Large Mammals of CanadaMany stamps depicting large mammals have been issued in Canada, some in sets and others by themselves. In these notes, I have grouped together information about stamps of each animal, so that the Scott #s are out of order. Canada has been very lax in showing the Latin name of animals (be it large mammals or small, birds, insects, etc., or even flowers and other plants) they rarely did until fairly recently. I have added this in italics for each one, for the biologists (or those who don't recognize regional names) who might be interested. Low Value Definitives 1953-57, and othersThe starting point for large mammals is the 1953-57 series of definitive stamps in the low value range issued in small lots of 3 or 2 at a time. I have added later stamps of the same animal as well.The earliest large mammals were:
Polar Bear - Ursus maritimus - The largest land carnivore, it is adapted to living in the arctic, hunting primarily seals. Its range is circum-polar, all across the northern shorelines of Canada, Greenland and Russia. 
A word about zoos: Zoos can be of invaluable assistance in helping endangered species with their breeding programs, followed by re-introduction into the wild, but they are prisons for wild animals. Some animals on stamps were issued only to celebrate some zoo. Moose - Alces alces - It is the largest of the deer family; they live in Boreal & deciduous forests, frequently feeding on water plants in ponds and swamps. 
Bison, or buffalo, named Bison bison, were found in huge herds when the Europeans arrived. They had been the most important wildlife resource to the Plains peoples, and were virtually wiped out by the newcomers by the late 1800s. They have a huge head, shaggy forequarters and a humped back; they weigh around 2000 pounds, standing taller than a car. 
Two American stamps above show these large mammals.
Bighorn Sheep Ovis canadensis - They range from southern Rockies of Canada to Mexico. Bighorn Sheep are named for the large, curved horns borne by the males, or rams. Females, or ewes, also have horns, but they are short with only a slight curvature. Bighorns are well adapted to climbing steep terrain where they seek cover from predators such as coyotes, eagles, and cougars. 
Musk Ox Ovibos moschatus They live in the high arctic of Canada; more closely related to sheep & goats than cattle, males are fairly large mammals, averaging 200 kg (440 lb), but can be bigger. 
Caribou Rangifer tarandus They are members of the deer family, found in arctic & sub-arctic areas all around the northern hemisphere. The antlers have 2 separate groups of points. Mountain Goat Oreamnos americanus The Mountain goat lives in alpine areas of North America, from southern Alaska and Yukon to Washington, Idaho and Montana. They range from sea level mountain valleys to 3000 m altitude. 
High Value Definitives of 1987-91There was a large time gap between the first stamps of large mammals and the next set (1953 to 1987), except for the 2 in 1972 - polar bear & bighorn sheep.A set of definitive stamps issued from 1987 to 1991, (Scott #1155-80), which I find rather ugly, included 7 low value stamps with small mammals, 3 medium value stamps with medium sized mammals, and 9 high value stamps: 5 large mammals and 4 sea mammals. I am continuing below with only the large land mammals of that set.
Pronghorn - Antilocapra americana It lives in grasslands from southern Alberta & Saskatchewan to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona / California & the Baja peninsula in Mexico, on both sides of the Rocky Mountains. Musk Ox Ovibos moschatus see notes above (#352 & #1174) Wapiti Cervus canadensis This is also called an elk, and is second largest of the deer family, after the moose. They live in forests, or at the edge of it, in western North America and in eastern Asia. Peary Caribou - Rangifer tarandus pearyi - Found in Nunavut and Northwest territories, and on the Endangered Species list. They are the smallest of the North American caribou, and do not migrate more than 100 miles (150 km) from summer to winter grounds. 
Grizzly Bear Ursus arctos horribilis They live in upland areas of western North America. Males are pretty large mammals; they can be 180680 kg (4001,500 lb), standing 8 ft on their hind legs. They are second in size only to polar bears. 
More large mammals were shown in later stamps: White Tailed Deer - (Odocoileus virginianus) - medium-sized deer, but still a fairly large mammal, found in southern Canada, throughout most of the continental United States through to Central America and northern portions of South America as far south as Peru. They can adapt to forested areas or savannas. 
Sable Island Horse - Equus caballus Horses are not usually considered as wild animals in Canada, but a small population of about 300 of them live on what is really a large sand bar in the Atlantic Ocean southeast of Nova Scotia, called Sable Island. The horses are descendants of those confiscated from the Acadians when they were forcibly removed from their homes in eastern Canada in 1755. 
Eastern Cougar - (Puma concolor) and Amur Leopard (Panthers pardus orientalus). The scientific name of each is found on the stamp, but no common names. A souvenir sheet was issued in 2005, #2122a, with the stamps se-tenant. It also came in a sheet of 16, with 8 pairs se-tenant, and a gutter between 2 panels of 4 pairs. This was a joint issue with the Peoples Republic of China. The image shows a maple leaf shaped perforation between the 2 stamps, the first of its kind done in Canada. The selvedge around the stamps is coloured to imitate the fur on the big cat it encircles: uniform brown for the cougar but spots for the leopard. 
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