Animals

= = = Animals in the Taiga =

All animals in the Taiga have similar adaptations to survive. To live through the cold winters they must have thick coats of fur or feathers, and although the winter transforms this forest into a desolate place, the animals must find something to eat.

Northern Lynx
(Canadian Lynx - //Lynx canadensis//) (Siberian Lynx - //Lynx wrangeli//) The lynx is a solitary mammal and lives exclusively in the world's Taigas. These cats have very thick coats of fur and have tufts of hair on their ears for warmth during the long cold winter. Their paws are larger compared to the rest of their body to provide a type of "snowshoe" to walk in the snow. Also, their paws have very long claws and rough pads on the bottom to allow them to climb trees. Lynxes are carnivorous and mainly hunt for their food, primarily the snowshoe hare. On some occasions, when there is no prey available, they will scavenge for food. Primarily nocturnal, these cats hunt at night and are rarely seen by humans.

Gray Wolf
(//Canis lupus//) The gray wolf is the largest wild canine in the world and can survive in many biomes as long as there is food. However, they are most suited to live in the Taiga biome. They have several adaptations to make them thrive. The adaptations are: wooly fur for insulation, long guard hairs to keep out moisture, fleshy pads and large claws on the paws for traction, a sense of hearing twenty times sharper than humans, and a sense of smell a hundred times better than humans. Their diet is mainly comprised of deer type animals such as the moose or caribou. When food is scarce though, they may resort to eating rodents and even scavenging for food. Gray wolves travel, live, and hunt in packs and are very territorial.

=River Otter= (//Lutra canadensis//) The River Otter lives near rivers and dense pine forests, and often spend most of their time in the icy waters. These semi-aquatic mammals have two coats of fur. The first coat is made of long, guard hairs to keep the second coat dry. The second coat is short and tightly packed for insulation. They are omnivorous and mainly consumes fish, shellfish, crustaceans, and other small organisms. River otters are often hunted by wolves and foxes.

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