Arctodus simus (giant short-faced bear)
The giant short-faced bear was the largest bear as well as the largest carnivorous land mammal ever known. Its range stretched across western North America from Alaska down to central Mexico, although it has been found as far east as Virginia in the United States. It has a distinctly lower and wider forehead and a short, broad muzzle with eyes set far apart, giving it excellent vision. Fully grown adult individuals of this species could be up to 6 feet tall when crouching, up to 11-13 feet tall when fully upright on its hind legs, and run at an astonishing speed up to 30-40 miles per hour. Although this bear was physically able to hunt large prey such as bison, deer and elk, scientists believe it was more often a scavenger, stealing from other carnivores by driving them away from their killed prey. It is believed that the short-faced bear went extinct 12,000 years ago due to loss of food source from competition with humans. This is believed largely because this mammal went extinct around the same time of the human invention of the clovis point, which was used to hunt animals similar to the prey of Arctodus simus.
Bison antiquus (Bison)
Bison antiquus was the most common, large herbivore of North America that lived during the late Pleistocene epoch. They became increasingly abundant in parts of North America from 18,000 years ago to 10,000 years ago, after which they gave rise to the modern, living speices of bison. Bison antiquus is larger and taller than the modern bison, weighing about 5000 pounds. The horns measure about 3 feet tall. They were hunted by Native Americans for food, shelter, and clothing and faced extinction in the late 1800’s. At this time, they seemed to have evolved into the modern bison.
Bison latifrons (Giant Ice Age Bison)
The largest bison with horns up to 7.5feet tall were herbivorous browsers/grazers that went extinct about 20,000-30,000 years ago. These bison thrived in North America and lived in small herds during the Pleistocene epoch for about 200,000 years before becoming extinct most likely due to a glaciation event that occurred during the Quaternary Extinction.
Camelops hesternus (Western Camel)
The Camelops hesternus once lived in western North America from the late Pliocene to the late Pleistocene time period. This extinct camel was approximately seven feet at the shoulder and looked a lot like today’s modern camel. It went extinct around 10,000 years ago at the end of the Pleistocene. This extinction was due to the hunting Clovis culture, which hunted big games such as this camel species with Clovis tools. This species was also an adaptable herbivore: it ate plants that were attainable.
Canis dirus (dire wolf)
This relative of the smaller, nimbler grey wolf lived in North American during the Pleistocene Epoch. At approximately 5 feet long and 110 pounds, the dire wolf was a larger, sturdier and more powerful version of the modern day grey wolf that survived through the years to the present, specifically that it had a larger and broader head, shorter and sturdier legs, larger teeth, and larger muscles. Because of its larger size than the grey wolf, its diet mainly consisted of bison, horse, and sloth, which were hunted in packs of four to seven individuals. It exhibited hyena-like characteristics such as hunting in packs and scavenging food from other hunters. The extinction of Canis dirus occurred around 10,000 years ago, when climatic factors combined with environmental hazards (such as tar pits) and competition for food (with humans that first arrived in North America through the Bering Straight). Thus, it was possibly “killed” (directly or indirectly) by Native Americans who may have outcompeted the dire wolf for food sources, forcing it to resort to smaller, faster prey that the modern day grey wolf was better suited to hunt.
Capromeryx minor (dwarf pronghorn)
Capromeryx minor is a very small, extinct species of a pronghorn-like ungulate. The herbivore stood about only 60 cm tall and weighed about 22 pounds. They had two tined horns, giving them a four-horned appearance. Because of its small size, it most likely lived in forests where it hid. Specimens of this species dated to the late Irvingtonian and rancholabrean period, which is considered to overlap the late Pleistocene and middle Pleistocene epochs. The species was discovered in La Brea Tar Pits of California and has been found as far east as Texas. Little is known about this species but its extinction was most likely associated with environmental conflicts.
