Editing Alberta (section)

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of Alberta}}
[[File:Alberta Topo Labeled 90 dpi.png|thumb|400px|A topographic map of Alberta, showing cities, towns, municipal district (county) and rural municipality borders, and natural features]]
Alberta, with an area of {{convert|661848|km2|abbr=off}}, is the fourth-largest province after [[Quebec]], [[Ontario]], and [[British Columbia]].<ref name=area>{{cite web |url=http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/phys01-eng.htm |title=Land and freshwater area, by province and territory |publisher=Statistics Canada |date=February 2005 |access-date=May 19, 2016 |archive-date=August 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120801122111/http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/phys01-eng.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Alberta's southern border is the [[49th parallel north]], which [[Canada–United States border|separates it]] from the U.S. state of [[Montana]]. The [[60th parallel north]] divides Alberta from the [[Northwest Territories]]. The [[110th meridian west]] separates it from the province of [[Saskatchewan]]; while on the west its boundary with British Columbia follows the [[120th meridian west]] south from the Northwest Territories at 60°N until it reaches the [[Continental Divide of the Americas|Continental Divide]] at the [[Rocky Mountains]], and from that point follows the line of peaks marking the Continental Divide in a generally southeasterly direction until it reaches the Montana border at 49°N.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Alberta-province |title=Alberta, Canada |work=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=September 20, 2017 |archive-date=September 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921052209/https://www.britannica.com/place/Alberta-province |url-status=live }}</ref>

The province extends {{convert|1223|km|abbr=off}} north to south and {{convert|660|km|abbr=off}} east to west at its maximum width. Its highest point is {{convert|3747|m|abbr=off}} at the summit of [[Mount Columbia (Canada)|Mount Columbia]] in the Rocky Mountains along the southwest border while its lowest point is {{convert|152|m|abbr=off}} on the [[Slave River]] in [[Wood Buffalo National Park]] in the northeast.<ref name="aboutab">{{cite web |title=Climate and Geography |work=About Alberta |publisher=Government of Alberta |year=2008 |url=http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/DAM/DAM-INTER-AB/STAGING/texte-text/fnamarch11_1315587933961_eng.pdf |access-date=May 19, 2016 |archive-date=April 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413044211/http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/DAM/DAM-INTER-AB/STAGING/texte-text/fnamarch11_1315587933961_eng.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

With the exception of the [[semi-arid climate]] of the [[steppe]] in the south-eastern section, the province has adequate [[water resources]]. There are [[list of rivers of Alberta|numerous rivers]] and [[list of lakes of Alberta|lakes in Alberta]] used for swimming, fishing and a range of water sports. There are three large lakes, [[Lake Claire (Alberta)|Lake Claire]] ({{cvt|1436|km2|disp=sqbr}}) in Wood Buffalo National Park, [[Lesser Slave Lake]] ({{cvt|1168|km2|disp=sqbr}}), and [[Lake Athabasca]] ({{cvt|7898|km2|disp=sqbr}}), which lies in both Alberta and Saskatchewan. The longest river in the province is the [[Athabasca River]], which travels {{cvt|1538|km}} from the [[Columbia Icefield]] in the Rocky Mountains to Lake Athabasca.<ref>{{cite web |title=Athabasca River |publisher=The Canadian Heritage Rivers System |year=2011 |url=http://www.chrs.ca/Rivers/Athabasca/Athabasca-F_e.php |access-date=December 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414210651/http://www.chrs.ca/Rivers/Athabasca/Athabasca-F_e.php |archive-date=April 14, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The largest river is the [[Peace River]] with an average flow of {{cvt|2100|m3/s}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PEACE RIVER AT PEACE POINT |url=https://www.r-arcticnet.sr.unh.edu/v4.0/ViewPoint.pl?Point=801 |access-date=October 29, 2022 |website=www.r-arcticnet.sr.unh.edu |archive-date=January 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111130553/https://www.r-arcticnet.sr.unh.edu/v4.0/ViewPoint.pl?Point=801 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Peace River originates in the Rocky Mountains of northern British Columbia and flows through [[northern Alberta]] and into the Slave River, a tributary of the [[Mackenzie River]].

