The woodchuck is the largest member of the squirrel family. It builds an extensive burrow system that, once abandoned, provides refuge for many other mammals. This is probably our best-known hibernating mammal.
Forest edge
Elk (Cervus elaphus)
The original elk herd disappeared from Pennsylvania in the late 1800s. Today, the Game Commission manages a reintroduced herd in McKean, Elk, and Cameron counties.
White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
This is undoubtedly our most popular game species. The spots found on a white-tailed deer fawn represent a form of cryptic coloration. Meant to simulate the appearance of sunlight filtering through trees onto the forest floor, a fawn can go undetected while lying motionless only a few feet from a potential predator.