Cervus elaphus (red deer)
The Cervus elaphus’s common name is the red deer. It was introduced to several continents, including North America, South America, and Australia. Its preferred habitats are the following: natural forests, planted forests, range or grasslands, scrub or shrublands, and tundra. Adults are medium-sized with round antlers, and a plain brown body with a lighter shade below. Males who are mature have antlers with ten or more tines. The muzzle is hairless and black, and hooves are a dark grey or black. Females generally weigh 100-150kg while males weigh 200-300kg. The lifespan of both sexes is generally 18 to 20 years. Although the species is not extinct, people have been taking advantage of the Cervus elaphus for recreational hunting, their venison, velvet, skin, antlers, tails, and teeth. This species feed on plants in their habitats, with females feeding on the more lush habitats while males feed on inferior feeding habitats.
Chaetodipus spp. (pocket mouse)
Chaetodipus is a genus ofpocket mouse containing 19 species endemic to the United States and Mexico. Like other members oftheir family such as pocket mice in the genus Perognathus, they are more closely related topocketgophers than to true mice.
Members of this genus range in size from 80-125 mm (head and body) and weigh 15-47 grams (Nowak, 1999). Unlike the silky pocket mice (genusPerognathus), most species of the genus Chaetodipus have harshpelage with some bordering on spiny hair. They tend to be found in arid habitats where they feed on seeds, vegetation, and insects (Nowak, 1999). Females give birth to a litter of 2-9 young after agestation period of just under a month. The longest recorded life span is 8 years and 4 months (Nowak, 1999).
Members of this genus range in size from 80-125 mm (head and body) and weigh 15-47 grams (Nowak, 1999). Unlike the silky pocket mice (genusPerognathus), most species of the genus Chaetodipus have harshpelage with some bordering on spiny hair. They tend to be found in arid habitats where they feed on seeds, vegetation, and insects (Nowak, 1999). Females give birth to a litter of 2-9 young after agestation period of just under a month. The longest recorded life span is 8 years and 4 months (Nowak, 1999).
Equus conversidens (The Pleistocene Horse)
This horse species, better known as the Mexican horse, existed during the Pleistocene. This species roamed throughout North America, covering ground from California to Florida. As they are a type of horse, they were herbivores and had similar diets to other grazers of the time period. The Mexican horse was likely smaller than the western horse, with fossils instead showing it to be small to medium sized.
Equus occidentalis
The western horse inhabited North America during the Ice Age, appearing to go extinct approximately 11,000 years ago. Their earliest fossils date to 500,000 years ago.They were a larger horse species, growing to about the size of a modern mustang and having a stout build. Though they are known as the western horse, their remains have been found all across the United States. As is characteristic of horse species, the western horse was a grazer. Their extinction appears to be a result of the ending of the Ice Age.
Euceratherium collinum (Shrub-ox)
A herbivorous browser/grazer that mainly fed on trees and shrubs. It is about the size of a cow and is native to North America. This species is considered a close relative of the musk-ox. It appeared on this continent in the early Pleistocene epoch. It went extinct about 11,500 years ago most likely due to environmental factors and climatic changes.
Felis concolor (mountain lion)
The Mountain Lion is a mammal of the family Felidae, native to the Americas. This large, solitary cat has the greatest range of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the WesternHemisphere, extending from Yukon in Canada to the southern Andes of South America. An adaptable, generalist species, the cougar is found in every major Americanhabitat type. It is the second heaviest cat in the Western Hemisphere, after the jaguar. Although large, the cougar is most closely related to smaller felines and is closer genetically to the domesticcat than to true lions. Primary food sources include ungulates such as deer, elk, moose, and bighornsheep, as well as domestic cattle, horses and sheep, particularly in the northern part of its range. It will also hunt species as small as insects and rodents. This cat prefers habitats with dense underbrush and rocky areas for stalking, but it can also live in open areas. The Mountain Lion or (Cougar) is territorial and persists at low population densities. Individual territory sizes depend on terrain, vegetation, and abundance of prey.Mountain Lion adults stand about 24 to 35 in tall at the shoulders.Adult males are around 7.9 ft long nose to tail and females average 6.7 ft, with overall ranges between 4.9 to 9.0 ft nose to tail suggested for the species in general. Of this length, 25 to 37 in is comprised by the tail.Males typically weigh 115 to 220 pounds, averaging 137 lb. Females typically weigh between 64 and 141 lb, averaging 93 lb. The WorldConservationUnion (IUCN) currently lists the cougar as a "leastconcern" species.