Alberta's capital city, [[Edmonton]], is at about the geographic centre of the province. It is the most northerly major city in Canada and serves as a gateway and hub for resource development in northern Canada. With its proximity to Canada's largest oil fields, the region has most of western Canada's oil refinery capacity. Calgary is about {{cvt|280|km}} south of Edmonton and {{cvt|240|km}} north of Montana, surrounded by extensive ranching country. Almost 75% of the province's population lives in the [[Calgary–Edmonton Corridor]]. The land grant policy to the railways served as a means to populate the province in its early years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://railways.library.ualberta.ca/Maps-2-2-5 |title=Atlas of Alberta Railways Maps – Alberta Land Grants |work=ualberta.ca |access-date=May 15, 2016 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042350/http://railways.library.ualberta.ca/Maps-2-2-5/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:1 moraine lake pano 2019.jpg|thumb|[[Moraine Lake]] at [[Banff National Park]]. The [[Alberta Mountain forests]] makes up the southwestern boundary of Alberta.]]
Most of the northern half of the province is [[Taiga|boreal forest]], while the Rocky Mountains along the southwestern boundary are largely [[temperate coniferous forest]]s of the [[Alberta Mountain forests]] and [[Alberta–British Columbia foothills forests]]. The southern quarter of the province is [[prairie]], ranging from [[shortgrass prairie]] in the southeastern corner to [[mixed grass prairie]] in an arc to the west and north of it. The central [[aspen parkland]] region extending in a broad arc between the prairies and the forests, from Calgary, north to Edmonton, and then east to [[Lloydminster]], contains the most [[soil fertility|fertile soil]] in the province and most of the population. Much of the unforested part of Alberta is given over either to grain farming or cattle ranching, with [[mixed farming]] more common in the north and centre, while [[ranch]]ing and [[Irrigation|irrigated agriculture]] predominate in the south.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Alberta |encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia |publisher=Historica Foundation of Canada |year=2008 |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/alberta |access-date=October 1, 2008 |archive-date=December 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213034807/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/alberta/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Alberta [[badlands]] are in southeastern Alberta, where the [[Red Deer River]] crosses the flat prairie and farmland, and features deep canyons and striking landforms. [[Dinosaur Provincial Park]], near [[Brooks, Alberta|Brooks]], showcases the badlands terrain, desert flora, and remnants from Alberta's past when dinosaurs roamed the then lush landscape.

=== Climate ===
[[File:Alberta Köppen.svg|thumb|300px|[[Köppen climate classification|Köppen climate types]] in Alberta]]
Alberta extends for over {{cvt|1200|km}} from north to south; its climate, therefore, varies considerably. Average high temperatures in January range from {{cvt|0|C}} in the southwest to {{cvt|-24|C}} in the far north. The presence of the Rocky Mountains also influences the climate to the southwest, which disrupts the flow of the [[Westerlies|prevailing westerly winds]] and causes them to drop most of their moisture on the western slopes of the mountain ranges before reaching the province, casting a [[rain shadow]] over much of Alberta. The northerly location and isolation from the weather systems of the Pacific Ocean cause Alberta to have a dry climate with little moderation from the ocean. Annual precipitation ranges from {{cvt|300|mm}} in the southeast to {{cvt|450|mm}} in the north, except in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where total precipitation including snowfall can reach {{cvt|600|mm}} annually.<ref name="aboutab"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Alberta Weather and Climate Data |publisher=Government of Alberta, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development |year=2012 |url=http://agriculture.alberta.ca/acis |access-date=May 15, 2016 |archive-date=May 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160519122523/http://agriculture.alberta.ca/acis/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Red rock coulee at sunset.jpg|thumb|Southeastern Alberta features a [[semi-arid climate|semi-arid]] [[steppe]] climate.]]
Northern Alberta is mostly covered by boreal forest and has a [[subarctic climate]]. The agricultural area of [[southern Alberta]] has a semi-arid steppe climate because the annual precipitation is less than the water that [[evapotranspiration|evaporates or is used by plants]]. The southeastern corner of Alberta, part of the [[Palliser's Triangle|Palliser Triangle]], experiences greater summer heat and lower rainfall than the rest of the province, and as a result, suffers frequent [[crop yield]] problems and occasional severe droughts. Western Alberta is protected by the mountains and enjoys the mild temperatures brought by winter Chinook winds. Central and parts of northwestern Alberta in the Peace River region are largely aspen parkland, a [[biome]] transitional between prairie to the south and boreal forest to the north.

