Thanks to deforestation, road building, and other human activity, these sweet little guys have become so rare that in 1997, just 102 Vancouver Island marmots remained in the wild. But conservation efforts have brought them back from the brink, with around 300 captive-bred individuals released into the wild in 2010, and 26 wild litters born last year, producing 80 pups. Researchers state that climate change may further reduce or impact subalpine habitats along with associated forage plants.

You probably wouldn't associate Canada with having any deserts, since the country is typically attributed with winters that are long and harsh. However, that's not entirely true if you visit the southern region of Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada, known as the Okanagan Desert. In this area, summer temperatures regularly exceed 38˚C (100 °F), and portions of the area receive roughly 250 to 300 mm (10 to 12 inches) of rain per year – compare that to Vancouver, which receives approximately 1120 mm (43 inches) of rain per year.

While some areas in British Columbia experience hotter summer temperatures and are at least as arid, the South Okanagan area is home to several species of plants and animals that are not found elsewhere in Canada. For e ...