Hemiauchenia macrocephala (large-headed llamas)
Hemiauchenia macrocephala are large-headed llamas that lived in California, Florida, Texas, Great Plains states, and South America. This species had an estimated body weight of 300kg, height at shoulder of 2 meters, and a very short tail. It looks somewhat like the modern llama, except for its larger head, longer neck, and thinner limbs. This species, much like the modern camels, was great with running with its long and slender limbs to aid it with long strides. It went extinct roughly 10,000 years ago, at the end of the Pleistocene. It went extinct around 10,000 years ago at the end of the Pleistocene. This extinction was likely due to the hunting Clovis culture, which hunted big games such as these llamas. It was adapted to both browse and graze, generally feeding on coarse grasses and drought tolerant plants.
Homotherium serum
Homotherium serum is the less widely known saber-toothed cat. It had shorter saber-teeth that had serrated edges, long legs, non-retractible claws, a large nasal cavity, and was about the size of a modern lion.. It was most likely very fast and hunted in open habitats in packs. Homotherium serum was much less abundant than Smilodon and lived in higher latitudes and altitudes. It probably survived on a diet of large thick-skinned herbivores such as mammoths or mastodon. Its extinction in North America is approximated at 10,000 years ago.
Lynx rufus (bobcat)
is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago. With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continentalUnitedStates. The bobcat is an adaptable predator that inhabits wooded areas, as well as semi-desert, urban edge, forest edges, and swampland environments. It persists in much of its original range and populations are healthy. With a gray to brown coat, whiskered face, and black-tufted ears, the bobcat resembles the other species of the mid-sized Lynx genus. It is smaller on average than the Canadalynx, with which it shares parts of its range, but is about twice as large as the domesticcat. It has distinctive black bars on its forelegs and a black-tipped, stubby tail, from which it derives its name. Though the bobcat prefers rabbits and hares, it will hunt anything from insects and small rodents to deer. Prey selection depends on location and habitat, season, and abundance. Like most cats, the bobcat is territorial and largely solitary, although there is some overlap in home ranges. It uses several methods to markitsterritorialboundaries, including claw marks and deposits of urine or feces. The bobcat breeds from winter into spring and has a gestation period of about two months.
Although bobcats have been hunted extensively by humans, both for sport and fur, their population has proven resilient. The elusive predator features in NativeAmericanmythology and the folklore of European settlers.
Although bobcats have been hunted extensively by humans, both for sport and fur, their population has proven resilient. The elusive predator features in NativeAmericanmythology and the folklore of European settlers.
Mammut Americanum (Mammoth)
The American mastodon roamed North America from at least 3.75 million to about 11,000 years ago. Adult specimens stood between 8 and 10 feet tall at the shoulder and weighed between 4 and 6 tons. Mastodons had blunt teeth and tusks that were used to eat various shrubs, herbs, and trees. They are known to have been hunted by people due to the spear points found amongst their bones. This overhunting may have been what drove the species to extinction.
Mammuthus columbi (Columbian mammoth)
The Columbian mammoth is one of the largest elephants to ever live, growing to sizes up to 13 feet tall and weighing up to 10 tons. The mammoth’s primary diet consisted of various grasses and conifers. They ranged across all of North America and as far south as Nicaragua. The date of their extinction is generally set at about 12,500 years ago but newer fossils have been found outside of California. Their extinction is generally attributed to either dramatic climate change or overhunting by the indigenous populations.
