2. The fauna of Canada is considered to be diverse across Canada.
Canada has multiple ecosystems, ranging from lush forests of
British Columbia, the prairies of Western Canada, to the tundra of
the Northern Canada. With a large land mass, and small population
density, the wildlands of Canada provide important habitat for many
animals, both endangered and not. Canada is home to approximately
70 000 known species of plants and animals—and perhaps many
more that have yet to be discovered.
The most threatened wildlife and flora species of Canada are listed
in the List of Wildlife Species at Risk in accordance with the
Canadian Species at Risk Act. More than 400 species are listed as
being at risk of extinction in Canada. The regions with the most
endangered or threatened species are those in which humans have
had the greatest impact on the environment.
3. Mammals
Mammals are found in all the regions of Canada. Members of six orders of
placental mammals inhabit Canada. They are the bats, carnivores (including the
pinnipeds), artiodactyls, cetaceans, insectivores, rodents, and lagomorphs.
Additionally, one species of marsupial, the opossum, can now be found in
southern Canada.
4. Because of its large wild spaces, Canada is home to many large
mammals, some of which have been extirpated in more densely
populated areas, for example large predators such as the gray wolf and
the brown bear.
5. Well known as "Canadian" are those mammals that are comfortable in the
north, such as the caribou, the moose, the wolverine, and the musk ox. Other
prominent Canadian mammals are the Canada lynx, and the North American
beaver, which is a major symbol of Canada.
6. In addition to these native mammals, many Eurasian mammals were introduced
(either intentionally or accidentally) by European colonists. Among them are
domestic mammals, such as the horse, pig, sheep, dog, cat, and cattle, and wild
mammals, such as the brown rat and the house mouse.
7. Birds
Canada's avifauna comprises 462 species, members of seventeen orders of bird. The two
most diverse orders are the passerines and the charadriiformes. The most commonly
known birds include the Canada Goose, Snowy Owl, and the Common Raven. Another
prominent Canadian bird is the Whooping Crane, whose only breeding grounds are
protected in Wood Buffalo National Park.
8. Amphibians
Canada has forty-three types of amphibian, including salamanders as well
as frogs and toads.
Canada's salamanders are found in all ten provinces, but none live in the
three northern territories. Notable salamanders of Canada include the
common spotted salamander of eastern Canada, and the rare pacific giant
salamander of British Columbia's coastal rainforest.
Frogs and toads are found in every region of Canada, though more are
found in the south. Canada is home to five families of frogs and toads,
including the true frogs, true toads, and tree frogs, which are found in every
province and territory (except Nunavut, which only has true frogs), the
spadefoots, which are found in the prairie provinces, the magnedy (Southern
Ontario) and the tailed frog, which is found only in British Columbia.
9. Fish
Canada's rivers are famous for their annual runs of Atlantic salmon on the east
coast and Pacific salmon on the west coast. Canada's many freshwater lakes and
streams are home to rainbow trout, Arctic char, and brook trout.
10. In the past, invasive species such as the Lamprey and Zebra
Mussel have threatened these native species, and while efforts to
combat them have been made they still remain a hazard in some
areas, and there are ongoing effort to prevent the spread of Asian
Carp from the United States. There are also significant
commercial fisheries of many salt-water species, including
Atlantic cod, haddock and halibut, although some of these are in
decline.
