Pronghorn

The Pronghorn looks like a medium sized deer. It is tan in color with white underside, chest and rump, and white markings on neck. The neck has a short black mane. The male has black marking from...
Pronghorn
(Antilocapra americana)
3 images
The Moose is the largest deer. Males have  large branched antlers that is sheds in the fall and regrows in spring . It is dark brown, almost black, to reddish or greyish brown,. The head is long.
Moose
(Alces alces)
3 images
Elk are social deer that live in herds of up to 400. The fur is dark brown in winter and tan in summer. The back and sides are lighter than the head and neck. The rump is buff colored. Males have a...
Elk
(Cervus elaphus)
5 images
The Red Brocket is a small deer with chestnut-red body and legs, lighter brown belly. The head and neck are gray. Males have short, unbranched antlers that point backwards. They are good swimmers.
Red Brocket
(Mazama americana)
1 image
The Mule  Deer color ranges from dark brownish gray to pale gray to brown. It has a pale rump patch of white or yellow, and a white throat patch. The tail is white and usually has tuft of black on...
Mule Deer
(Odocoileus hemionus)
3 images
The White-tailed deer is greyish in winter and reddish in summer.  It has a band of white fur behind the nose and around the eyes, chin and throat. The insides of legs are white.  White-tailed deer...
White-tailed Deer
(Odocoileus virginianus)
4 images
Caribou color varies from dark brown to nearly white. Woodland Caribou are darker brown while those from Greenland and the high Arctic are whiter. The belly, neck and area above the hooves is often...
Caribou
(Rangifer tarandus)
4 images

Bears

Black Bears are usually black with brown muzzles. However they are not all black. Some are dark brown or pale brown, and some in southern Alaska and British Columbia are creamy white or gray. Most...
American Black Bear
(Ursus americanus)
4 images
The fur of the Brown Bear is usually dark brown, although varies from cream to almost black. Bears from the Rocky Mountains usually have white-tipped hairs along the shoulders and back and are called...
Brown Bear
(Ursus arctos)
5 images
The Polar Bear has a large and stocky body, and relatively longer neck and smaller head than Brown Bears and Black Bears.  The fur is white or yellowish. Sometimes the coat can appear  pale brown or...
Polar Bear
(Ursus maritimus)
4 images

Cats

Ocelots have short tawny to reddish brown fur marked with black spots and rosettes. The underside is lighter or white in color. They have a white spot on the back of each ear and  white markings...
Ocelot
(Leopardus pardalis)
2 images
The Margay is a small spotted cat that looks like a small Ocelot. The fur is usually tan (sometimes grayish or cinnamon)  with dark brown spots form in rows along length of body.  The underside is...
Margay
(Leopardus weidii)
3 images
The Canada Lynx is usually yellowish-brown and sometimes has dark brown spots. The upper parts often have a grizzled gray appearance. The underside is pale buff color. The tail is short, often...
Canada Lynx
(Lynx canadensis)
1 image
The Bobcat fur has many shades buff and brown, with dark brown or black stripes and spots on some parts of the body. The tip of the tail is black. They have tufts of hair on tips of ears, and longer...
Bobcat
(Lynx rufus)
3 images
The Jaguar is tan with black rings and spots. Some Jaguars are completely black. Jaguars resemble leopards but are sturdier with larger head.
Jaguar
(Panthera onca)
5 images
The Cougar is a large, slender cat with short fur. Color ranges from yellow brown to grayish brown on the upper parts, with pale underside and white chest and throat. The nose is pink with black...
Cougar
(Puma concolor)
3 images
The Jaguarundi is small cat, slightly larger than a domestic cat. It has a proportionately longer body and shorter legs than other American cats. There are two color forms- one is greyish black and...
Jaguarundi
(Puma yaguarondi)
3 images