Megalonyx jeffersonii (Jefferson’s Ground Sloth)
Jefferson’s Ground Sloth is an extinct species of giant ground sloth that lived during the Middle to Late Pleistocene (~15000-10000 BCE). It is so named because the bones were first studied by then-vice president Thomas Jefferson, who suggested the genus name Megalonyx.
M. jeffersonii’s range covered a large portion of North America. The sloth was about 8-10 feet long and weighed about 800 pounds. The sloth, like humans, has plantigrade hind feet: the foot is flat and bore weight on the sole of the foot, allowing it to sit in a semi-erect position. M. jeffersonii had developed claws and a massive jaw with large, peg-like teeth, which it used to strip leaves off of branches to feed on.
M. jeffersonii’s range covered a large portion of North America. The sloth was about 8-10 feet long and weighed about 800 pounds. The sloth, like humans, has plantigrade hind feet: the foot is flat and bore weight on the sole of the foot, allowing it to sit in a semi-erect position. M. jeffersonii had developed claws and a massive jaw with large, peg-like teeth, which it used to strip leaves off of branches to feed on.
Mephitis mephitis (striped skunk)
The Striped Skunk is found over most of the NorthAmerican continent north of Mexico, it is one of the best-known mammals in Canada and the United States. It can be found in elevations up to 1800 meter but rarely above 4000 m. Skunks can be found in a number of habitats, include woodlands, grasslands and agricultural lands. The skunk has increased its range with the cutting of forests throughout North America. The striped skunk has a black body with a white stripe along each side of its body; the two stripes join into a broader white area at the nape. Its forehead has a narrow white stripe. About the size of a house cat, it weighs 2.5 to 14 pounds. The striped skunk is omnivorous and has a varied diet. Its diet consists mostly of insects such as beetles, grasshoppers and crickets. It also preys on, vertebrates like frogs and small mammals including voles, mice,moles, rats and squirrels.
Mustela frenata (long-tailed weasel)
The range of the long-tail weasel includes most of North America, extending from just north of the United States-Canadian border and south to Central America to northern South America. Long-tailed weasels are found in temperate and tropical habitats in North and Central America. These habitats range from crop fields to small wooded areas to suburban areas. Their burrows and nests are in hollow logs, rock piles, and under barns. Long-tail weasels have a long slender body, similar to other weasels. These weasels have long, bushy tails that are about 50% of their total body length. Body length varies between 330 and 420 mm in males and 280 to 350 mm in females. Long-tailed weasels have a small, narrow head with long whiskers. They also have short legs. The fur is composed of short, soft underfur covered by shiny guard hair. They are cinnamon brown in color with white under parts that have a yellow tinge. Twice a year these weasels shed their fur, once in the spring and again in the fall.While mammals are the food of choice, these weasels eat a wide range of food, from birds to reptiles, and in the summer their diet includes fruits and berries. Man is the weasel's greatest enemy as weasels are taken for their pelts, even though the fur itself is not of great value.
Northrotheriops shastensis (Shasta Ground Sloth)
The smallest of the North American giant ground sloths, N. Shastensis was around 7-8 ft. long and weighed 300-400 lbs. N. Shastensis was herbivorous. It had a small head, a long neck, and prehensile lips to reach into the leaves of plants. It was a quadruped and used the knuckles of its arms as front feet. N. Shastensis’s habitat stretched from southern Alberta to northern Mexico. As with all large ground sloths, the Shasta Ground Sloth became extinct between 10,000-10,000 years
Panthera atrox (American Lion)
Panthera atrox, the American lion, was one of the largest felines in the world. It was approximately 25% larger than the modern African lion. It originated in North America and eventually colonized parts of South America. The American lion often lived in cold areas, using caves for shelter. They are thought to have preyed on deer, North American horses, bison, mammoths, and other large animals. The American lion went extinct around the same time as the other megafaunal extinctions during the Quaternary, which is when most species that it preyed on went extinct. Humans may have contributed to its extinction as well, as lion bones have been found in trash heaps of Paleolithic Indians.
