Not all of the animals of the Territories are as glamorous as foxes, bears, and pelicans but the humble muskrat can be a surprising character. They are a familliar sight for anyone who has walked alongside a marsh or slow-moving river. Muskrats get their name from the musk glands on their behinds which they use to mark their territory and …
This week we’re learning about voles. In particular, this little cutie who was busy cleaning up around our campsite when we weren’t really looking. I’m pretty sure this is a northern red-backed vole. There are a couple of clues that suggest vole. First is the reddish “stripe” along the back. Second, this little rodent’s tail is much shorter than that …
Beavers are Canada’s national animal. They are abundant across the country and not to brag or anything, but here in the north our beavers are pretty spectacular. I don’t ever remember seeing such large rodents when I lived in Alberta or British Columbia. Perhaps it is our abundance of pristine lakes and ample food sources, or perhaps they are just …
Happy Sunday! I was really hoping to be able to share some fantastic snowy owl photos with you from my recent trip to Alberta but things didn’t work out the way I’d hoped. I did see a couple of chickadees and a lot of geese headed north but I didn’t see any owls. The one thing I did spot was …