Bear ~ Black
Black bears are classified as carnivores, but over 75% of their diet is vegetation which includes grasses, herbs, fruits, berries, honey, nuts and seeds; and a small percentage of the diet is insects, fish, small mammals and carrion. Black bears communicate with body and facial expressions, sounds, touch and through scent marking.
They average life in the wild is up to 20 years and have lived to be over 30 years in captivity.
Bear ~ Grizzly
Second only to polar bears, brown bears or grizzly bears are the largest land carnivores. Most grizzly bears are medium brown but they also come in every shade from sandy blonde to mahogany. The male and female bear are often referred to as a "boar" and a "sow" and the young are called "wobs".
The grizzlies have lost almost 1/4 of their Canadian range while 99% of the grizzly bears in the lower 48 US states are now gone. Their diet consists of a variety of food depending on the time of the year feeding largely on plant material, but also consuming lichen, fungi, insects and grubs as well as meat. Most of their diet is dictated by whatever is seasonally available.
Grizzly bears live 15 - 34 years in the wild and as long as 47 years in captivity.
Bison
Plain's Bison live mainly in prairies. They feed on prairie grasses, lichen and mosses. Despite their large size, bison are able to run at speeds of 37 mph (60 km/h). They also can swim rivers over 0.6 miles (1 km) wide. Bison live 20 years in the wild and 40 years in captivity. Their main predators are humans.
Deer ~ Black-tailed
Black-tailed deer live in the forest near dense low-lying shrubs. They
feed in the edge areas, on fresh green leaves, twigs, lower branches of
trees and various grasses. They also like blackberry and rasberry
vines, grapes, mistletoe, mushrooms and ferns. Their main predators are
mountain lions, cougars, eagles, wolves, bobcats and occasionally
coyotes. Black-tailed deer live 22 years in captivity and around 10
years in the wild. male deer grow a new pair of antlers each summer.
Raccoon
Raccoons are most common along stream edges, open forests and coastal marshes. They feed on grapes, nuts, grubs, crickets, small mammals, birds' eggs and nestlings. While washing their food, raccoons actually taste the matter that should be rejected because the wetting of the paws enhances their sense of feel. In captivity, raccoons live up to 20 years; while in the wild it is much shorter approximately 7 years. Their main predators are owls, foxes, coyotes, bobcats and unfortunately humans due to their valuable fur.
Reindeer
While inhabiting arctic tundra and northern boreal forests, this species ia among the most migratory of all animals. They feed on lichens, mushrooms, grasses, horsetails and willow. Reindeer are great swimmers. They also can run up to 50mph (80.5 km/h). They have the spongy foot pads, which provide traction on summer tundra. In the winter pads harden and become covered with tufts of hair, to prevent slipping. Their main predators are wolves, bears, people and wolverines. Reindeer live up to 15 years in the wild and 20 years in captivity.
Sheep ~ Bighorn
These sheep live in alpine meadows near rocky cliffs. Their hooves are
hard on the outside and soft on the inside, which hepls them climb and
jump. They use avalanche chutes and talus slopes to escape from
predators, such as wolves, mountain lions and bears. Bighorn sheep feed
on grasses, leaves, herbs, twigs and shoots. In the wild they live
around 12 years, while in captivity the life span extends up to 20
years.