Panthera onca augusta (Pleistocene North American jaguar)
Panthera onca augusta, also known as the Pleistocene North American jaguar, was a subspecies of the modern jaguar that lived in North and South America during the Pleistocene. It went extinct 11,000 years ago.
Paramylodon harlani (Harlan’s Ground Sloth)
Discovered by Dr. Richard Harlan in 1835, this giant ground sloth weighed 3,500 lbs. and had a head-to-tail span of 6 feet. Similar in appearance to Jefferson’s Ground Sloth, this sloth has extremely powerful appendages and had large claws, which it likely used to dig up plant roots for food. A distinct feature of Harlan’s Ground Sloth is that its back, shoulders and necks were protected by small bone plates embedded in the skin, called dermal ossicles.
Like all large ground sloths in North America, P. harlani became extinct around 11,000 years ago. However, the earliest P. harlani dates back to late Pliocene (around 4.9 mya).
This species is often confused with the genus Glossotherium, and until academic reexamination in 2007 by R.K. McAfee, was labeled as such.
Like all large ground sloths in North America, P. harlani became extinct around 11,000 years ago. However, the earliest P. harlani dates back to late Pliocene (around 4.9 mya).
This species is often confused with the genus Glossotherium, and until academic reexamination in 2007 by R.K. McAfee, was labeled as such.
Peromyscus spp. (deer mouse)
The California mouse has very large ears, and a tail that is longer than the head and body combined. Including the tail, which is about 117 to 156 mm long, the mouse ranges in length from 220 to 285 mm. The coat is overall brown, mixed with black hairs. This dorsal colour shades to a creamy-white belly colour. The manus and feet are white
The California mouse is semi-arboreal, but tends to nest on the ground, under debris such as fallen logs. Nests are insulated with coarse dry grasses, weeds and sticks, and fine grass is used as bedding in the center chamber. P. californicus is more strongly territorial than P. maniculatus with both sexes defending the nest site. Males are also aggressive toward one another; their fighting techniques involve jumping, avoidance and a characteristic mewing cry
The mouse's diet consists of shrub fruits, seeds, and flowers, such as of Rhus integrifolia,Lotus scoparius, andSalvia apiana. They will also consume grasses,forbs,fungi, and arthropods.
P. californicus is mostly active at night. The main predators of the California mouse are weasels and barn owls.
The California mouse is semi-arboreal, but tends to nest on the ground, under debris such as fallen logs. Nests are insulated with coarse dry grasses, weeds and sticks, and fine grass is used as bedding in the center chamber. P. californicus is more strongly territorial than P. maniculatus with both sexes defending the nest site. Males are also aggressive toward one another; their fighting techniques involve jumping, avoidance and a characteristic mewing cry
The mouse's diet consists of shrub fruits, seeds, and flowers, such as of Rhus integrifolia,Lotus scoparius, andSalvia apiana. They will also consume grasses,forbs,fungi, and arthropods.
P. californicus is mostly active at night. The main predators of the California mouse are weasels and barn owls.
Platygonus cf. P. compressus (flat headed peccaries)
Platygonus cf. P. compressus is the species name for flat headed peccaries that once lived from New York west to California. They also lived from Mexico north to the ice sheets, from the middle and late Rancholabrean. Their preferred habitat is open areas. This species was about the size of the European wild boar. Its rostrum was moderately elongated. It stood at roughly 30 inches tall at the shoulder and weighed approximately 50kg. This species of peccaries tended to live in herds inside caves. It went extinct during the end of the Pleistocene, probably due to marginal conditions because remains were found in groups within the caves. They were omnivores and tended to eat courser vegetation as opposed to shrubs because they lived in open areas.