Dogs

The Arctic Fox has white winter coat. The summer coat is grey to brown on the back, with lighter underneath. The pads on the soles of the feet are covered with fur for insulation. In milder climates,...
Arctic Fox
(Alopex lagopus)
2 images
Coyotes vary in color from grey-brown to yellowish gray on the upper parts. The throat and underside are  whitish. The forelegs, sides of head, muzzle and feet are reddish brown. There is a dark...
Coyote
(Canis latrans)
3 images
Gray Wolves range in color from pure white in Arctic populations, to mixed colors of gray, brown, cinnamon, and black. Usual color in North America is white with shades of black, gray,  and brown on...
Gray Wolf
(Canis lupus)
2 images
The fur of the Red Wolf has a number of shades of  pale brown, gray or black. the back is darker colored, and the muzzle and legs are reddish. The tail has a black tip. They become more reddish in...
Red Wolf
(Canis rufus)
2 images
The Common Gray Fox is a small dog with a bushy tail. It has grizzled upperparts, buff neck and black-tipped tail. Males are slightly larger than females.
Common Gray Fox
(Urocyon cinereoargenteus)
2 images
The Island Gray Fox is a small greyish-white and black with cinnamon underfur on the back. The underside is white, yellow, and rusty-brown. The yes nose and mouth are lined with black. The legs, ears...
Island Gray Fox
(Urocyon littoralis)
1 image
The Kit Fox is light grey with orange-tan coloring on the sides and legs. The throat, chest and underside is creamy white. The bushy tail has a black tip. The snout has black markings on either side.
Kit Fox
(Vulpes macrotis)
3 images
The Swift Fox is light grey with orange-tan coloring on the sides and legs. The throat, chest and underside is creamy white. The bushy tail has a black tip. The snout has black markings on either...
Swift Fox
(Vulpes velox)
2 images
The Red Fox is pale yellowish red to deep reddish brown on the upper parts and white or pale gray underneath.  The lower part of the legs is usually black, and the nose is dark brown or black. The...
Red Fox
(Vulpes vulpes)
4 images

Earless Seals

The Hooded Seal inhabits ice packs and cold northern Atlantic waters. It has a grey body with dark spotted pattern, and a black head. Male hooded seals also have a black, crescent shaped, inflatable...
Hooded Seal
(Cystophora cristata)
4 images
The Bearded Seal lives in the arctic near pack ice. It is gray or brown, with darker back and paler underside. They have a large, wide muzzle with long white whiskers, and small close set eyes. The...
Bearded Seal
(Erignathus barbatus)
1 image
The male Gray Seal is dark grey with lighter silver grey spots.  The male has a long-arched roman nose. The female is silver-grey with small scattered dark spots. The underside is lighter in both...
Gray Seal
(Halichoerus grypus)
2 images
Northern Elephant Seals are usually brown with lighter underside. The males are dark brown and females are lighter brown or tan. Pups have black hair until their first molt when they grow a lighter...
Northern Elephant Seal
(Mirounga angustirostris)
3 images
The Hawaiian Monk Seal is found only around the Hawaiian Islands. It  is brown or grayish brown above and paler underneath. The coat looks much darker in when wet. The Monk Seal has a long neck and...
Hawaiian Monk Seal
(Monachus schauinslandi)
3 images
The Ribbon Seal lives in the arctic parts of the Pacific Ocean, including pack ice off the coast of Alaska. It has dark fur with contrasting white or yellowish bands on the neck, flippers, and body....
Ribbon Seal
(Phoca fasciata)
5 images
Harp Seals are from the Arctic Atlantic. The male Harp Seal is silver grey with black head, and a black harp-shaped (or horseshoe shape) on the back. Females are paler with less distinct markings....
Harp Seal
(Phoca groenlandica)
2 images
The Ringed Seal is the smallest North American Seal and the most common arctic seal. It is pale grey with dark spots above and a silvery gray underside. The spots on the back are surrounded with pale...
Ringed Seal
(Phoca hispida)
1 image
Spotted Seals have dark irregular spots on a lighter background. Newborn pups are white haired. Spotted Seals form large groups of up to several thousand when they come onto the ice for breeding and...
Spotted Seal
(Phoca largha)
3 images
The Harbor Seal is the same species as the Common Seal from northern Europe including Britian and Ireland. It varies in color from brownish black to tan or grey with lighter belly. The body has a...
Harbor Seal
(Phoca vitulina)
5 images

