Bobcat
The swamps, mountains, and forests of the Taiga are home to the bobcat. A bobcats body is about two feet long and its tail is approximately four to eight inchs long. The bobcat gets its name from its stubby tail. A bobcats weight range is between thirteen to twenty three pounds. It stands twenty to twenty four inchs tall. It has two color changes per year, the fur is a stripped blotchy and dence tawny gray for winter, and reddish brown for the summer. The baby bobcat has spotted fur that goes away when it gets older. The bobcats head is small and its ears are large. The face looks alot like the house cats, but its body is taller and slimmer. The bobcat can run very fast up to thirty miles per hour, but it prefers to walk. The bobcat has a special techinque for running to catch its prey. It puts its back paws into the front paws place. This also makes it a very quite hunter. The teeth of this cat are very sharp, the canine teeth are used to stad the prey. The back teeth are sissorlike so they can cut through the meat and hide. The bobcats claws are designed to help climb and catch its prey, they can also be pulled up into its toes.
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf can survive in any biome as long as food is plentiful and the temp is relitively cold. The Siberian Taiga is one of the biomes the gray wolf is best suited in. The gray wolf is the largest wild canine, they are about 3 feet tall from the shoulder and about 3 feet to five feet from nose to tail-tip. Their wight is about 50 to 176 pounds. Gray wolfs have long legs with large paws, they have long bushy tails. They also have pointed ears and yellow brown eyes. Their coats are varying shades of gray,brown,white or black.
Canadian Lynx
The Canadian Lynx is not very commen. It is almost identical the the house cat but larger. It has a powerful body on short furry legs that are attached to hefty paws and has a bobbed black tiped tail. Its fur is spotted yellowish-brown to gray. The lynx has a collar of fur around its face, giving it a triangular face. It also has long black ear tufts. The Canadian Lynx is quick and sly and can strik an animal at any moment. The Lynx manly hunts snowshoe hares, meadow voles, small deer, caribou, and sheep. The Lynx's eyes provide exellent night vision and its feet are fur covered pads and are silent in the snow, so it can sneak up on small prey. The Lynx isnt very fast so it has to ambush its prey instead of chasing it down. The Lynx can grow up to 2-4 feet long as an adult, and is adout 2 feet to the sholders.
it weighs about 11-45 pounds. Canadian Lynx kittens are born blind and helpless, and grow slowly. They are weaned at two months but stay with their mother for about a year. There arn't very many Lynxes because their habitats are being destroyed. They are also being hunted for their meat and fur. In Europe the Lynx has almost been wiped out because famer think its a pest and that it kills sheep, goats,and other livestock. The Lynx is waiting to be put on the endanger list in the United States. With strong laws to help protect it the Canadian Lynx is making a slow comeback.
it weighs about 11-45 pounds. Canadian Lynx kittens are born blind and helpless, and grow slowly. They are weaned at two months but stay with their mother for about a year. There arn't very many Lynxes because their habitats are being destroyed. They are also being hunted for their meat and fur. In Europe the Lynx has almost been wiped out because famer think its a pest and that it kills sheep, goats,and other livestock. The Lynx is waiting to be put on the endanger list in the United States. With strong laws to help protect it the Canadian Lynx is making a slow comeback.
Long-Eared Owl
The Long Eared Owl is a medium sized owl which is approximatly 13 inchs tall and weighs 8-10 ounces. It is called long eared because of the tuft of feather on its head that looks like ears. They have yellow eyes, black beaks, and a very dark colored throat. They have a round flat face. Their wingspan is 37-40 inchs long. They have strong talons for hunting. The owl can turn their heads side to side and can even turn them so far that they can see behind themselves. They feed on voles and other small rodents. The Long Eared Owl will move into a nest that has been abandoned by other large birds, and will lay several eggs, up to seven. Once they are hatched the mother owl will raise them for up to sixty days before they are awake at night and roost or are asleep in the daytime.
Red Fox
Another common animal in the Taiga Biome
is the red fox. It can grow up to 2 1/2 feet long, 15 to 16 inches tall at the
shoulders, and weigh 10 to 12 pounds. It has a rusty-red fur, a white-tipped
bushy tail and black legs, ears and nose. The nose is pointed, and the ears are
wide and in the shape of a triangle.
The sly, intelligent fox adapts well to different habitats. It specializes in hunting small mammals such as rabbits and hares. The red fox is very elegant, intelligent and a nocturnal creature. It usually travels and hunts alone.
The female, or vixen, has from 4 to 10 pups early in the spring. The male, or dog fox, will stay around and feed
the vixen while she nurses the pups. He will help with teaching them to hunt
for a few weeks until they are independent. If the vixen is killed while the
pups are young, the dog fox will raise them himself.The red fox is classified as a nuisance by some because
it attacks and eats farm animals like chickens and ducks. They are often
purposely shot and killed by farmers. They are not endangered
is the red fox. It can grow up to 2 1/2 feet long, 15 to 16 inches tall at the
shoulders, and weigh 10 to 12 pounds. It has a rusty-red fur, a white-tipped
bushy tail and black legs, ears and nose. The nose is pointed, and the ears are
wide and in the shape of a triangle.
The sly, intelligent fox adapts well to different habitats. It specializes in hunting small mammals such as rabbits and hares. The red fox is very elegant, intelligent and a nocturnal creature. It usually travels and hunts alone.
