Ontario is blessed with some amazing wildlife…
In a country as far north as Canada, you would expect animals to survive well in the cold and the snow. What is brilliant about Ontario though is that we get to see these animals in all four seasons and some snow can make even the most every day wildlife in Ontario look absolutely majestic.
1. Lynx
This incredible photo of lynx in the snow was taken in the Boreal Forest of northwestern Ontario. They have their fluffy, winter coats and, although there are lynx in different areas of the world, the Canadian Lynx only roams in North America.
2. Raccoons
Raccoons are pretty common in Canada and across North America and they are not the most popular of all native-Canadian animals. They do like to rummage through people’s garbage and scare the local cats, due to them being nocturnal animals. However, their ability to adapt to different climates is amazing! They live in Japan, North and Central America and in some parts of Europe and here we see that they’re more than capable of dealing with Ontario’s snowy winters!
3. Ducks
Ducks are clearly not unique to Ontario and they don’t get as much attention as some of the other animals on this list but this one seems to be taking the snowy winters of Canada in its stride (or waddle) and you’ve got to love it for that fact alone. Plus, it’s absolutely beautiful.
4. Arctic Foxes
These tiny little foxes are only the size of a large, domestic cat. They can change the color of their coat to suit their habitat and they can be found near St. James’ Bay in northern Ontario where it gets very, very cold and super-snowy. They can endure incredibly low temperatures and they’re just downright amazing!
5. River Otters
Also known as common otters, these American river otters are, as you may have guessed, pretty common. They have thick coats that are water repellant, so they are insulated against the cold. However, they live in a lot of different climates across the world so they’re pretty adaptable and also obviously very cute.
6. Snowshoe Hares
Words cannot describe how adorable this snow-covered little hare is. As their name suggests, they really are brilliant at dealing with the snow. Their fur changes drastically from brown in the warmer months to white in the winter. They are only found in North America but they are not unique to Canada. You can find these little hares all the way down into New Mexico.
7. Weasels
Despite the fact that calling someone a weasel is definitely an insult, these small mustelids are not to be ignored. Like the snowshoe hare, they change color in the winter to white but only in the northern part of their range. They live in North, Central and South America but in Canada, we get to see blending into the snow with their lovely white coats.
8. Snowy Owls
The appeal of snowy owls never really needs explaining. It’s hard not to love their heart-shaped faces and the way that they blend into the snow. They look the most magical in the snow and they only live and breed in the Arctic regions in the world, so it’s pretty special to have them around.
9. Foxes
Not everyone has time for foxes – often because they’re known for preying on household pets – but they mostly eat wild prey and sometimes prey whose diet is the crops grown by farmers. There are 4 different species of fox in Canada and the fox pictured above is of the red fox variety. Fox cubs live in dens, dug into the ground.
10. White-tailed Deer
This buck looks like he was born to live in snow but white-tailed deer actually live in North, Central and South America so they must be good at adapting to different climates. Humans are obsessed with these beautiful animals and for good reason, they are both graceful and pretty formidable.