Fur Seals, Sea Lions and Walrus

Both males and females have two long tusks about 50cm long. The males have longer tusks. They have a beard of stiff bristles that grow to 30cm long. These are replaced every year. Their bodies are...
Walrus
(Odobenus rosmarus)
4 images
The Guadalupe Fur Seal has a brownish gray back with silvery and yellowish-gray mane on the nape of the neck. They have pointed snout with ruse color on each side. The eared seals (sea lions and fur...
Guadalupe Fur Seal
(Arctocephalus townsendi)
4 images
The Male Northern Fur Seal is reddish or black in color. Adult females are usually gray or brown. The pups have black fur. Pups usually have lighter markings on the nose and underside. Adults have a...
Northern Fur Seal
(Callorhinus ursinus)
3 images
The Steller Sea Lion is the largest of the eared seals. Adults have a buff colored coat of short coarse hair. Males have a thick muscular necks and a mane of coarse long hair. Sea lions have longer...
Steller Sea Lion
(Eumetopias jubatus)
3 images
Adult male California Sea Lions are mostly dark brown with lighter belly and side coloring. Adult females are dark brown or tan. Pups have a blackish brown coat, which is molted by the first month...
California Sea Lion
(Zalophus californianus)
3 images

Ringtail, Raccoon, and Coati

The Ringtail has a cat-like body and face like a fox with big ears. It has brownish fur above, pale buff underparts and a bushy tail with black and white rings. The eyes have black or dark brown...
Ringtail
(Bassariscus astutus)
1 image
The Cacomistle related to the Raccoons. It is gray to brownish with a long bushy tail that is ringed with buff and black bands. The ears are pointed.
Cacomistle
(Bassariscus sumichrasti)
2 images
The White-nosed Coati is gray-brown grizzled with silver down the sides. The face has a white band near the end of the long pointed nose. It has a white spot on the cheeks and above and below the...
White-nosed Coati
(Nasua narica)
3 images
The Raccoon has a black mask across the eyes and bushy tail with four to ten black rings. The body color ranges from grey to reddish brown to pale brown. The front paws have long fingers that look a...
Northern Raccoon
(Procyon lotor)
4 images

Skunks

Striped skunks have black fur with a white stripe that starts on the head and forks into two stripes down the sides of the back. The stripes usually join again near the base of the tail. There is...
Striped Skunk
(Mephitis mephitis)
5 images
The Western Spotted Skunk is similar in appearance to its Eastern Spotted relative, but has more white areas of fur. It has a white spot on the forehead and one in front of each ear. There are four...
Western Spotted Skunk
(Spilogale gracilis)
1 image
The Eastern Spotted Skunk has short legs with small tapered head, and short, rounded nose. It has a white spot on the forehead and one in front of each ear. There are six white stripes on the front...
Eastern Spotted Skunk
(Spilogale putorius)
2 images

Weasels, Badgers and Otters

The Tayra is a weasel with a long, bushy tail and long neck with stocky head. The body is usually dark brown, and the head is paler brown. There is usually a white patch on its throat. It is about ...
Tayra
(Eira barbara)
2 images
The Sea Otter has brown or reddish brown fur. The tail is less than a third of the body length. They have the densest fur of all mammals - this helps them maintain warmth in the ocean. The hind legs...
Sea Otter
(Enhydra lutris)
4 images
 The Wolverine looks like a large marten. It is heavily built with strong legs, large head, small rounded ears and short tail. Wolverines have long blackish brown fur with a light brown band down...
Wolverine
(Gulo gulo)
3 images
The Northern River Otter has a long slender streamlined body, thick tapered tail, and short legs. The face is short with small ears. The fur is dark brown or almost black above with lighter...
Northern River Otter
(Lontra canadensis)
4 images
The American Marten is long and slender with large eyes and ears like a cat. The body is light brown with a gray head. The legs and tail are dark brown or black. Their is a cream patch on the chest....
American Marten
(Martes americana)
1 image
The Fisher is brown or dark brown with black legs and tail. There is sometimes a cream patch on the chest. The feet have five toes with retractable claws. They are solitary animals and are active by...
Fisher
(Martes pennanti)
1 image
The Ermine is a kind of weasel with long slender body, short legs, long neck with triangular head. It has black eyes and rounded ears. In summer, the fur is brown above and creamy white underneath....
Ermine
(Mustela erminea)
1 image
Long-tail weasels have a long slender body, short legs and a small, narrow head with long whiskers.  The fur is cinnamon brown above and yellowish-white underneath. In northern populations the coat...
Long-tailed Weasel
(Mustela frenata)
1 image
The Black-footed ferret is one of the most endangered mammals in North America. It has yellowish-buff fur with paler underside. The forehead, muzzle, and throat are white. The feet are black and...
Black-footed Ferret
(Mustela nigripes)
3 images
The  Least Weasel has a long slender body with long neck, flat, narrow head and short legs. It has large round ears and large black eyes. The feet have five fingers with sharp claws. The fur  is dark...
Least Weasel
(Mustela nivalis)
3 images
The American Mink has dark brown fur with white patches on the chin, chest, and throat. The body is long and slender with short legs and a pointed short face. The Mink is semi-aquatic and has...
American Mink
(Mustela vison)
1 image
 The American Badger has a flattened body with short and stocky legs. The fur on the back and sides is grayish or reddish. The underside is a buff color. The throat and chin are whitish, and the face...
American Badger
(Taxidea taxus)
2 images

