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National Wildlife WeekMarch 14-20, 2011

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Wildlife that MOVE Us!Wildlife that MOVE Us!

National Wildl i fe Federat ion • www.nwf.org/nat ionalwi ldl i feweek

Background: ©NEILRAS / Shutterstock.com; Grasshopper: ©grafica / Shutterstock.com; Whales: ©daulon / Shuttterstock.com; Deer: Anna-Lena Lewerenz / Shutterstock.com; Rabbit: abeadev / Shutterstock.com; Cougar: Thomas Alderson aldersongraphics / Shutterstock.com; Robin: Pushkin; Rock: ©NEILRAS / Shutterstock.com;

National Wildlife Federation • 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA 20190-5362 • www.nwf.org/nationalwildlifeweekN a t i o n a l W i l d l i f e F e d e r a t i o n • w w w. n w f . o r g

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N a t i o n a l W i l d l i f e F e d e r a t i o n • w w w. n w f . o r g

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ildlife Week •

March 14-20, 2011

N a t i o n a l W i l d l i f e F e d e r a t i o n • w w w. n w f . o r g

National W

ildlife Week •

March 14-20, 2011

N a t i o n a l W i l d l i f e F e d e r a t i o n • w w w. n w f . o r g

National W

ildlife Week •

March 14-20, 2011

N a t i o n a l W i l d l i f e F e d e r a t i o n • w w w. n w f . o r g

National W

ildlife Week •

March 14-20, 2011

N a t i o n a l W i l d l i f e F e d e r a t i o n • w w w. n w f . o r g

National W

ildlife Week •

March 14-20, 2011

N a t i o n a l W i l d l i f e F e d e r a t i o n • w w w. n w f . o r g

National W

ildlife Week •

March 14-20, 2011

N a t i o n a l W i l d l i f e F e d e r a t i o n • w w w. n w f . o r g

National W

ildlife Week •

March 14-20, 2011

N a t i o n a l W i l d l i f e F e d e r a t i o n • w w w. n w f . o r g

National W

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March 14-20, 2011

NatioNal Wildlife WeekM a r c h 1 4 - 2 0 , 2 0 1 1

CougarWildlife that HOP/Leap

Scientific name: Puma concolorDescription: Cougars are members of the cat family. They can weigh up to 136 lbs. and are easily identified by their long tails. They like to prey

on deer, but also eat smaller animals such as coyotes, porcupines, and raccoons. They usually hunt at night or during the gloaming hours of dawn and dusk. They employ a blend of stealth and power, stalking their prey until an opportunity arrives to pounce. Also known as mountain lions, panthers or pumas, cougars are known for their strength, agility, and awesome ability to jump. U.S. habitat and range: Cougars are found throughout the Western United States in many kinds of habitats from forests to deserts. The endangered subspecies Florida panther is found only in south Florida.Fun Fact: The cougar’s powerful legs enable them to leap 30 feet from a standstill, or to jump 15 feet straight up a cliff wall.conservation Status: Stable, except for the endangered Florida panther

grasshoppersWildlife that HOP/Leap

Suborder CaeliferaDescription: Most grasshoppers are green, brown, or olive-green. The biggest ones are about 4.5 inches long. They have long hind legs for

hopping. The short front legs are used to hold prey and to walk. Grasshoppers are herbivores (plant eaters). They will eat almost any type of leaves, but they prefer soft vegetation. Dandelion is a favorite. Some males “sing” to attract females and to warn off other males by rubbing their back legs against their wings. Their predators include birds, beetles, rodents, reptiles, and spiders.U.S. habitat and range: Grasshoppers can be found throughout the United States and live in a variety of habitats from mountain meadows to swamps and even the Arctic tundra.Fun Fact: Grasshoppers can hop about 20 times their body length.conservation Status: Stable

rabbitsWildlife that HOP/Leap

Family LeporidaeDescription: Rabbits are fast-moving, big-eared mammals. Their long ears help them to detect predators. They have powerful hind legs which

they use to hop and run in a zig-zag pattern to evade predators. Their fur color varies from brown to gray or tan, with a small tail of brown or white (for cottontail rabbits). They are generally between 8-20 inches long. Rabbits are herbivores (plant-eaters) and eat grass, leaves, bark, and twigs. They generally live in underground burrows, but will also use brush piles and dense vegetation for cover. Most rabbits live for about a year in the wild. They are hunted by dogs, foxes, raccoons, weasels, bobcats, lynxes, hawks and eagles. habitat and range: Rabbits live across the U.S. in a variety of environments, including deserts, swamps, meadows, marshes, forests, grasslands, and prairies. Fun Fact: Rabbits can move up to 30 miles an hour.conservation Status: Stable

frogsWildlife that HOP/Leap

Order AnuraBasic Description: Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits (fingers or toes), protruding eyes and the absence of

a tail. Frogs have strong hind legs that enable them leap forward at a great distance. The front legs or arms are short and are used to prop the frog up when it sits. Frogs eat insects, spiders, bugs, and worms catching them with their long, sticky tongue. Frogs swallow their prey whole because they cannot chew. Frogs blink or close their eyes when they eat because their eyes sink through the openings in the skull to help push the food down the throat.U.S. habitat and range: Frogs can be found near any, and every, body of fresh water but prefer ponds, lakes, and marshes, because the water doesn’t move very fast. Frogs cannot live in the sea or any salt water. Fun Fact: A female bullfrog can lay as many as 20,000 eggs, which float in a clump on the surface of the water.conservation Status: Varies depending on the species from stable to endangered or threatened.

