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 Modified by CTAE Resource Network, 2010

Basic Facts Wildlife identification is a skill that is developed by studying the animal’s 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.

White-Tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus Length: 6 ft. Shoulder height: 3.75 ft. Male weight: lbs. Female weight: lbs. Habitat: forests, desert, shrubs, brushy areas, and rocky uplands

Coyote Canis latrans Head and body: in. Tail: in. Weight: lbs. Habitat: prefers open spaces such as grasslands, farmlands, or brush country

Black Bear Ursus americanus Length: 5-6 ft. Shoulder height: 2-3 ft. Weight: lbs. Habitat: forests, swamps, or mountains

Mountain Lion Felis concolor Head and body: in. Tail: in. Shoulder height: in. Weight: lbs. Habitat: forests, remote mountains, plains, and swamps

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

Bobcat Lynx rufus Head and body: in. Tail: up to 4 in. Shoulder height: in. Weight: lbs. Habitat: prefers forest areas, swamps, and tundras

Raccoon Procyon lotor Head and body: in. Tail: in. Weight: lbs. Habitat: streams, rivers, lakes, woods, and swamps

Gray Fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus Head and body: in. Tail: in. Shoulder height: in. Weight: 7-13 lbs. Habitat: usually associated with wooded and brushy areas

Red Fox Vulpes vulpes Head and body: in. Tail: in. Shoulder height: in. Weight: 8-15 lbs. Habitat: areas combining forests, open country, and inhabited areas

Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger Head and body: to 27.5 in. Tail: in. Weight: – lbs. Habitat: hardwood forests, borders of cypress swamps, thickets, and urban areas – prefers large trees

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

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

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

Swamp Rabbit Sylvilagus Head and body: in. Ears: up to 4 in. Weight: lbs. Habitat: moist bottomland and swamps to upland thickets and farmland

Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus Head and body: in. Ears: in. Weight: 2-4 lbs. Habitat: from swampy wood to upland thickets, farmlands, forests with open areas nearby, and heavy brush

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

Ruffed Grouse Bonasa Umbellus Size: in. Habitat: brushy timberlands and coniferous forest edges.

Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Size: in. Habitat: dry uplands, grain fields, suburbs, and deserts

Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos Size: in. Habitat: fields, coastlines, city parks, river woodlands, and orchards

Bald Eagle Size: in. Wingspread: 7.5 ft. Habitat: associated with large bodies of water that provide an abundant food source – only located in North America

Red-Tailed Hawk Size: in. Wingspread: 4.5 ft. Habitat: woodlands, fields, plains, and deserts

Peregrine Falcon Size: in. Wingspread: 3.75 ft. Habitat: grasslands and meadows from the mountains to the coast

Great Horned Owl Size: in. Habitat: found throughout North America in various habitats

Screech Owl Size: 7-10 in. Habitat: orchards, woods, suburbs, and small towns

Putting The Chapter in a Nutshell A responsible hunter will not shoot what he/she cannot POSITIVELY identify.

Who is who??? Gray Squirrel Fox Squirrel Gray Fox Red Fox

Who is who??? Great Horned Owl Red-tailed Hawk Bald Eagle Peregrine Falcon Screech Owl

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