Bats

Red bats are medium sized bats with reddish to yellow-red fur with frosted appearance. This frosted look is because the hairs are white at the tips. Males are redder in color than females. Red bats...
Red Bat
(Lasiurus borealis)
2 images
Hoary Bats are about the size of a mouse. They have rounded noses and small, beady eyes. The ears are yellow with black edges, and rounded in shape. The fur is brown-gray with a heavy white tinge,...
Hoary Bat
(Lasiurus cinereus)
1 image
The Little Brown Bat varies in color from dark brown, golden brown, reddish, to olive brown. The chest and belly is lighter. The wing membranes are dark brown or black with little or no hair. They...
Little Brown Bat
(Myotis lucifugus)
2 images

Shrews and Moles

The Northern Short-tailed Shrew has velvety, soft fur with short tail and small eyes. It is gray with slightly paler underside. The summer fur is lighter than the winter fur. They are stocky and...
Northern Short-tailed Shrew
(Blarina brevicauda)
3 images

Rabbits, Hares, Pikas

Snowshoe hares have dense furred feet including the soles, to help them cope with the cold snowy winters - hence their name. In summer they have grizzled rust brown or grayish brown fur with dark...
Snowshoe Hare
(Lepus americanus)
3 images
Arctic hares are white with black ear-tips in winter. In summer their color varies with location - hares from the tundra are blue-gray, and those from Ellesmere Island and Greenland are almost white....
Arctic Hare
(Lepus arcticus)
2 images
Black-tailed jackrabbits are hares with very long ears and long lanky legs. The fur is dark brown flecked with black, and has a black stripe down the center of the back and a black rump patch. The...
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
(Lepus californicus)
2 images
The White-tailed Jackrabbit is large hare with enormous ears. The fur color varies with season and habitat. In summer, the fur is yellowish brown to grayish brown in colour, with white or grey on the...
White-tailed Jackrabbit
(Lepus townsendii)
2 images
The Swamp Rabbit is the largest North American cottontail. The fur is brown on top and white underneath. The underside of the tail is white, giving it the common name of cottontail. The fur is short...
Swamp Rabbit
(Sylvilagus aquaticus)
2 images
Desert Cottontails are able to tolerate diverse habitat from hot desert to woodland at 2000m. These brown rabbits are most active at dawn and dusk, and spend the heat of the day in their burrow. The...
Desert Cottontail
(Sylvilagus audubonii)
2 images
Brush Rabbits are small cottontail rabbits. The fur is brownish in appearance with individual hairs of gray, black and reddish brown. The ears are fairly small. The small tail is brown above and...
Brush Rabbit
(Sylvilagus bachmani)
1 image
Eastern cottontails are prolific rabbits and can have up to seven litters a year. They have dense gray fur with longer black-tipped outer hairs (guard hairs). It has a prominent reddish patch on the...
Eastern Cottontail
(Sylvilagus floridanus)
2 images
Marsh rabbits are semi-aquatic and good swimmers, and they sometimes hide in water to avoid danger. The fur is dark brown fur above with cinnamon color on back of the neck; the underside is white....
Marsh Rabbit
(Sylvilagus palustris)
1 image
The New England Cottontail is very similar to the Eastern Cottontail, and it is very difficult to tell them apart by looking at them.  The fur is gray brown above with white underside and white tail....
New England Cottontail
(Sylvilagus transitionalis)
1 image
American Pikas communicate with each other using both short alarm calls, and longer vocalizations. They also mark territory with scent from their cheek glands. The Pika is brown above with buff...
American Pika
(Ochotona princeps)
2 images

