1. Wildlife Identification
Chris Ellis
And
Nicole White
Provided by Dr. James Corbett, Agriculture Teacher, Lowndes Co. High School
GA Ag Ed Curriculum Office
To accompany Georgia Agriculture Education Curriculum
July 2002

2. Basic Facts
Wildlife identification is a skill that is developed by studying the animal’s physical features and its tracks.
Each species of wildlife has its own identity. For example: horns, antlers, hooves, paws, claws, teeth, tails, ears, size, shape, color, and habitats.

3. White-Tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus Length: 6 ft.
Shoulder height: 3.75 ft.
Male weight: lbs.
Female weight: lbs.
Habitat: forests, desert, shrubs, brushy areas, and rocky uplands

4. Coyote Canis latrans Head and body: 46-49 in. Tail: 13-15 in.
Weight: lbs.
Habitat: prefers open spaces such as grasslands, farmlands, or brush country

5. Black Bear Ursus americanus Length: 5-6 ft. Shoulder height: 2-3 ft.
Weight: lbs.
Habitat: forests, swamps, or mountains

6. Mountain Lion Felis concolor Head and body: 42-54 in. Tail: 30-36 in.
Shoulder height: in.
Weight: lbs.
Habitat: forests, remote mountains, plains, and swamps

7. American Alligator Alligator mississipiensis Length: up to 19ft, 2 in.
Habitat: usually near water such as rivers, ponds, or swamps

8. Bobcat Lynx rufus Head and body: 32-40 in. Tail: up to 4 in.
Shoulder height: in.
Weight: lbs.
Habitat: prefers forest areas, swamps, and tundras

9. Raccoon Procyon lotor Head and body: 24-37.5in. Tail: 7.5-16 in.
Weight: lbs.
Habitat: streams, rivers, lakes, woods, and swamps

10. Gray Fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus Head and body: 21-44 in.
Tail: in.
Shoulder height: in.
Weight: 7-13 lbs.
Habitat: usually associated with wooded and brushy areas

11. Red Fox Vulpes vulpes Head and body: 22-42 in. Tail: 14-16 in.
Shoulder height: in.
Weight: 8-15 lbs.
Habitat: areas combining forests, open country, and inhabited areas

12. Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger Head and body: 17.875 to 27.5 in.
Tail: in.
Weight: – lbs.
Habitat: hardwood forests, borders of cypress swamps, thickets, and urban areas
prefers large trees

13. Gray Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis Head and body: 8-10 in.
Tail: 8-10 in.
Weight: oz.
Habitat: hardwood forests of nut trees, like oak and hickory, residential areas, and city parks

14. Striped Skunk Mephitis mephitis Head and body: up to 18 in.
Tail: up to 10 in.
Weight: up to 10 lbs.
Habitat: nearly all areas
prefers woods, plains, and meadows

15. Opossum Didelphis virginiana Head and body: 15-20 in. Tail: 9-13 in.
Weight: 6-12 lbs.
Habitat: open woods, farming areas, forest edges, and brushy wastelands

16. Swamp Rabbit Sylvilagus Head and body: 14-17 in. Ears: up to 4 in.
Weight: lbs.
Habitat: moist bottomland and swamps to upland thickets and farmland

17. Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus Head and body: 14-17 in. Ears: 2.5-3 in.
Weight: 2-4 lbs.
Habitat: from swampy wood to upland thickets, farmlands, forests with open areas nearby, and heavy brush

18. Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo Male: up to 48 in.
Female: up to 38 in.
Habitat: open timberland, mountain forests, logged areas, and prairies with food available

19. Ruffed Grouse Bonasa Umbellus Size: 16-19 in.
Habitat: brushy timberlands and coniferous forest edges.

20. Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Size: 11-13 in.
Habitat: dry uplands, grain fields, suburbs, and deserts

21. Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos Size: 17-21 in.
Habitat: fields, coastlines, city parks, river woodlands, and orchards

22. Bald Eagle Size: 32-40 in. Wingspread: 7.5 ft.
Habitat: associated with large bodies of water that provide an abundant food source
only located in North America

23. Red-Tailed Hawk Size: 19-25 in. Wingspread: 4.5 ft.
Habitat: woodlands, fields, plains, and deserts

24. Peregrine Falcon Size: 15-21 in. Wingspread: 3.75 ft.
Habitat: grasslands and meadows from the mountains to the coast

25. Great Horned Owl Size: 18-25 in.
Habitat: found throughout North America in various habitats

26. Screech Owl
Size: 7-10 in.
Habitat: orchards, woods, suburbs, and small towns

27. Putting The Chapter in a Nutshell
A responsible hunter will not shoot what he/she cannot POSITIVELY identify.

28. Who is who???
Gray Squirrel
Fox Squirrel
Gray Fox
Red Fox

29. Who is who??? Great Horned Owl Red-tailed Hawk Bald Eagle
Peregrine Falcon
Screech Owl

30. Our graphics and photos provided by the AltaVista website
Resources
Our graphics and photos provided by the AltaVista website