Wildlife Identification

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Wildlife Identification

• Chris Ellis
• And
• Nicole White

Provided by Dr. James Corbett, Agriculture
Teacher, Lowndes Co. High School GA Ag Ed
Curriculum Office To accompany Georgia
Agriculture Education Curriculum July 2002
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Basic Facts

• Wildlife identification is a skill that is
  developed by studying the animals physical
  features and its tracks.
• Each species of wildlife has its own identity.
  For example horns, antlers, hooves, paws, claws,
  teeth, tails, ears, size, shape, color, and
  habitats.

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White-Tailed Deer

• Odocoileus virginianus
• Length 6 ft.
• Shoulder height 3.75 ft.
• Male weight 125-400 lbs.
• Female weight 100-150 lbs.
• Habitat forests, desert, shrubs, brushy areas,
  and rocky uplands

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Coyote

• Canis latrans
• Head and body 46-49 in.
• Tail 13-15 in.
• Weight 24-31 lbs.
• Habitat prefers open spaces such as grasslands,
  farmlands, or brush country

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Black Bear

• Ursus americanus
• Length 5-6 ft.
• Shoulder height 2-3 ft.
• Weight 200-400 lbs.
• Habitat forests, swamps, or mountains

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Mountain Lion

• Felis concolor
• Head and body 42-54 in.
• Tail 30-36 in.
• Shoulder height 26-31 in.
• Weight 80-260 lbs.
• Habitat forests, remote mountains, plains, and
  swamps

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American Alligator

• Alligator mississipiensis
• Length up to 19ft, 2 in.
• Habitat usually near water such as rivers,
  ponds, or swamps

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Bobcat

• Lynx rufus
• Head and body 32-40 in.
• Tail up to 4 in.
• Shoulder height 20-29.5 in.
• Weight 15-30 lbs.
• Habitat prefers forest areas, swamps, and tundras

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Raccoon

• Procyon lotor
• Head and body 24-37.5in.
• Tail 7.5-16 in.
• Weight 12-48 lbs.
• Habitat streams, rivers, lakes, woods, and swamps

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Gray Fox

• Urocyon cinereoargenteus
• Head and body 21-44 in.
• Tail 11-16 in.
• Shoulder height 11-14 in.
• Weight 7-13 lbs.
• Habitat usually associated with wooded and
  brushy areas

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Red Fox

• Vulpes vulpes
• Head and body 22-42 in.
• Tail 14-16 in.
• Shoulder height 14-16 in.
• Weight 8-15 lbs.
• Habitat areas combining forests, open country,
  and inhabited areas

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Fox Squirrel

• Sciurus niger
• Head and body 17.875 to 27.5 in.
• Tail 7.875 -13 in.
• Weight 17.625 37.125 lbs.
• Habitat hardwood forests, borders of cypress
  swamps, thickets, and urban areas
• prefers large trees

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Gray Squirrel

• Sciurus carolinensis
• Head and body 8-10 in.
• Tail 8-10 in.
• Weight 14-25 oz.
• Habitat hardwood forests of nut trees, like oak
  and hickory, residential areas, and city parks

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Striped Skunk

• Mephitis mephitis
• Head and body up to 18 in.
• Tail up to 10 in.
• Weight up to 10 lbs.
• Habitat nearly all areas
• prefers woods, plains, and meadows

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Opossum

• Didelphis virginiana
• Head and body 15-20 in.
• Tail 9-13 in.
• Weight 6-12 lbs.
• Habitat open woods, farming areas, forest edges,
  and brushy wastelands

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Swamp Rabbit

• Sylvilagus
• Head and body 14-17 in.
• Ears up to 4 in.
• Weight 3.5-6 lbs.
• Habitat moist bottomland and swamps to upland
  thickets and farmland

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Eastern Cottontail

• Sylvilagus
• Head and body 14-17 in.
• Ears 2.5-3 in.
• Weight 2-4 lbs.
• Habitat from swampy wood to upland thickets,
  farmlands, forests with open areas nearby, and
  heavy brush

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Wild Turkey

• Meleagris gallopavo
• Male up to 48 in.
• Female up to 38 in.
• Habitat open timberland, mountain forests,
  logged areas, and prairies with food available

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Ruffed Grouse

• Bonasa Umbellus
• Size 16-19 in.
• Habitat brushy timberlands and coniferous forest
  edges.

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Mourning Dove

• Zenaida macroura
• Size 11-13 in.
• Habitat dry uplands, grain fields, suburbs, and
  deserts

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Crow

• Corvus brachyrhynchos
• Size 17-21 in.
• Habitat fields, coastlines, city parks, river
  woodlands, and orchards

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Bald Eagle

• Size 32-40 in.
• Wingspread 7.5 ft.
• Habitat associated with large bodies of water
  that provide an abundant food source
• only located in North America

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Red-Tailed Hawk

• Size 19-25 in.
• Wingspread 4.5 ft.
• Habitat woodlands, fields, plains, and deserts

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Peregrine Falcon

• Size 15-21 in.
• Wingspread 3.75 ft.
• Habitat grasslands and meadows from the
  mountains to the coast

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Great Horned Owl

• Size 18-25 in.
• Habitat found throughout North America in
  various habitats

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Screech Owl

• Size 7-10 in.
• Habitat orchards, woods, suburbs, and small towns

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Putting The Chapter in a Nutshell

• A responsible hunter will not shoot what he/she
  cannot POSITIVELY identify.

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Who is who???

• Gray Squirrel
• Fox Squirrel
• Gray Fox
• Red Fox

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Who is who???

• Great Horned Owl
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Bald Eagle
• Peregrine Falcon
• Screech Owl

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Resources

• Our graphics and photos provided by the AltaVista
  website