Procyon lotor (Raccoon)
Raccoons are among the most adaptable of the North American mammals. The raccoon has gray to brown fur. It has a black mask around its eyes with white fur around the mask. It has a stripe that runs from its forehead to its nose and white fur around its nose. It has a bushy, ringed tail and black paws with five toes. The raccoon's paws look a little like human hands. The raccoon's toes are flexible and it is very good at grabbing, pulling things apart and holding things. The length of its body ranges from 603-950mm. Its weight ranges from 1.8-10.4 kg. They are able to live comfortably in cities and suburbs as well as rural and wilderness areas. They have small homes ranging from tree hollows to chimneys to sewers. A varied diet is at the root of their adaptability. Raccoons eat just about anything, finding food on the ground, in trees, streams, ponds, and other wet environments, and from unsecured trash cans. They can live anywhere water is available, from the deep tropics well into southern Canada.
Reithrodontomys megalotis (western harvest mouse)
The Western Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis) is a small neotomine mouse native to southwest British Columbia, most of the western United States extending continuously to west Texas, northeast Arkansas, northwest Indiana, southwest Wisconsin, the interior of Mexico to Oaxaca.
Western Harvest Mice have brownish fur with buff sides, a white belly, and an indistinct white stripe on the fur along the spine. Adults grow up to eleven to seventeen centimeters in length with a tail length of five to ten centimeters. Their height (from the ground to the highest point of their back) is between 1.5 and 2.0 centimeters. A mature mouse weighs anywhere from nine to twenty-two grams.
The Western Harvest Mouse is nocturnal, with particularly intense activity on very dark nights. This mouse is particularly resourceful, making use of the ground runways of other rodents. It is also a very agile climber. Its primary food source is seeds, but springtime dining is augmented with new plant growth. In June, July and August the mouse is known to consume certain insects, especially grasshoppers and caterpillars. Again resourceful, the Western harvest mouse stores seeds and other foodstuffs in underground vaults. Its many predators include the fox,weasel,coyote,hawk,snake and owl species.
Western Harvest Mice have brownish fur with buff sides, a white belly, and an indistinct white stripe on the fur along the spine. Adults grow up to eleven to seventeen centimeters in length with a tail length of five to ten centimeters. Their height (from the ground to the highest point of their back) is between 1.5 and 2.0 centimeters. A mature mouse weighs anywhere from nine to twenty-two grams.
The Western Harvest Mouse is nocturnal, with particularly intense activity on very dark nights. This mouse is particularly resourceful, making use of the ground runways of other rodents. It is also a very agile climber. Its primary food source is seeds, but springtime dining is augmented with new plant growth. In June, July and August the mouse is known to consume certain insects, especially grasshoppers and caterpillars. Again resourceful, the Western harvest mouse stores seeds and other foodstuffs in underground vaults. Its many predators include the fox,weasel,coyote,hawk,snake and owl species.
Scapanus Townsendii (Townsend's Mole)
They are the largest and heaviest North American Talpids. The Townsend’s Mole has a body in the shape of a cylinder. Their bodies are covered in dark grey or black, short, soft fur. Adult moles grow between 179 mm (7.04 inches) and 237 mm (9.33 inches) in length. Male moles grow to an average weight of 142 grams (5.68 ounces) and female moles grow to an average weight of 119 grams (4.76 ounces).
These moles have broad, flat front feet with five straight claws that are used for burrowing tunnels. The palms of their front feet face outward. This enables them to push the soil aside while moving forward. They have a hairless pink snout and tail.
Townsend’s Mole does not have external ears, but they do have acute hearing, and an excellent sense of touch.
The Townsend’s Mole ranges from northwest California along the west coast to southwestern British Columbia. They are well suited for the mild climate found in our Central Fraser Valley. This mole population is small consisting of less than 1000 individuals.
These moles prefer manured pastures, hayfields, moist meadows, fir forests, prairie and shrub habitats where they can feed on earthworms, which make up most of their diet.
