"Like us, animals feel love, joy, fear and pain, but they cannot grasp the spoken word. It is our obligation to speak on their behalf ensuring their well-being and lives are respected and protected."
-Sylvia Dolson
Upon this planet we call home, one can find a great multitude of forms of life. From the birds in the sky to the creatures beneath the waves, the creatures that move upon the earth to the ones that move below it. They are everywhere. Some can be seen in certain places around the world more than others. One such place is the North American continent.
Scurrying across the ground, many animals can be found across the landscape of North America. Both large and small, the creatures bring wonder to those who see them. The American Bison can still be found throughout the United States and Canada, while the endangered Black-footed ferret is facing a rapid decline. Yet not all hope is not lost for them, as in December of 2020 the first cloned Black-footed ferret was born.
Besides our furry friends, North America is also host to a variety of different species of reptiles. From the various types of snakes, such as the rattlesnake to the cottonmouth, to the many varieties of turtles, such as the Painted turtle and the Spotted turtle. There are also the Gila monsters, venomous lizards that call the southwest home, and their cousin the Mexican beaded lizard.
North America has many wondrous creatures that call it home. For as many animals that have been brought over, there are still a good deal that are native to this continent. Keep watch for the next blog post in this series, where it will be based on the creatures of South America.
“Part of the reason so many animals are endangered is precisely that we have forgotten the two faces of every creature. We have forgotten what animals mean. I don't want to settle for only half the animal. We need to save both the literal and the symbolic creature.”
-Charles Bergman, “Wild Echoes: Encounters with the Most Endangered Animals in North America”