Common Mammals of Grouse Mountain

The American Pine Marten (Martes americana) is perhaps one of more vicious wild animals on Grouse Mountain. It is a member of the Mustelidae family, with such distinguished members such as badgers, mink, otters and wolverine. It gets its name from living amongst the tall coniferous trees here on the coast of BC. In the past they have been hunted for their fur and their pelts were often traded in colonial times. A male Marten can be very territorial and males can roam a large territory up to 8 square kilometers. He will chase away or fight with other males in this space but will allow multiple females for mating. They have a high metabolism so are almost always on the hunt for small mammals such as squirrels, chipmunks and rodents. They will also hunt birds with strong leaps, and will forage for insects and carrion if hunting prey is scarce. They are known for their ferocity, however, and will often take on prey larger than themselves such as snowshoe hares and marmots. Keep an eye out in our tall grasses and trees this summer if you are out hiking - you might see a Marten skulking nearby!

If you venture up near our Eye of the Wind turbine on Grouse Mountain or out onto some of our rocky ski-slopes in the summer you're sure to run into, or at least hear, an American Pika (Ochotona princeps). These cute mammals are cousins of rabbits and hares even though they may look more like a mouse or tail-less squirrel. They live underneath rock rubble in sub-alpine and alpine areas and spend their summer days drying food (a behavior known as 'haying') for storage for the winter. Come snowfall they do not hibernate like other mammals might, but rather live under the snow and rocks surviving off their food stores they have prepared. Because they are so sensitive to temperature change and cannot survive extended or unseasonably hot temperatures the Pika has become an indicator species for Climate Change. Unfortunately many populations are suffering due to warming conditions.

Columbian Black-tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) are often found wandering the slopes of Grouse Mountain foraging on grasses and flowering shrubs. They are a sub-species of Mule Deer whose range extends from mid to southern BC down to California in the south. They are often referred to as 'Ghosts of the Pacific' since they have an ability to move silently through the dense rainforests of the coast. Named for their characteristic black-tail, these deer move up and down the mountains following the food and snowline. During the mating season the males spar with each other to win a female's attention. The females then gestate over the winter and give birth to two fawns in the late spring. The mothers can leave the fawns un-attended while they go to forage so if you ever run into a baby deer with no sign of mother please do not disturb it but check back later in the day to see if it has reconnected with mother.