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Cervidae (Caribou rangifer tarandus caribou (appearance (body parts (long…

- - - - 105-120 cm tall
        
        bulls:
        
        twice weight of cows
        
        180-270 kg
    - - dark chocolate brown body
        
        limited white areas on belly, rump, lower legs
        white neck mane
    - - long-legged
        
        large, concave, spread-out hooves
        
        dewclaws shown on hoofprint
      - antlers
        
        only ungulates where both sexes have antlers
        
        1 or 2 heavy wide flat tines exteding over forehead
        
        main stem extends back, up, and out
        
        tips are branched
        
        cows have smaller ones, may not have any
- - - - small home range
        
        widely distributed
        
        less common on coast
        
        not on islands
    - - forests with lakes & swamps
        
        80% woody browse
        
        winter:
        
        valley bottoms
        
        willows & shrubs along river valleys, wetlands, burns
        
        twigs, bark, saplings
        
        summer:
        
        aquatic veg, new leaves, herbs
    - - size
        
        largest of cervidae
        
        150-195 cm
        
        450-535 kg bulls
        
        315-420 kg cows
      - colour
        
        dark brown to black
        
        grey legs
      - body parts
        
        front legs longer than back
        
        shoulder hump
        
        big ears
        
        large overhanging upper lip
        
        short tail
        
        "bell" or "dewlap" hangs under throat
        
        antlers
        
        begin developing in April
        
        velvet shed by Sept
        
        shed Nov-Mar
        
        massive, palmate plates
        
        small tines projecting forward
        
        mature bulls get lower palms
        
        up to 168 cm wide
    - - can cause problems tearing up hay bales
        
        live alone or small groups
        
        Ruts:
        
        8-10 animals
        
        Sept-Nov
        
        bulls grunt & bellow
        
        lock horns & push
        
        gestation 8 months, calfs born May
        
        good swimmers & waders
        
        great at staying warm
  - - - largest
    - - smallest
- - - - form large social groups
        
        25+ cows, calves,
        
        fall rut involves bugle, wallow, urine spray,
        veg thrash, antler fights, front hooves
        
        bull elk will form harems of cows
        
        rut can last sept-Nov
        
        gestation 8 months for single calf
    - - island mountains,
        
        lower mainland,
        
        eastern interior
    - - mountainous areas
        
        dense coastal forest
        
        semi-open interior forest
        
        most active in mornings & evenings
        
        feed on grasses, herbs, twigs, bark
        
        lower elevation than moose
        
        need shallow snow for low-growing food
        
        shares habitat without competing w other ungulates
    - - size
        
        mature bulls:
        
        120-150 cm
        
        265-450 kg
        
        cows:
        
        190-270 kg
      - antlers
        
        description
        
        long, round beam
        
        sweeps up and back from skull
        
        unbranched tines
        
        up to 6 tines
        
        tip of anteler points down from main beam
        
        other 5 tines located forward and point up
        
        2 tines above forehead
        
        used for dominance
        
        growth
        
        starts early May
        
        complete by Aug
        
        shed by Feb-Apr
      - colour
        
        summer
        
        re-brown
        
        dark brown legs, head, neck
        
        large cream rump patch
        
        winter
        
        starts late august
        
        darker grey brown
        
        dark mane gets heavier
  - - - slightly darker and larger
        
        live on coast
- - - - Facts
        
        behaviour
        
        rutting dominance display
        
        more curious and more seen
        
        pause to look back while running away
        
        bounce high and stiff-legged
        
        gets a lot of air
        
        gutteral grunt, snort when alarmed
        
        twin fawns born after 6-7 months
        
        loners or small groups
        
        distribution
        
        most abundant
        
        east of coast mtns
        
        Habitat
        
        many.
        
        favour open areas
        
        eat grass, herbs, shrubs, twigs
        
        winter range shared w elk, white-tailed deer, cows
        
        appearance
        
        colour
        
        brownish
        
        grey brown in winter
        
        red brown in summer
        
        light throat, face and muzzle
        
        dark forehaead and large white rump patch
        
        tail tipped with black hair
        
        ears have black borders with white hair inside
        
        body parts
        
        large, mule-like ears
        
        slender tail
        
        antlers
        
        shed between Jan - Mar
        
        regrown April- Aug
        
        buck antlers grow in forked pairs
        
        two beams which divide into forked pairs
        single brow tine
        
        rack curves out to side and up
        
        size
        
        largest
        
        mature bucks 70-115 kg
        
        90 cm at shoulder
      - subspecies
        
        black-tailed
        
        Columbia
        odocoileus heionus columbianus
        
        darker
        
        smaller
        
        south
        
        Habitat
        
        in north, old-growth forests
        
        browsers in winter
        
        grazers also in summer
        
        Sitka
        odocoileus hemionus sitkensis
        
        appearance
        
        colour
        
        grey-brown
        
        tail is brown/black on top and white underside
        
        light face and muzzle
        
        forehead not dark
        
        body parts
        
        small ears
        
        broad tail
        
        antlers
        
        less tines
        
        smallest
        
        darkest
        
        north
    - - Facts
        
        behaviour
        
        very wary
        
        when startled, tail waves high ("flagging")
        
        usually seen early morning or late afternoon
        
        run in undulating leaps
        
        excellent swimmers
        
        doe and fawns
        
        bucks live alone or small groups
        
        gestation 7 months
        
        distribution
        
        SE & south-central BC
        
        often follow human settlements
        
        Habitat
        
        more likely to be found in valley bottoms than mule deer
        
        forest, swamps, open brushy areas
        
        beside streams & rivers
        
        twigs, shrubs, fungi, grass & herbs
        
        mainly browsers, but graze too
        
        appearance
        
        colour
        
        brown tail covers white rump
        
        white belly, inner legs, eyes, chin and throat
        
        body parts
        
        antlers
        
        single main beam
        
        unbranched tines
        
        main beam curves back from head and then out and forward
        
        brow tine near base of main beam
        
        small ears
        
        size
        
        mid-sized
        
        90 cm
        
        68-102 kg
      - subspecies
        
        Dakota
        
        Northwest
    - - behaviour
        
        herd animals
        
        main groupings fawns and yearlings
        
        band together for rut, Aug-Oct
        
        rut involves a scrape and thrashed trees
        
        also groaning call from bucks
        
        single fawn born May/June after 8 month gestation
        
        does are very vocal. Squeaks and bleats
      - distribution
        
        southern BC
        
        not native to BC
      - Habitat
        
        grazers & browsers
        
        open habitat but also need forest
        
        seldom need to drink
      - appearance
        
        colour
        
        light brown
        
        white spots
        
        winter coat darker
        
        white line runs along flank
        
        black stripe runs along back onto tail
        
        brown tail
        
        body parts
        
        buck has adam's apple
        
        prominent penile sheath
        
        distinct antlers
        
        narrow base
        
        sweeps back from head
        
        prominent brow tine
        
        second tine further back
        
        tines do not branch
        
        sweeps up as it palmates
        
        size
        
        40-80 kg
        
        90 cm
        
        does are shorter, 45 kg
- - - - moose
    - - fallow deer
  - - - Elk
    - - thin,
        
        sweeping,
        
        unbranched tines on main beam
        
        White-tailed deer
      - upright, not forward sweeping
        
        upswept,
        
        branching,
        
        v-pronged tines
        
        prominent brow line
        
        Caribou
        
        upswept
        
        branching
        
        no prominent brow line
        
        Mule deer