ameriCaN robiNWildlife that HOP/Leap

Scientific name: Turdus migratoriusDescription: Male robins are easier to identify than females. Male robins have rust colored feathers on the

chest, a yellow bill, a black head and white outlines around the eyes. Males also have gray wings and backs. Female robins look similar to males but with much duller colors that sometimes blend together. Only the male robins sing their “cheerily, cheerup” song. You can often see robins in grassy areas where they hop and run across the grass and pause to look for earthworms and insects.U.S. habitat and range: American robins live in woodlands, backyards, parks and grasslands with shrubs. Robins can be found year round in the continental U.S. and some migrate north to spend summers in Alaska.Fun Fact: American robins have light blue eggs that inspired the “robin egg blue” crayon and paint colors! conservation Status: Stable

ChiNook salmoNWildlife that Hop/LeaP

Scientific name: Oncorhynchus tshawytschaDescription: Chinook salmon are the largest Pacific salmon species. They are about 3 feet long, but a

long-lived salmon can grow to over 5 feet! They are bluish-green on the head and back with silvery sides. The tail, back and upper fin have irregular, black spots. They split their lives between freshwater and salt water. The female lays her eggs in fast-moving freshwater streams. The young spend 3 months to over a year in streams before swimming out to the ocean. Between 3-7 years of age they decide to breed. They migrate back to the same stream in which they were born to repeat the process.U.S. habitat and range: Chinook salmon live in rivers and streams of and along the coasts of Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and northern California.Fun Fact: Chinook salmon are dedicated parents! After creating a nest for their eggs, both the males and females stand guard over the nest. They will stand guard until they both die! conservation Status: Many Chinook salmon runs are endangered.

W i L d L i f e t H a t

H O P / L e a PhumpbaCk Whale

Wildlife that Hop/LeaPScientific name: Megaptera novaeangliaeDescription: Humpback whales range in length from 40 to 60 feet and weigh nearly 80,000 lbs. They

are dark gray with differing amounts of white under their fins and belly. The patterns on their flukes (tail fins) are so distinctive that they can be used to identify individual whales. They eat small fish, plankton and krill, building up stores of blubber during the summer to sustain them during the winter. Despite their great size, they can propel themselves out of the water, often landing with a big splash. They often flap the surface of the water with their fins and flukes.U.S. habitat and range: Humpback whales spend the winters in tropical and subtropical waters such as the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific, or the West Indies in the Atlantic, where they go to breed. In the summer they go to their feeding grounds along the southern coast of Alaska and the northern Atlantic coast.Fun Fact: Male humpback whales sing beautiful songs that can be heard underwater 20 miles away!conservation Status: Endangered

flyiNg squirrelsWildlife that Hop/LeaP

Scientific name: Glaucomys sabrinus and Glaucomys volansDescription: Flying squirrels are the only nocturnal tree squirrels and have brown-gray fur, large eyes, and

clawed feet. Northern flying squirrels are about 8 inches long plus a 6 inch long tail. Southern flying squirrels are smaller and more aggressive than Northern flying squirrels. Baby flying squirrels are born in nests (usually in tree cavities) and are blind and hairless at birth. habitat and range: The northern flying squirrel can be found from the Appalachian Mountains to North Carolina and Tennessee. The southern flying squirrel can be found in the eastern U.S. from Canada to Florida. They prefer older deciduous forest, often along streams and near wetlands.Fun Fact: The flying squirrel doesn’t really fly; it leaps and glides in between trees, using a flap of loose skin that connects its front and hind legs.conservation Status: The sub-species Carolina northern flying squirrel is endangered

deerWildlife that Hop/LeaP

Family CervidaeDescription: Some of the best know deer species in the U.S. are white-tailed deer and mule deer. White-tailed deer have tan to grayish-

brown fur. The color of the fur depends on the season. White markings also decorate the neck, face, stomach and of course, their tails. Mule deer have larger ears than white-tailed deer and black-tipped tails. U.S. habitat and range: White-tailed deer are found primarily east of the Rockies in a range of forest and grass habitats in park and open-space areas. Mule deer are found in the Western U.S., especially in the Rocky Mountains.Fun Fact: Although they are great runners, many mule deer prefer to “stot”, which is leaping high in the air with all four feet coming down together. conservation Status: Stable

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