Armadillo

The Nine-banded Armadillo has leathery skin with hardened  plates on the back and sides that overlap.  The plates form overlapping bands. The number of bands varies from 7 to 11 with 9 being fairly...
Nine-banded Armadillo
(Dasypus novemcinctus)
2 images

Beavers and Porcupine

Beavers are the largest rodents in North America. They are aquatic mammals with glossy reddish brown or blackish brown waterproof fur. They have short  dark brown ears. The rear legs are longer than...
American Beaver
(Castor canadensis)
5 images
The North American Porcupine is the second largest rodent in North America after the beaver. It has a distinctive spiny coat and moves in slow lumbering fashion. The porcupine has a dark brown or...
North American Porcupine
(Erethizon dorsatum)
2 images

Gophers, Rats, Mice, Voles and Lemmings

Meadow Jumping Mice have long tails and long hind feet. Adults have a dark or olive brown band on the back, which is paler in juveniles. The sides are pale yellow-brown and the underside is white or...
Meadow Jumping Mouse
(Zapus hudsonius)
1 image
Botta's Pocket Gopher has smooth short fur. There is considerable color variation - they can be pale grey, brown, tan  to almost black. The underside is slightly paler. The body is stocky with short...
Botta's Pocket Gopher
(Thomomys bottae)
2 images
The Giant Kangaroo Rat is listed as an endangered species. The largest of the kangaroo rats, it has brown fur with a white stripe across the hindquarters, and a white underside. The tail is dark...
Giant Kangaroo Rat
(Dipodomys ingens)
1 image
The Meadow Vole is dark brown to dark reddish brown above and grey or white underneath. The winter coat is grayish. Meadow Voles are active during the day and night. They tend to be nocturnal during...
Meadow Vole
(Microtus pennsylvanicus)
1 image
Muskrats secrete a scent from their glands called musk. They have large, robust bodies with a flat scaly tail. The body is glossy dark brown and darker in winter and paler in the summer  The fur is...
Muskrat
(Ondatra zibethicus)
3 images
The Hispid Cotton Rat is a sturdy rat with grizzled brown fur above and grayish-white fur underneath. The coat also has longer stiff black guard hairs. The tail is shorter than the head and body.
Hispid Cotton Rat
(Sigmodon hispidus)
1 image

Opossum

The Virginia Opossum has a long head and pointed snout, with long whiskers. The body is shaped like a large cat and has a long pointed tail with a scaly appearance. Females carry their young in a...
Virginia Opossum
(Didelphis virginiana)
2 images

