At the end of the last Ice Age, most of North America's megafauna became extinct. A few species survived. Seven of those species were found only in North America. How did they survive when so many of their contemporary species became extinct? And how did they manage to survive the more recent changes to their environment? This book, aimed at junior scientists, tells their stories.
Accompanied by detailed photographs, illustrations and maps, Taylor explores those species of mammals that existed in the North American continent, lived through the last Ice Age, and endured to the present. He reveals the ancestral origins of the animals, the opinions that humans held towards them, and the way they affected the biodiversity in the environment in which they live. North American Survivors considers the way these animals survived so that humans may learn and integrate the animals' resilience in their own lives to continue through the ongoing climate change crisis.
North American Survivors also gives an overview of a typical year of the particular animal; when mating and birthing season begins, and when a particular animal grows independent. Animals discussed include White-tailed deer; Pronghorn; Cougars; Collared javelina or peccary; Black bears; Mountain goats; and Coyotes.
Dave Taylor is the author/photographer of more than 50 books on wildlife and natural history. He is a retired teacher who has had a passion for black bears since the 1960s and wrote about it in the book, Black Bears: A Natural History. Dave lives in Mississauga, Ontario.