The female, or vixen, has from 4 to 10 pups early in the spring. The male, or dog fox, will stay around and feed
the vixen while she nurses the pups. He will help with teaching them to hunt
for a few weeks until they are independent. If the vixen is killed while the
pups are young, the dog fox will raise them himself.The red fox is classified as a nuisance by some because
it attacks and eats farm animals like chickens and ducks. They are often
purposely shot and killed by farmers. They are not endangered
Wolverine
The Taiga Biome is populated with
special animals that all have techniques of keeping warm and dry or away from
the harsh coldness of the Taiga. One animal of the Taiga is the wolverine. The wolverine is a meat eating animal, or carnivore. It's body length can get up to 87 centimeters as an adult and weigh about 45 lbs. It looks sort of like a bear, with short legs, but it is the largest member of the weasel family. The wolverine is powerfully built
and is well adapted to living in the cold. It has very strong jaws that can
bite through frozen meat and bone. Its head is wide and kind of rounded, with
small eyes and small round ears. Its paws are very large with long claws. The
wolverine's fur is thick and a glossy dark brown.It is known for it's physical strength
and sharp, accurate hunting skills. It ranges from western United States,
through Canada, up to Alaska. Wolverines have a very keen sense of smell that
helps it locate food. It feeds mostly on rodents, fish, reptiles, birds,
carrion, and sometimes berries. It's habitat is in the boreal forests of the northern North American continent.During breeding season the males usually stay close to the female, but they prefers to travel alone. The females give birth to about 2 to 3 kits in March. The kits are born furry and their eyes are closed. They are weaned in about 9 to 10 months. They reach adult size by early winter but may stay with their mother until they are old enough to reproduce.The wolverine is a shy animal that tries to avoid contact with humans. Human settlements and low birth rates have decreased the wolverine populations in North America. Wolverines are considered a rare and vulnerable species.
special animals that all have techniques of keeping warm and dry or away from
the harsh coldness of the Taiga. One animal of the Taiga is the wolverine. The wolverine is a meat eating animal, or carnivore. It's body length can get up to 87 centimeters as an adult and weigh about 45 lbs. It looks sort of like a bear, with short legs, but it is the largest member of the weasel family. The wolverine is powerfully built
and is well adapted to living in the cold. It has very strong jaws that can
bite through frozen meat and bone. Its head is wide and kind of rounded, with
small eyes and small round ears. Its paws are very large with long claws. The
wolverine's fur is thick and a glossy dark brown.It is known for it's physical strength
and sharp, accurate hunting skills. It ranges from western United States,
through Canada, up to Alaska. Wolverines have a very keen sense of smell that
helps it locate food. It feeds mostly on rodents, fish, reptiles, birds,
carrion, and sometimes berries. It's habitat is in the boreal forests of the northern North American continent.During breeding season the males usually stay close to the female, but they prefers to travel alone. The females give birth to about 2 to 3 kits in March. The kits are born furry and their eyes are closed. They are weaned in about 9 to 10 months. They reach adult size by early winter but may stay with their mother until they are old enough to reproduce.The wolverine is a shy animal that tries to avoid contact with humans. Human settlements and low birth rates have decreased the wolverine populations in North America. Wolverines are considered a rare and vulnerable species.
River Otter
River otters inhabit areas that have thick woods, lakes, swamps, rocks, and logs
near grassy areas, streams, rivers, ponds, and mostly fresh water. River otters
can be found from 45û to 66û north latitude and from 120û to 139û west
longitude.The river otter is 25-30 inches long from head to body, and
its tail is 16-18 inches long. They weigh about 10-33 pounds. They have a long,
slender, and sleek body with a tapered tail. They have a coat that is about 2.5
inches thick. River otters have two different types of fur: they have an outer
coat of guard that protect their other set of fur which is an inner coat of
short, dense fur. The river otter has a dark brown back and can be either light
brown or gray on the stomach. The shape of its head is small, round,
and flattened. Their eyes are smalland are located near the top of the skull to give them the
ability to see above water while swimming underwater. The ears are very small.
The nose pad is large and the snout (which is the muzzle) is rounded with very long whiskers. The nostrils of a river otter are located at the top of the nose
to enable it to breathe while most of its body is submerged. When the river otter dives into the water, their nostrils automatically shut. Its whiskers are
very sensitive and pick up the vibrations underwater. The river otter has four webbed feet to give it forward thrust when swimming. Also, they have short,
strong legs. When it swims, the river otter moves slowly when above water, but when it's underwater, it twists and turns.
near grassy areas, streams, rivers, ponds, and mostly fresh water. River otters
can be found from 45û to 66û north latitude and from 120û to 139û west
longitude.The river otter is 25-30 inches long from head to body, and
its tail is 16-18 inches long. They weigh about 10-33 pounds. They have a long,
slender, and sleek body with a tapered tail. They have a coat that is about 2.5
inches thick. River otters have two different types of fur: they have an outer
coat of guard that protect their other set of fur which is an inner coat of
short, dense fur. The river otter has a dark brown back and can be either light
brown or gray on the stomach. The shape of its head is small, round,
and flattened. Their eyes are smalland are located near the top of the skull to give them the
ability to see above water while swimming underwater. The ears are very small.
The nose pad is large and the snout (which is the muzzle) is rounded with very long whiskers. The nostrils of a river otter are located at the top of the nose
to enable it to breathe while most of its body is submerged. When the river otter dives into the water, their nostrils automatically shut. Its whiskers are
very sensitive and pick up the vibrations underwater. The river otter has four webbed feet to give it forward thrust when swimming. Also, they have short,
strong legs. When it swims, the river otter moves slowly when above water, but when it's underwater, it twists and turns.