Squirrels, Chipmunks, Marmots, Prairie Dogs

Harris's Antelope Squirrel is gray with reddish brown on the legs. It has coarse fur, long neck and slender body, with short tail and small ears. The winter coat is longer and softer, and paler in...
Harris's Antelope Squirrel
(Ammospermophilus harrisii)
2 images
The White-tailed Prairie Dog is yellowish in color with black streaks. It has a blackish-brown spot above the eye and on the cheek. The tail hairs are white, sometimes banded with black and reddish...
White-tailed Prairie Dog
(Cynomys leucurus)
1 image
Black-tailed Prairie Dogs have the most complex social behavior of all Prairie dogs.  They live in colonies, or towns, that may contain hundreds or even thousands of individuals within a compact...
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
(Cynomys ludovicianus)
3 images
The Utah Prairie dog is an endangered species protected by law. It is the smallest of all the prairie dogs. The body is cinnamon brown in color with some darker brown markings. The tail is almost all...
Utah Prairie Dog
(Cynomys parvidens)
3 images
Hoary marmots are greyish brown. The front half of the back is white with black hair, and rest of back is brown. The head and neck is brown with white around the nose and lips. The claws are thick...
Hoary Marmot
(Marmota caligata)
2 images
Yellow-bellied Marmots are greyish brown with yellow speckles on the sides of their necks. There is some white hair between the eyes. The belly is yellow or reddish yellow. Dark colored forms arte...
Yellow-bellied Marmot
(Marmota flaviventris)
1 image
Woodchucks are stoutly built with short powerful legs. Males are slightly larger than females. The tail is dark and bushy and only one quarter of the total body length. They have dense woolly fur on...
Woodchuck
(Marmota monax)
1 image
The Olympic Marmot is stocky with a wide head and large rounded claws for  digging. The fur is a mix of brown and white hairs. In summer the hair turns a yellowish color. Olympic marmots are highly...
Olympic Marmot
(Marmota olympus)
1 image
Abert's squirrel has long and broad ears that have prominent tufts in the winter coat. The tail is short and broad. The fur is mainly gray above with white underparts. It has a black line along the...
Abert's Squirrel
(Sciurus aberti)
1 image
The Western Gray Squirrel is silver grey above and white on the underside. It has a long bushy silver grey tail, that may have some black. It has large ears without tufts. It sheds its fur during...
Western Gray Squirrel
(Sciurus griseus)
1 image
Eastern Fox Squirrels are a medium-sized tree squirrel. The fur is buff to orange above and reddish on the underside. Black forms are found in the south eastern United States. The tail is furry. They...
Eastern Fox Squirrel
(Sciurus niger)
2 images
The Uinta Ground Squirrel  has brownish buff fur, slightly paler on the sides. The belly is pale buff to white. The tail is black with buff on top and bottom and buff on the sides. The nose, ears and...
Uinta Ground Squirrel
(Spermophilus armatus)
1 image
California ground squirrels have mottled fur a mix of gray, light and dark brown, and white. The shoulders, neck and sides are a lighter gray. The tail is bushy and similar color to the body. The...
California Ground Squirrel
(Spermophilus beecheyi)
3 images
The Idaho Ground Squirrel is dark reddish-gray above, with a mixture of black hairs and yellowish-red banded guard hairs. There is a whitish ring round the eye. They communicate with each other by...
Idaho Ground Squirrel
(Spermophilus brunneus)
1 image
The Columbian Ground Squirrel is a stout squirrel with short, dense fur. The nose and face are reddish brown, and there may be some reddish brown around the legs. The back is pale brown with darker...
Columbian Ground Squirrel
(Spermophilus columbianus)
2 images
 The Wyoming Ground Squirrel is brown above , with gray on the shoulders, neck and head. There are no stripes or spotting on the back.  The sides and underside are yellowish.  The ears are larger...
Wyoming Ground Squirrel
(Spermophilus elegans)
2 images
Franklin's ground squirrel is a fairly large ground squirrel with a slender body. The fur is short and brownish greyish with speckled appearance. The head and tail are grayish. The ears are short and...
Franklin's Ground Squirrel
(Spermophilus franklinii)
1 image
The Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel has a golden-red mantle that from the head down over their shoulders. There is a white stripe, bordered by black running along each side of the body. It has a white...
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
(Spermophilus lateralis)
2 images
The Arctic Ground Squirrel has beige and tan fur mottled with white spots on its dorsal side. It has blunt face, small ears, and a dark brushy tail. There is a whitish ring round the eye. They live...
Arctic Ground Squirrel
(Spermophilus parryii)
2 images
Richardson's Ground Squirrel is brown along the back and tan underneath. The tail is short and not bushy like some other ground squirrels.
Richardson's Ground Squirrel
(Spermophilus richardsonii)
1 image
The Round-tailed Ground Squirrel is a small ground squirrel with a long round tail. The fur is brownish gray without markings above and paler underneath. The summer coat is lighter in color than the...
Round-tailed Ground Squirrel
(Spermophilus tereticaudus)
3 images
As the name indicates, the Least Chipmunk is the smallest chipmunk. It has three dark stripes and two light stripes on the face. The sides have five dark stripes and four light stripes, with the...
Least Chipmunk
(Tamias minimus)
2 images
The Hopi Chipmunk has orange-red to buff fur. It has two white stripes on the face  - one above and one below the eye. There are three grayish white stripes on the back. Hopi chipmunks are most...
Hopi Chipmunk
(Tamias rufus)
1 image
Eastern Chipmunks have pouches in the sides of their mouths for storing food. When the pouches are full they can be nearly as big as the animals's head. Eastern chipmunks are a fairly large chipmunk ...
Eastern Chipmunk
(Tamias striatus)
3 images
Douglas squirrels have distinct summer and winter coats. The summer coat is reddish-brown or grayish-brown above, and light to dark orange underneath, sometimes with white areas. The tail is broad...
Douglas' Squirrel
(Tamiasciurus douglasii)
3 images
The Red Squirrel is variable in color across its range. The fur is usually brown or olive-red on the back and white or cream on the underside. The summer coat has a black stripe running along the...
Red Squirrel
(Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
3 images

