Animals in the taiga
Taigas support a large variety of animals. Canada’s taiga has 85 species of mammals, 130 species of fish, and around 32,000 species of insects. There aren’t as many animal species as tropical or deciduous forest biomes. Insects are important as pollinators and decomposers and as part of the food web. Many nesting birds rely on them as a source of food. They especially rely on them as prey in the months of February and March. The taiga is home to many mammals that are herbivores such as moose and reindeer and caribou. A few areas of the southern taiga have other deer species such as the elk and the roe deer. Animals of the taiga tend to be predators like the lynx and members of the weasel family like wolverines, bobcats, mink, and ermine. They hunt herbivores like snowshoe rabbits, red squirrels and voles. There is also a range of rodent creatures such as porcupines, voles, rabbits, and more. The largest animal in the taiga is the wood bison which is found in Northern Canada. More than 300 species of nesting birds nest in the taiga. Birds migrate every year to nest and feed. Many insect eating birds come to taiga to breed and leave when the breeding season is over. Omnivorous (animals that feed on both plants and animals) such as crows, stay all year long.
The short summers and long, harsh winters prevent many animals from living in the taiga year long. Many animals have taken to only staying there during specific seasons and leaving when the cold winter sets in. Of the 300 bird species that come during the winter, only 30 stay during the winter. During seasonal changes, some animals change to adapt. Some animals in the taiga adapt by growing a thicker coat in the winter. Fish have to be able to withstand life in ice covered water. Some animals, like the ermine, change their fur color or feather color in order to camouflage themselves from their predators. For example, the ermine are dark brown in the summer and turn white in the winter to hide themselves from predators.
The short summers and long, harsh winters prevent many animals from living in the taiga year long. Many animals have taken to only staying there during specific seasons and leaving when the cold winter sets in. Of the 300 bird species that come during the winter, only 30 stay during the winter. During seasonal changes, some animals change to adapt. Some animals in the taiga adapt by growing a thicker coat in the winter. Fish have to be able to withstand life in ice covered water. Some animals, like the ermine, change their fur color or feather color in order to camouflage themselves from their predators. For example, the ermine are dark brown in the summer and turn white in the winter to hide themselves from predators.
Endangered animal:
- There are many endangered animals in the Taiga biome. One of them is the wood bison.
- They are going extinct because of the loss of their habitat.
- They are also cross breeding with plain bison.
- They were dying out along with other types of bison in the early 1900's. They were then thought of as extremely rare and nearly extinct. Then, a herd of 200 was discovered in Alberta, Canada. Since then people have been trying to protect this species. HOwever, these creatures are still on the brink of extinction!