Tracking Through the Seasons
April 28, 2025
One of the most captivating aspects of animal tracking is its dynamic nature—how tracks, sign, and landscapes morph…
Weasel Locomotion – the long and the short of it.
April 8, 2025
If you’ve ever heard the saying “weasel your way out of a situation,” you might not be surprised…
Wolverine Trapping Limit Lifted
March 20, 2025
Both a scavenger and a predator, the wolverine (Gulo gulo) is a member of the mustelid family that…
Siblings – Exploring kin recognition in coyotes (Canis latrans)
December 6, 2024
The social relationship coyotes have with humans is unique and interesting, but so are the interactions that coyotes have with each other, especially when it comes to coyote families and kin recognition.
Why So Hangry? (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
November 1, 2024
If you’ve taken a stroll through Edmonton’s river valley, you’ve likely heard the rapid, scolding chatter of a…
The Black Wolf (Canis lupus)
August 1, 2024
Although encountering a black wolf might seem a rare event, Alberta actually has a notably high number of them. In Alberta, 55% of wolves are black, compared to just 33%
Red Velvet – The Wapiti or North American Elk
July 2, 2024
“Wapiti” and “elk” are two of the names bestowed upon Cervus canadensis, the second largest species in the…
Undetermined or Under Researched? The Franklin’s Ground Squirrel
May 21, 2024
Researched, written, and illustrated by Bria Griffin, Junior Science Communicator Scurrying to and fro amidst the parkland ecosystems…
On Top – Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis)
February 1, 2024
Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) are specially adapted to walk on top of snow with their big, splaying, fur-covered feet that function as snowshoes. The advantage of these specialized feet in catching their preferred prey, the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), is debatable due to the snowshoe hare’s own similar adaptation for floating on the snow.
The White Walker – Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus)
January 1, 2024
Mountain goats are “white walkers” even when winter isn’t coming. They keep their white coats all year round. At Fiera Biological we study a population of mountain goats in west central Alberta and for part of that study, we are using remote cameras to better understand how predators (and their typical “not mountain goats” prey) use the habitat surrounding the cliff habitat that the goats are using.