A mountain goat's hooves help it climb steep areas.
The Canadian Rockies form a natural boundary between Alberta and British Columbia. The mountain range, which stretches into northern Canada, features foothills on the east and a valley known as the Rocky Mountain Trench on the west. Deer, bears, wild dogs, wild cats and birds are among the species that make their homes in the dense forests, meadows and open woodlands of the area's national parks, which include Jasper, Banff, Yoho and Kootenay.
Mountain Goat
Mountain goats, which are a species of antelope, generally live on steep slopes and rocky ledges in the Canadian Rockies. These isolated regions provide protection from predators, although mountain goats also inhabit open forests and alpine meadows. Males and females have shaggy, white coats, pointed black horns and white, bearded chins. They weigh between 140 and 290 lbs. Their diet includes grasses, willow, subalpine fir and sedges.
Grizzly Bear
Grizzly bears roam through the subalpine grasslands of the Canadian Rockies. They have a large shoulder hump, 2- to 3-inch claws and fur that ranges from light brown to black. Adult male grizzlies weigh between 440 and 770 lbs. Females generally weigh about one-third less. Grizzlies primarily feed on fish, small mammals, berries, grasses, insects and roots, although they sometimes hunt larger prey, including black bears and moose. During the winter, they give birth to cubs and hibernate, and emerge from their dens in spring.
Blue Grouse
Blue grouse live in the mountain valleys and foothills of the Canadian Rockies during summer and move to higher-altitude forests in winter. Males and females have black tail feathers, white neck feathers and gray feathers on their bodies, although females also have light brown coloring. They primarily eat conifer needles and buds. During the spring mating season, females typically lay five to 10 eggs at a time.
Hoary Marmot
Hoary marmots inhabit the alpine subregions throughout the Canadian Rockies. These brown and gray rodents typically weigh about 13 lbs. as adults, although they can weigh as much as 19 lbs. Marmots hibernate in burrows for up to nine months each year and spend summers mating and feeding on vegetation. They live in colonies and alert each other by whistling when predators, such as golden eagles and grizzly bears, are nearby.
Elk
Widespread populations of elk live in woodlands and grasslands throughout the Canadian Rockies. Elk are the second-largest members of the deer family and typically measure 5 feet high at the shoulders. Adults weigh between 550 lbs. and 1,000 lbs., feeding mainly on grasses. They have tan fur over their body and dark brown fur on their legs, head and neck. Males use their antlers when competing with other bulls during mating season. Females give birth to calves during spring.
Canada Lynx
Canada lynx build dens in old-growth forests in parts of Yoho, Kootenay and Banff national parks. These solitary cats hunt their main prey, snowshoe hares, at night. Lynx have thick fur, tufted ears and padded paws that allow them to walk on the snow. They weigh up to 22 lbs. when fully grown. Lynx in the northern Rockies give birth to four or five kittens at a time, while populations in the southern Rockies have average litter sizes of two kittens.
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