Cabela's Animals of the North Woods

Page designed & created by Mary Harrsch

Last revised:9/3/1999

The gray fox is the only fox that regularly climbs trees to evade predators and to hunt its own prey, giving it the nickname "tree fox."Its diet consists of small mammals, insects, fruits, acorns, birds, and eggs. Due to its climbing expertise, arboreal creatures such as squirrels are more important to the gray fox's diet than to those of other wild canids

Lynx are solitary, nocturnal animals who often travel up to twelve miles in a single night searching for food. They stalk and ambush their prey by sight and sound, sound being most important. It is thought that their long ear tufts are useful in detecting the movements of their prey. Lynx are also excellent swimmers and climbers. Snowshoe hares make up the majority of the lynx's diet, but they will also eat rodents, birds and fish.

The bear-like wolverine has been called the rarest mammal in North America. The only documented Lower 48 populations are in the northern Rockies and the Cascades of Oregon and Washington. These animals are known as ferocious carnivores that will attack and kill a caribou or even a moose. They are related to skunks and, although they don't spray, they do mark territory with a strong-scented musk.