Lifespan: They live up to 10-15 years in the wild and upwards of 20 years in captivity.

Diet: Primarily grazers, relying on grasses and sedges in summer and shrubs, forbs, and tree bark in winter.

Total Population: Current wild populations number near 1 million across the western United States and Canada

Image: Rocky Mountain Elk - Bryce Canyon National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

Antler Spread: Up to 4 feet (typically featuring a distinct 3-point crown)

State populations: ~59,000 in Oregon, largest unmanaged herd (~5,000) in Washington's Olympic National Park

Diet: Grasses, forbs, shrubs, and tree bark (depends heavily on seasonal availability)

Length: 6.9 to 10 feet

Image: Roosevelt Elk (U.S. National Park Service)

Lifespan & Behavior: They typically live 7 to 10 years in the wild.

Population Status: Not considered threatened and have stable populations in the forests and clearings west of the Cascades.

Antlers: Mature bucks have antlers that fork evenly into two main beams, rather than branching off like white-tailed deer.

Image: https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/species/odocoileus-hemionus-columbianus

Speed: They can reach top speeds of up to 35 mph.

Diet: Their diet consists of roughly 74% woody vegetation, trees, and shrubs.

Lifespan: The average lifespan in the wild is 8 to 12 years, but they can live up to 20 years in captivity.

Antlers: Bucks shed and regrow them annually. They bifurcate (fork and branch outward) rather than growing straight off a main beam like white-tailed deer.

Image: https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/nature/mule_deer.htm

Regional Hubs: Texas holds the largest state population with 4.5 to 5.5 million deer

Speed & Agility: Can run at 30-36 mph and leap up to 8 ft vertically.

Antlers: Grown only by males; they can grow up to a quarter inch per day and are shed annually in winter.

Height & Length: Stand 2.5 to 4 ft tall at the shoulder and measure 3 to 7 ft in total length.

Image: https://www.eekwi.org/animals/mammals/white-tailed-deer

Speed: Can reach top speeds of up to 40 mph and cruise comfortably around 20 mph.

Lifespan: Up to 14 years in the wild, though typically less due to human interaction and predation.

Diet: Omnivorous. Their diet includes small mammals (rodents, rabbits), insects, fruit, carrion, and occasionally larger prey like deer.

Reproduction: Mating peaks in February

Image: https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/nature/coyote.htm

Lifespan: 8 to 13 years in the wild; over 20 years in captivity.

Diet: Obligate carnivores that primarily hunt deer and elk, but will also eat smaller mammals and occasionally livestock.

Range: Holds the Guinness World Record for the animal with the most names (over 40 in English alone).

Weight: Males average 130–150 lbs, while females weigh 90–100 lbs (can range from 65 to 265 lbs depending on the region

Image from Britannica

Length: 26 to 47 inches from head to body, with a short tail adding an extra 4 to 7 inches.

Height: Stand about 20 to 35 inches tall at the shoulder.

Diet: Strictly carnivorous.

Lifespan: Typically 10 to 12 years in the wild, though they can live upwards of 15-20 years in captivity.

Population: The wild population is estimated to be between 2.3 and 3.5 million.

Lifespan: Average of 20 years in the wild, and up to 30 years in captivity.

Population: An estimated 300,000 to 750,000 black bears live across North America.

Diet: Omnivorous.

Speed: Can run up to 30 mph to 35 mph for short bursts.

Weight: 1.8 to 3.5 pounds

Tail: Rudimentary and stubby, only about 1 inch long

Physical Traits: Stout, cylindrical body, small, rounded ears, poor eyesight, and opposable thumbs

Range: Confined to the Pacific coastal region (southern British Columbia, western Washington/Oregon, and California)

Burrows: Powerful diggers that construct complex, 5–6 foot deep tunnel systems with distinct chambers for nesting, feeding, and feces.

Herbivorous: ferns (sword fern, bracken fern), salal, and tree leaves.

Weight: 35 to 65 pounds on average; older beavers can exceed 100 pounds.

Length: 3 to 4 feet long, including their 10-to-18-inch paddle-shaped tail.

Teeth: Front incisors are coated in hard, orange enamel and grow continuously throughout their lives to prevent them from wearing down.

Lifespan: Typically 10 to 12 years in the wild, though they can live up to 20+ years.

Habitat Range: Found in streams, rivers, marshes, and ponds

Body Length: 5.1 to 5.9 inches.

Wingspan: 16 to 1 7 inches

Flight Speed: Capable of flying between 12 and 60 mph, depending on the source, flight type, and altitude.

Diet: Moths, Mosquitoes, Beetles, flies, and dragonflies

Body Length: 9 to 11.5 centimeters

Wingspan: 27 to 31 centimeters

Ears: Short and rounded.

Membranes: Dark brown to black tail membrane heavily furred on the upper surface.

Lifespan: Up to 12 years in the wild.

Range: Found throughout southern Alaska, Canada, and most of the contiguous United States

Diet: Insectivore. They eat slow-flying insects like moths, mosquitoes, midges, and beetles.

Weight: 14 to 25 grams

Length: 11 to 13 cm

Wingspan: 32 to 40 cm

Fur: Long, glossy fur that ranges from rich chestnut/copper to dark brown on the back

Lifespan: Often live 18 to 20 years in the wild.

Habitat: timberline meadows, deserts, and suburban/agricultural areas