President Thomas Jefferson hoped Lewis and Clark would find many fur-bearing animals. Beaver hats were very popular in 1803. The President told the explorers to describe and collect sample animals.
Lewis and Clark identified 122 animals. Some were new to science. Others were related to animals already known. Lewis and Clark were the first to make detailed scientific notes and drawings of these animals.
Lewis and Clark found small creatures living in mounds of dirt. They named them prairie dogs. The men tried to dig them out but couldn't. They flooded a tunnel and caught one. The men sent it back to the President. They also sent him a bobcat’s skin and a stuffed badger.
They saw vast herds of buffalo, or bison, on the Great Plains. From a high spot, Lewis and Clark estimated they could see as many as 20,000 buffalo at once. They learned about the importance of these animals to the Native Americans.
The jackrabbit’s flexible ears amazed them. Lewis and Clark thought it could leap about 20 feet (six meters). They saw many porcupines and named a river for them. The Corps of Discovery had some narrow escapes with grizzly bears. They called them white bears because their coats were paler than eastern black bears.
The men shot a white pelican. They filled its mouth with water. They were surprised that it could hold five gallons (19 liters).
Lewis and Clark’s reports inspired naturalists like James Audubon. The men describe North America before settlers came.
