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Mink
This sleek-bodied
animal has a lustrous, chocolate brown to black fur with white spotting on the
chin and throat. The tail is long and bushy. Average weight is 1-4 pounds, the
size of a small housecat, the male being heavier than the female.
Distribution - The mink
occurs throughout all of Canada along rivers, creeks, ponds, lakes and
marshes.
Biology - They prey
chiefly on muskrats then mice, rabbits, chipmunks, fish, snakes, frogs and
birds and are known to raid poultry houses. Foxes, bobcats and great horned
owls are known predators. They den near water in abandoned burrows and move
often. In the spring 3-6 young are born blind and naked. The pelts are highly
valued; most of those used commercially are raised on ranches.
Moles
Click to see this page:
Voles
Voles are mouselike rodents
somewhat similar in appearance to pocket gophers. They have a compact, heavy
body, short legs, short-furred tail, small eyes, and partially hidden ears.
The long, coarse fur is blackish brown to grayish brown. When fully grown
they can measure 5 to 8 inches long, including the tail.
Eastern meadow voles look
like mice with tiny ears and short tails.
Voles spend most of their
time below ground in their burrow system. The clearest signs of their
presence are the well-traveled, aboveground runways that connect burrow
openings; the runways are usually hidden beneath a protective layer of grass
or other ground cover. The maze of runways leads to multiple burrow openings
that are each about 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter.
Voles are active day and night, year-round. They are normally found in areas
with dense vegetation. Voles dig many short, shallow burrows and make
underground nests of grass, stems, and leaves. In areas with winter snow,
voles will burrow in and through the snow to the surface.
For control information see this web site:
http://www.moles-voles.ca/voles.html
Weasels
The weasel family belongs to the Order Carnivora, "the meat-eaters."
With the exception of the river otter, all members of the weasel family feed
primarily on insects and small rodents. Their diet consists of whatever meat
they can obtain and may include birds and bird eggs.
As predators, they play an important role in the animal community. They
live off the annual surplus of animals they prey upon. Generally, they
capture those animals which are less fit to survive, usually the young, old,
injured or sick. Predators also tend to hunt the most abundant prey, turning
to another prey species if the numbers of the first become scarce. In this
way, they seldom endanger the long-term welfare of the animal populations
they prey upon.
The same agility and ferocity used in hunting is used for defence.
Members of the weasel family have few natural enemies. People can be the
greatest threat to their survival.
Squirrels
GREY SQUIRRELS MAJOR PROBLEM FOR
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Illegal
transportation of Grey Squirrels in live catch traps from urban centres such as
Victoria are contributing significantly to the spread of this population up
island and throughout the Vancouver area . BC Wildlife
Branch lists grey squirrels as a species that is known to destroy property and
is detrimental to native wildlife. Nut Growers on the Saanich peninsula near
Victoria are inundated with Grey Squirrels and farmers are facing massive losses
of nut crops. At the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve in Duncan Grey Squirrels are
damaging bird boxes, killing young birds, eating acorns and are impacting on the
overall ecological health of the site. Nipping off the new shoots of the Garry
Oak tree when it sprouts is having a devastating impact on the Gary Oak
population which is already Red Listed by the British Columbia Ministry of
Environment. These squirrels have now been seen and
captured in Nanaimo.
Vancouver Island residents urban and
rural are experiencing a population explosion in Grey Squirrels (Sciurus
carolinensis). The grey squirrel weighs approximately 275g, has a body height
of approximately 25cm and a tail length of approximately 20cm. On the other
hand the Western Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is approximately half
the size of the Grey’s. The Grey Squirrels’ shear size allows them to dominate
and extirpate the Red’s from their traditional territory.
The most serious damage in urban areas arises where the squirrel enters the roof
spaces of houses by climbing the walls or jumping from nearby trees. Once
inside, they chew woodwork, ceilings, and insulation on electrical wiring or
tear up the loft insulation to form a drey. The noise nuisance from a litter of
squirrels can cause many sleepless nights. They are also a pest in the
garden—they raid fruit crops, bird feeders and can cause damage to trees by
stripping the bark, which often results in the weakening of young shoots and a
misshapen tree.
The Ministry of Environment and the
Ministry of Agriculture are working closely together in combating the over
population of Grey Squirrels on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. The
Kania Trap 2000 is proving to be the most successful trap in
controlling the Grey Squirrel. Transportation and Re-location of live
wildlife is an offence under the BC Wildlife Act without the written consent
from the Ministry of Environment. For more information Contact: Calvin
Kania.
info@kania.net
Gophers
See the questions and answers on "animal
pest questions"
Snakes
Some basic information from University of North Dakota.
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/askext/wildpest/323.htm
Snakes of North America Photos
http://www.pitt.edu/~mcs2/herp/SoNA.html
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