Baleen Whales

The Bowhead is a large rotund whale with similar appearance to the Right Whale. The jaw line is extremely arched giving it the common name of
Bowhead Whale
(Balaena mysticetus)
1 image
The North Atlantic Right Whale is dark colored with a large rotund body and no dorsal fin. It has prominent callosities on the rostrum (snout), near blowholes, near eyes, and on the chin and lower...
North Atlantic Right Whale
(Eubalaena glacialis)
3 images
The Minke Whale is a small rorqual with a pointed head and relatively small rostrum (snout). The body is dark with paler grey on the lower flanks and underside. There are usually pale chevron...
Northern Minke Whale
(Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
2 images
Sei whales are dark gray with irregular white markings across the back. The body is relatively slender with short pectoral fins and sickle shaped dorsal fin.  The snout is pointed. On the underside...
Sei Whale
(Balaenoptera borealis)
2 images
Bryde's Whale is dark gray with a yellowish white underside. It is the second smallest rorqual (after the Northern Minke Whale).  It has three parallel ridges in the area between the blowholes and...
Bryde's Whale
(Balaenoptera edeni)
2 images
Blue whales are grayish blue mottled with lighter spots. The underside often is yellowish, due to growth of microorganisms, giving the belly a yellowish tinge. The back and sides are usually mottled...
Blue Whale
(Balaenoptera musculus)
2 images
The Fin Whale is a streamlined rorqual with similar body shape to the Blue Whale. It is the second largest rorqual after the Blue Whale. The body is brownish grey above and white below. The lower jaw...
Fin Whale
(Balaenoptera physalus)
4 images
The Humpback Whale has a dark grey or black body, with white markings on its underside. The black and white markings are unique and can be used to identify individual animals. They have long pectoral...
Humpback Whale
(Megaptera novaeangliae)
4 images

Beluga and Narwhal

The Beluga is the only species of whale that is completely white. Calves are born gray and become whiter with age. They have no dorsal fin, but have a low ridge along their back. The flippers are...
Beluga
(Delphinapterus leucas)
3 images
Adult Narwhals are brown or dark gray above with whitish underside. The body has mottled pattern of spots. The head is small with blunt snout. The flippers are short and rounded and there is no...
Narwhal
(Monodon monocerus)
2 images

Dolphins, Killer Whales, Pilot Whales

The Long-beaked Common Dolphin is similar in appearance to the Short-beaked Common Dolphin but has longer beak. It is black or dark brown with white or cream underside. The flippers are  the same...
Long-beaked Common Dolphin
(Delphinus capensis)
3 images
The Short-beaked Common Dolphin is black or dark brown with white or cream underside. The flippers are  the same color as the back (black or dark brown). There is a pale marking along the side that...
Short-beaked Common Dolphin
(Delphinus delphis)
2 images
The Short-finned Pilot Whale is black with a white patch on the chin. The white patch may extend down the belly. The head is large and rounded with no beak. They have seven to nine teeth on each side...
Short-finned Pilot Whale
(Globicephala macrorhynchus)
2 images
The Long-finned pilot whale is black with a white belly. The body is robust and cylindrical in shape, tapering towards the long tail. The head is rounded. The dorsal fin is low with long base and...
Long-finned Pilot Whale
(Globicephala melas)
2 images
Risso's Dolphin is pale gray with a blunt bulbous head and large dorsal fin. Adults are covered with pale scratches and scars. Juveniles are darker and have no scarring. The flippers are long and...
Risso's Dolphin
(Grampus griseus)
3 images
The Atlantic White-sided Dolphin has black back and gray sides. The underside is white from the lower jaw to just past the anus. There are distinctive yellow-white patches on the sides within the...
Atlantic White-sided Dolphin
(Lagenorhynchus acutus)
1 image
The Pacific White-sided Dolphin is black or dark gray on the back with white underside. The fins and flippers are unusual in that they are
Pacific White-sided Dolphin
(Lagenorhynchus obliquidens)
1 image
The Killer Whale is the largest member of the dolphin family. It ids mostly black above and white underneath. The back and pectoral flippers are black, except for the gray saddle area located just...
Killer Whale
(Orcinus orca)
4 images