All Creatures Great And Small

 The next diorama in the Mammal Gallery features caribou, in the midst of migration.

Two display cases side by side feature small animals with their own defenses. The skunk is one of them.

And the porcupine is another.

Across from them are small dioramas. This one features the Arctic ground squirrel.

This is the eastern grey squirrel.

The collared pika is a resident of northern and mountain landscapes.

Wildlife Of The Northern Nation

 Side by side here is a moose skull, with that of a thinhorn sheep skull.

Here we have three thinhorn sheep, residents of the northern mountains.

One of the most majestic animals to be found in Canada- the moose. This diorama, with its combination of specimen, painted background and textured foreground, really stands out.

Across the way, a display case features several kinds of mustelids. On the top shelf are the least weasel, the ermine, and the long tailed weasel. Below them is the fisher.

The American mink and American marten are paired together.

The sea otter and river otter are part of the mustelid family.

As are the American badger and the wolverine.

Moving along, this smaller diorama features the Richardson's ground squirrel, a resident of the Canadian west.

Animals Of The Western Plains

 This diorama is a dramatic one, featuring a stand off between a bison and wolves. The bison is very much a symbol of the west, and wolves will think twice about messing with a healthy adult.

Another diorama, but also fitting of the Canadian west. A family of pronghorns are gathered against a dramatic prairie background.

The skulls and antlers of various animals are mounted on the wall here.

They include a muskox.

Mammals Of The Canadian Wild

 Close to where I left off in this visit to the Museum of Nature is the other portion of this first diorama of the Mammal Gallery, with a mother polar bear and its cub at an air hole in the ice. A seal is below, key prey for the bear.

This gallery has large and small dioramas, and they are very well done. This is a family of beavers.

From apex predators to their prey, mammals have a wide variety.

Two predators and one prey are seen here. Adolescent grizzly bears are perched on the rocks, while a pika can be seen at bottom left below the ledge.  

Across the way, something different from my last visit. This is a slab of western red cedar, over seven hundred years old when it was brought down.