Increased urbanization and intensive agriculture practice fragments the area of suitable land used by Townsend’s Moles, thus threatening their survival.
These moles have broad, flat front feet with five straight claws that are used for burrowing tunnels. The palms of their front feet face outward. This enables them to push the soil aside while moving forward. They have a hairless pink snout and tail.
Townsend’s Mole does not have external ears, but they do have acute hearing, and an excellent sense of touch.
The Townsend’s Mole ranges from northwest California along the west coast to southwestern British Columbia. They are well suited for the mild climate found in our Central Fraser Valley. This mole population is small consisting of less than 1000 individuals.
These moles prefer manured pastures, hayfields, moist meadows, fir forests, prairie and shrub habitats where they can feed on earthworms, which make up most of their diet.
Increased urbanization and intensive agriculture practice fragments the area of suitable land used by Townsend’s Moles, thus threatening their survival.
Sciurus griseus (western grey squirrel)
It is the largest native tree squirrel in the western coastal United States. Western Gray Squirrels exhibit a form of coloration known as counter shading. The dorsal fur is a silver gunmetal gray, with pure white on the underside; there may be black flecks in the tail. Ears are large but without tufts. The ears turn reddish-brown at the back in the winter. The tail is long and typically very bushy. Tree squirrels undergo a complete head-to-tail molt in the spring and a rump-to-head molt in the fall. Tail hair is replaced only in the spring. Nesting mothers will use their tail hair to line birthing nests. Western Gray Squirrels eat berries, nuts, a variety of seeds, and the eggs of small birds.
Listed as extirpated in some California areas, the Western Gray Squirrel in southern California is generally found only in the mountains and surrounding foothill communities. Local rehabilitation experts recount the Eastern Fox Squirrels were released in urban regions Los Angeles throughout the 20th Century. Fox squirrels (Sciurus Niger) were introduced to the Los Angeles area in about 1904. Civil war and Spanish American war veterans residing at the Sawtelle Veteran’s Home on Sepulveda and Wilshire Boulevards brought fox squirrels as pets to this site from their homes in the areas surrounding the Mississippi Valley (possibly Tennessee). Other introductions of fox squirrels to the Los Angeles area may have taken place during more recent times but detailed records are not available. These aggressive cousins drove the more reclusive Western Grays back into the mountains, where competition was not so strong.
Listed as extirpated in some California areas, the Western Gray Squirrel in southern California is generally found only in the mountains and surrounding foothill communities. Local rehabilitation experts recount the Eastern Fox Squirrels were released in urban regions Los Angeles throughout the 20th Century. Fox squirrels (Sciurus Niger) were introduced to the Los Angeles area in about 1904. Civil war and Spanish American war veterans residing at the Sawtelle Veteran’s Home on Sepulveda and Wilshire Boulevards brought fox squirrels as pets to this site from their homes in the areas surrounding the Mississippi Valley (possibly Tennessee). Other introductions of fox squirrels to the Los Angeles area may have taken place during more recent times but detailed records are not available. These aggressive cousins drove the more reclusive Western Grays back into the mountains, where competition was not so strong.
Smilodon fatalis
Smilodon fatalis is the most well-known saber-toothed cat. It existed during the last ice age on the western coast of North America. Smilodon fatalis was about the size of a modern lion, except with a much more muscular build. It also had fron “saber” teeth, long canines that grew up to seven inches long. The muscular body of Smilodon fatalis suggests that it was slower but most powerful than other felines, which means it was probably an ambush predator. It preyed on a variety of large game such as bison, deer, horses, ground sloths, and mammoths. The saber-toothed cat went extinct at the end of the Pleistocene around 10,000 B.C., which was a time of extinction for many other large mammals. Its decline has been speculated to be human-induced, as saber-toothed cats may have been hunted extensively. There are other theories that suggest that the end of the ice age and subsequent climatic and vegetation changes caused its extinction.
