Black-Tailed Deer
Odocoileus hemionus ssp. columbianus
Description: A smaller subspecies of the common Mule Deer found throughout much of BC but with a mostly black tail, smaller ears, a smaller white rump patch, shorter and lighter face and smaller overall build. Coat is reddish in summer to brown in winter.
Ecology: Common in coastal BC south to California, being replaced by the Sitka subspecies farther north on the coast, and the Mule Deer inland. Seems to occupy and feed in a wide range of habitats browsing on shrubs and berries in burned / cleared areas but requiring some protection and browsing grounds in the winter in mature or old growth forests. They often share winter browsing grounds with Elk.
Notes: October 2006 Sechelt Water Reservoir, this curious little guy was crossing the dirt road with his momma. Deer are seldom afraid of people on the Sunshine Coast, often because people have been feeding the deer as well as the deer have been feeding on the local gardens. As a result have become quite tame, something not recommended by wildlife specialists. Feeding of wild animals brings them into closer proximity to humans which increases both their likelihood of fatality and the likelihood of a human fatality, usually through motor vehicle collisions which incidentally kill far more people every year than all wild animal attacks or encounters. A deer was seen dead on the side of the road not far from my home between the time of the 2 photos.
Douglas’s Squirrel
Tamiasciurus douglasii
Description: Body is brown in colour with pumpkin orange ring around the eye and on the underbelly, feet and throat. Total length is 25-35cm with their bushy tails measuring about 10-16cm in length. A very vocal squirrel often heard on the West coast.
Ecology: Found in coastal coniferous forests in the southern mainland of BC south through coastal Washington, Oregon and southern California. They feed mostly on pine, fir, spruce & hemlock seeds as well as deciduous seeds and catkins and berries and mushrooms. Will sometimes venture into logged areas and will accept a close proximity to people.
Notes: This little guy was our own personal campsite mascot where we stayed in Porpoise Bay Provincial Park, he spent the entire day storing his cache of fir cones and seeds and bits of food campers had left behind, and getting cheeky with any other squirrels, and even a crow, that threatened his territory (our campsite and the surrounding bush). Even in campgrounds it is not recommended to feed the animals to ensure that they do not become dependent on people for their survival.
Canadian Beaver
Castor Canadensis
Description: A very large rodent with dark brown fir and a characteristic flattened black scaly tail that is used as a rudder for swimming as well as for balance when carrying large branches or small trees. It has small, dark eyes and nose, very small ears, and webbed back feet, it weighs an average of 45-65 lbs though may grow up to 100lbs or more.
Ecology: Lives throughout all of British Columbia, and most of Canada, where it can be found in lakes, creeks, marshes, rivers, ponds, and occasionally even a small roadside swamp. Found from low to middle elevation. The beaver builds a lodge out of sticks, and small trees which are intertwined and in the winter packed with mud to keep warmth in and predators out. Dams are build of trees and branches, as well as mud, and can be quite extensive.
Notes: The picture on the left is picture of a beaver lodge and was taken in Klein Lake near Egmont, BC, August 2002. The picture on the right is of some fir trees on a small island in Carlson Lake at middle elevation, the beavers had stripped them of the bark that they use for food.
The beavers were once hunted and killed to the point of local extinction in some areas during the fur trade when the beaver pelt was one of the most prized commodities; while still trapped now for its pelt it is protected from over-trapping and the beaver has returned in most areas, the Sunshine Coast of BC for example has a healthy beaver population whose numbers seem to be on the increase.
Common Raccoon
Prycycon lotor
Description: Characteristic black banded bushy tail and black mask around the eyes, brownish body with light grey underneath. 65-100cm in length including tail. Weighs 5-14kg.
Ecology: Common in coastal BC south through most of the US down to Mexico. Long cold winters used to be a barrier to the dispersal of the raccoon which does not enter a dormant state in winter, but it has spread inland due to the spread of human settlements which provide year round food sources.
Notes: Raccoons are very common where we live, this one often visits our trees in our yard where we live on the edge of a park, he spent most of the summer of 2006 frequenting our garbage before we moved it inside, and feeding off the cherries in our cherry tree, and whatever else he could get his hands on.
Black Bear
Ursus americanus
Description: Black, dark brown or even honey coloured coat. Rare white is found only in secluded areas on the central and north coast of BC where they are known as Spirit Bears. Total length 1.3-1.8m, 110cm tall at the shoulders, and weigh 40-270kg.
Ecology: Common in forested habitats throughout all of BC, feeds mostly on plants outside of human influence where they will scavenge at garbage dumps and raid garbage cans for almost anything they can get their paws on. It loves dandelions as well as berries
Notes: If you come across a black bear and it gives you a throaty huff sound, that is its warning to you to retreat out of its territory, do not stand frozen in place as the bear may attack to defend its territory. Poaching is a serious concern for the black bear whose gallbladder and paws have high black-market value. These are photos of its paw prints in some mud on the edge of one of the Lyon Lakes at high elevation in the Caren Range mountains, summer 2006 photo, we also saw a bear that day but were unable to get a decent photo of it.
