Life Sciences Commons^™

Mammals, Birds, And Butterflies At Sodium Sources In Northern Ontario Forests, D. Fraser

Feeding Behavior Collection

Wildlife seen at natural sodium-rich springs and at roadside pools contaminated by highway de-icing salt in northern Ontario included two species of wild ungulates, one species of rodent, three species of birds, and two species of butterflies. The three birds were finches of the sub-family Carduelinae, noted for feeding almost exclusively on plant material. The mammalian species were also herbivorous. Apart from Porcupines (Erethizon dorsaturn), small mammals were rarely seen at the saltwater locations, perhaps because of their apparent preference to ingest salt in solid form rather than in water.