Spilogale gracilis (spotted skunk)
spotted skunk is an animal that lives in the chaparral biome of southwestern California and in areas in between Costa Rica and British Columbia, Canada. It prefers the desert, woods, brush land, and rocky terrain. It avoids the dense forests and wetlands. This animal can live in a variety of temperatures. The western spotted skunk builds a den out of a hole in the ground and lines it with leaves. Occasionally a spotted skunk will live in a hollow tree. The spotted skunk is the smallest type of skunk. Its size ranges from 21 to 25 inches long, including the tail. This type of skunk is taller than most skunks with long legs, although it is not very long.A normal spotted skunk's diet in the winter consists of mainly rats and other rodents. However, in the summer, the skunk's diet changes to more vegetation and insects. The skunks normally eat small mammals along with these. Spotted skunks are common animals and are not considered endangered. Spotted skunks are plentiful, occupying most of their habitat pretty densely.
Tapirus californicus (California tapir)
The Tapirus californicus lived in Coastal southern California approximately 50 million years ago. Its preferred habitat consists of forests, woodlands, and grasslands near rivers and lakes. This species had unique physical features: It had a stout body, short legs, and a large tapered head with a short muscular snout. Its front limbs had four toes while its hindlimbs had three toes. Its body weight was estimated to be around 225 kg. Its head along with body length was estimated to be 140 cm. The California tapir was believed to be solitary and non-territorial. It may have liked wallowing in the mud. The species went extinct roughly 13,000 years ago, probably due to the Ice Age. Its diet consisted of leaves, fruits, seeds, and aquatic plants.
Urocyon cinereoargenteus (California gray fox)
The California gray fox can be found in the chaparral of California. It prefers wooded and brushy areas where most of the rainfall is in the winter, while the summers are hot and dry.The grey fox looks a lot like a small dog with a bushy tail. The fox's back is whitish-grey in color. The sides of its neck, the base of its tail, back and legs, and the underside of its tail are bright rusty-red. A black stripe runs along the top of its bushy tail, which ends in a black tip. The grey fox is 21 to 30 inches long, and its tail is another 11 to 16 inches long. It stands about 15 inches at the shoulder. The adult grey Fox weighs 7 to 11 pounds. The grey fox has short legs that are very powerful. They are strong tree-climbers. Strong, hooked claws allow them to pull themselves up tree trunks and branches. The color of its fur hides it from predators. The grey fox is the only member of the dog family that can climb trees. It will climb a tree to escape its enemies. It can make its way through the tree tops by jumping from branch to branch or shimmying down backwards. California gray fox is omnivorous, it eats berries, nuts, birds, insects, rabbits and other rodents.Their survival is mainly threatened by human hunting. Hawks, owls, eagles and dogs will kill and eat the puppies too. Gray foxes are still abundant throughout most areas in the lower two-thirds of North America.
Ursus arctos horribilis (grizzly bear)
The grizzly bear is aptly named as it is an aggressive animal that prefers to live solitarily, and can do so since it has no natural enemies. It is still found today in northwestern North America, although historically it has been found as far as California, central Mexico, and the American Mid-West. Its habitat ranges from forests and mountains to meadows and valleys, and according to the US Forest Service, grizzlies prefer woody areas interspersed with grass and shrubland. Yet, grizzlies are well adapted to the tundra biome due to their thick coat and layers of fat for insulation. They go into hibernation in the winter and live off stored body-fat until the spring, but occasionally come out of their dens in this hibernation period. Grizzlies primarily eat grasses, forbs, roots, tubers and fruits, and scientists postulate that 75% of all grizzlies have only plants in their diet. However, their diet can also include insects, small rodents, and honey. Although it is strong enough to hunt large mammals such as moose, the grizzly bear usually scavenges the prey of other carnivores by chasing them off. Ursus arctos horribilis can be identified by the distinctive hump between its shoulder blades and upturned nose (contrary to the black bear’s nose, which arches down).