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List of mammals of British Columbia facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Welcome to the amazing world of mammals! Mammals are a diverse group of animals that share special features like having fur or hair, being warm-blooded, and feeding their young with milk. From tiny shrews to giant whales, our region is home to many incredible mammal species. Let's explore some of them!

Amazing Mammals of Our Region

Bats (Chiroptera)

Bats are the only mammals that can truly fly! They use their specially adapted wings to soar through the night sky. Many bats are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night, and they often use echolocation (sending out sounds and listening for echoes) to find their way and hunt insects.

Vesper Bats (Vespertilionidae)

Vesper bats are one of the largest families of bats. They are found all over the world and are mostly insect-eaters.

California Myotis (Myotis californicus)
The California myotis is a small bat found in western North America.
Big-eared-townsend-fledermaus
Townsend's big-eared bat has very long ears, which help it hear its prey.

Here are some of the vesper bats you might find:

Carnivores (Carnivora)

Carnivores are mammals that primarily eat meat. This group includes many well-known animals, from powerful bears to sneaky foxes. They have sharp teeth and claws perfect for hunting.

Bears (Ursidae)

Bears are large, powerful carnivores. They are known for their strength and often for their ability to stand on two legs. While they are carnivores, many bears also eat plants, berries, and fish.

Raccoons (Procyonidae)

Raccoons are clever and adaptable animals. They are known for their masked faces and bushy, ringed tails. They are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals.

Raccoon (Procyon lotor) 1
Raccoons are very adaptable and can live in many different environments.

Skunks (Mephitidae)

Skunks are famous for their strong-smelling spray, which they use to defend themselves. They have distinct black and white fur patterns.

Weasels and Otters (Mustelidae)

This family includes a variety of animals like weasels, otters, badgers, and martens. Many of them are long-bodied and agile hunters.

Wild Cats (Felidae)

Wild cats are skilled predators with excellent senses and stealthy hunting techniques. They are known for their sleek bodies and sharp claws.

Calero Creek Trail Bobcat
The Bobcat is a medium-sized wild cat.
Canada lynx by Michael Zahra
The Canada lynx has large paws that help it walk on snow.
Oregon Cougar ODFW
The Cougar is also known as a mountain lion.

Wild Dogs (Canidae)

The dog family includes wolves, coyotes, and foxes. These animals are often social and hunt in packs or pairs.

Coyote in Alaska
Coyotes are very adaptable and can live in many different habitats.
RedFox
Red foxes are known for their bushy tails.
Canis lupus 265b
The Grey wolf is a powerful predator.

Seals (Pinnipeds)

Seals are marine mammals that spend most of their lives in the ocean but come to land or ice to rest and reproduce. They are excellent swimmers.

Earless Seals (Phocidae)

These seals do not have external ear flaps. They move on land by wriggling their bodies.

Eared Seals (Otariidae)

Eared seals, like sea lions and fur seals, have small external ear flaps. They can rotate their hind flippers forward, allowing them to "walk" on land.

Sealion052006
California sea lions are often seen along coastlines.

Hoofed Mammals (Artiodactyla)

Even-toed ungulates are mammals that have an even number of toes on each foot, usually two or four. These animals are typically herbivores, meaning they eat plants.

Deer Family (Cervidae)

Deer are known for the antlers that males usually grow and shed each year. They are graceful herbivores found in many different habitats.

Cattle and Goats (Bovidae)

This family includes animals like bison, mountain goats, and sheep. Many bovids have unbranched horns that are never shed.

American bison k5680-1
American bison are the largest land mammals in North America.

Rodents (Rodentia)

Rodents are the largest group of mammals. They are characterized by their continuously growing incisor teeth, which they keep short by gnawing.

Beavers (Castoridae)

Beavers are large, semi-aquatic rodents famous for building dams and lodges.

Beaver Yearling Grooming Alhambra Creek 2008
The North American beaver is known for building dams.

Porcupines (Erethizontidae)

Porcupines are known for their sharp quills, which they use for defense against predators.

Jumping Mice (Dipodidae)

These small rodents are known for their long tails and powerful hind legs, which allow them to make impressive jumps.

Voles, Mice, and Rats (Cricetidae and Muridae)

These families include many small, common rodents. They play important roles in ecosystems as both prey and consumers of seeds and plants.

Neotoma cinerea
The Bushy-tailed woodrat often builds large nests.
Muskrat swimming Ottawa
Muskrats are semi-aquatic rodents.
Rattus norvegicus 1
The Brown rat is a common rodent found worldwide.

Pocket Mice (Heteromyidae)

Pocket mice are small rodents with external, fur-lined cheek pouches that they use to carry food.

Pocket Gophers (Geomyidae)

Pocket gophers are burrowing rodents with large cheek pouches and strong claws for digging.

Squirrels (Sciuridae)

The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, and marmots. They are often active during the day and are known for collecting and storing food.

Marmota flaviventris (Yellow Bellied Marmot), Yosemite NP - Diliff
The Yellow-bellied marmot is a large ground squirrel.

Mountain Beavers (Aplodontiidae)

Despite their name, mountain beavers are not closely related to true beavers. They are unique, burrowing rodents found in western North America.

Rabbits, Hares, and Pikas (Lagomorpha)

Lagomorphs are similar to rodents but have two pairs of upper incisors instead of one. They are typically herbivores.

Rabbits and Hares (Leporidae)

Rabbits and hares are known for their long ears, strong hind legs, and soft fur. Hares are generally larger and have longer ears than rabbits.

White-tailed Jackrabbit
The White-tailed jackrabbit is a type of hare.

Pikas (Ochotonidae)

Pikas are small, furry mammals that look a bit like guinea pigs with short, rounded ears. They live in rocky areas and are known for collecting "haypiles" of vegetation for winter.

Shrews and Moles (Soricomorpha)

This group includes small, insect-eating mammals. They often have poor eyesight but excellent senses of smell and touch.

Moles (Talpidae)

Moles are burrowing animals with powerful front paws adapted for digging tunnels underground.

Shrews (Soricidae)

Shrews are tiny, mouse-like mammals with long snouts. They have very high metabolisms and must eat almost constantly.

PacificWaterShrew23
The Marsh shrew can dive and run on water.

Whales and Dolphins (Cetacea)

Cetaceans are marine mammals that are fully adapted to life in the water. This group includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. They breathe air through blowholes on top of their heads.

JumpingOrca
Orcas are powerful marine predators.
Humpback stellwagen edit
Humpback whales are known for their beautiful songs.

Oceanic Dolphins (Delphinidae)

Dolphins are intelligent and social marine mammals. They are known for their playful behavior and often travel in groups called pods.

Porpoises (Phocoenidae)

Porpoises are smaller than dolphins and have spade-shaped teeth. They often have a more rounded head shape.

Sperm Whales (Physeteridae)

Sperm whales are the largest toothed whales. They are known for their huge heads and deep diving abilities.

Dwarf Sperm Whales (Kogiidae)

These are smaller relatives of the sperm whale, also known for their unique head structure.

Beaked Whales (Ziphiidae)

Beaked whales are mysterious deep-diving whales. They are rarely seen and often have unique beaks or teeth.

Rorquals (Balaenopteridae)

Rorquals are baleen whales, meaning they have baleen plates in their mouths instead of teeth. They filter feed on small prey like krill and fish. This group includes some of the largest animals on Earth.

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List of mammals of British Columbia Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.