These 20 Adorable Animals Are Distinctly Canadian

These gorgeous beasts can be found in Canada's forests — though you might catch the odd one trotting through GTA suburbs. They can weigh up to 500 kilograms and stand up to two metres tall, making them the largest members of the deer family.

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The wetlands birds, known for their distinctive black head, head south for the winter. Their migration helps them save energy as they benefit from the air currents passing through the head of the V, allowing them to fly longer distances.

Ontario even has a town called Wawa, wich is Obwije for "wild goose" and they have a massive statue to pay tribute to the Canada Goose.

Beavers might score a spot on the country's lowest form of currency but Canada's largest rodents might want to ask for a promotion considering how savvy they are. They cut down trees with their own teeth to build dams and create areas of calm water in which they can build lodges where they live with their families. Brilliant little buggers.

Even celebrities who vacation in Canada may run into a beaver or two if they're chilling in our cottage country.

These adorable creatures and the official bird of Newfoundland and Labrador, and who could blame them? Puffins mate for life, live in cliffside burrows, raise their young until they're ready to fledge. But they always come back home.

Canada is home to the planet's largest species of bear, which are found in Quebec, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario. That's right, Ontario's northernmost provincial park, which is accessible only by plane, is called Polar Bear Provincial Park for that very reason. Sadly, the beautiful species is endangered, like these other animals, due to climate change and habitat loss, so we may be the last generation to see them. They're preserved on our toonies though. Small consolation.

These gentle marine mammals are found in various areas of Canada, from the Hudson Bay, the St. Lawrence estuary and, of course, the Arctic Ocean.

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Try not to look directly at them because otherwise, you will be enraptured by their beauty. They thrive in the Bay of Fundy's lush ecosystem, along with New Brunswick's Deer Island and, oh, my. Those eyes. They're almost hypnotic. This one, even more so.

If you've ever gone to a zoo, it's no surprise that the otter exhibit is one of the most popular. River otters, which can be found inhabiting inland waterways and coastal areas across the country, are playful and are packed with so much personality, it's like they totally get us humans and are more than happy to give us a show.

Also known as reindeer in other parts of the world, the beautiful creatures may be huge but they're also serve as prey to wolverines, golden eagles and human hunters. Caribou have scent glands at the base of their ankles that are used when the animal is in danger, where it will rear up on its hind legs to release a scent that alerts other caribou to the danger it is facing. You may be able to spot them in some of the stunning landscapes you won't believe are in Canada.

They might look like mice but they're closer to rabbit and hare species. Pikas can be found in northern B.C., the Yukon and western parts of the Northwest Territories, as they prefer remote, high-altitude locations. Nahanni National Park Reserve near Fort Simpson, NWT is an ideal spot, thanks to the mountains and the area's ruggedness.

It's possible if you head to some of the most beautiful places in Canada to see that you may come across a pika.

As you can tell by its name, the Arctic hare is mostly found on Baffin Island in Nunavut. Considering it's the country's largest island (and fifth largest in the world), hare won't be the only wildlife you'll see as it's also inhabited by polar bears, foxes and lemmings, among others.

The scavengers, that are weasels and not even a little bit wolf, live primarily in isolated arctic, boreal, and alpine regions of northern Canada, and hunt all kinds of smaller animals but their diets can be supplemented by birds, their eggs, roots, seeds, insect larvae and berries.

Check out more wildlife from one of the best train trips in Canada.

These short-tailed weasels can be found throughout Canada and while they are cute, don't let their appearance fool you. They are opportunistic predator, can move rapidly and will do a "dance" to distract their prey.

These little guys are about the size of a house cat and equally adorable. They're on the endangered list, unfortunately, but the Cochrane Research Institute in Alberta is working on helping them.

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The shy critters are condensed into about 13,000 square kilometres in the western part Newfoundland, with most of them in the Little Grand Lake area but other pine marten are being reintroduced in Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba. Their prey is similar to that of wolverines, particularly snowshoe hares. They may be cute but they're deadly.

Plan a Canadian road trip to spot these lil guys from a safe distance in real life.

These creatures have loads of personality and where to begin with those cheeks and chubby bodies? You can see them in Saskatchewan's Grasslands National Park, but try not to fall in love with these guys and try to take one home. You will be tempted, though.

Monarchs typically reside in southern Canada, though in Ontario, they're listed as a species of special concern. It's widely believed that climate change will dramatically affect the monarch migration so in the next 50 years, it's hoped that they will expand their range further north.

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More commonly known as the spirit bear, these are one of the rarest bears on the planet. What's bananas is that though they are black bears, a recessive gene in them make them white. There are about 100 in B.C.'s Great Bear Rainforest, which, funnily enough, also boasts grey wolves that happen to be black.

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These sturdy creatures weigh up to 300 pounds (their horns making up 10% of their body mass) and generally inhabit alpine meadows, grassy mountain slopes and foothill country making the Rockies the perfect place for them to inhabit.

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They may be cute but Canadian lynx are sly, lethal, nocturnal hunters who subsist on a diet of snowshoe hares. They're fluffy as hell and resemble a sweet domestic cat but Canada lynx are twice the size. Actually, they're slightly larger than bobcats, so maybe think twice about petting one, if given the opportunity. Those massive paws, though.