Alberta has a [[humid continental climate]] with warm summers and cold winters. The province is open to cold Arctic weather systems from the north, which often produce cold winter conditions. As the [[Weather front|fronts]] between the [[air mass]]es shift north and south across Alberta, the temperature can change rapidly. [[Arctic front|Arctic air masses]] in the winter produce extreme minimum temperatures varying from {{cvt|-54|C}} in northern Alberta to {{cvt|-46|C}} in southern Alberta, although temperatures at these extremes are rare.

In the summer, continental air masses have produced record maximum temperatures from {{cvt|32|C}} in the mountains to over {{cvt|40|C}} in southeastern Alberta.<ref name="climatlas">{{cite web |title=Climate of Alberta |work=Agroclimatic Atlas of Alberta |publisher=Government of Alberta |year=2003 |url=http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/sag6299 |access-date=October 1, 2008 |archive-date=August 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110828144440/http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/sag6299 |url-status=live }}</ref> Alberta is a sunny province. Annual bright sunshine totals range between 1,900 up to just under 2,600 hours per year. Northern Alberta gets about 18 hours of daylight in the summer.<ref name="climatlas"/> The average daytime temperatures range from around {{cvt|21|C}} in the [[Rocky Mountains|Rocky Mountain valleys]] and far north, up to around {{cvt|28|C}} in the dry prairie of the southeast. The northern and western parts of the province experience higher rainfall and lower evaporation rates caused by cooler summer temperatures. The south and east-central portions are prone to drought-like conditions sometimes persisting for several years, although even these areas can receive heavy precipitation, sometimes resulting in flooding.

In the winter, the [[Alberta clipper]], a type of intense, fast-moving winter storm that generally forms over or near the province and, pushed with great speed by the continental polar [[Jet stream|jetstream]], descends over the rest of southern Canada and the northern tier of the United States.<ref name="Alberta Clipper">{{cite web |title=Alberta Clipper |url=http://www.weathernotebook.org/transcripts/2000/02/15.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219182706/http://www.weathernotebook.org/transcripts/2000/02/15.html |archive-date=February 19, 2015 |publisher=The Weather Notebook |access-date=October 1, 2012 }}</ref> In southwestern Alberta, the cold winters are frequently interrupted by warm, dry [[Chinook wind]]s blowing from the mountains, which can propel temperatures upward from frigid conditions to well above the freezing point in a very short period. During one Chinook recorded at [[Pincher Creek]], temperatures soared from {{cvt|-19|to|22|C}} in just one hour.<ref name="aboutab"/> The region around Lethbridge has the most Chinooks, averaging 30 to 35 Chinook days per year. Calgary has a 56% chance of a [[white Christmas (weather)|white Christmas]], while Edmonton has an 86% chance.<ref name=Canadawhitechristmas>{{cite web |title=Chance of White Christmas |url=http://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo-weather/default.asp?lang=En&n=642F4B39-1 |publisher=Environment Canada |access-date=December 6, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130301190705/http://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo-weather/default.asp?lang=En |archive-date=March 1, 2013 }}</ref>

After Saskatchewan, Alberta experiences the most [[tornado]]es in Canada with an average of 15 verified per year.<ref name=tornados>{{cite web |last=Vettese |first=Dayna |title=Tornadoes in Canada: Everything you need to know |url=http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/tornadoes-in-canada-everything-you-need-to-know/25876/0 |publisher=[[The Weather Network]] |date=September 4, 2014 |access-date=January 8, 2015 |archive-date=December 21, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141221032409/http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/tornadoes-in-canada-everything-you-need-to-know/25876/0 |url-status=live }}</ref> Thunderstorms, some of them severe, are frequent in the summer, especially in central and southern Alberta. The region surrounding the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor is notable for having the highest frequency of [[hail]] in Canada, which is caused by [[orographic lift]]ing from the nearby Rocky Mountains, enhancing the updraft/downdraft cycle necessary for the formation of hail.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1em auto; width:60%;"
|+Climate averages for communities in Alberta<ref name="Cities Climate">{{cite web |title=Canadian Climate Normals |date=October 31, 2011 |url=http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/index_e.html#1971 |publisher=Environment Canada |access-date=February 17, 2014 |archive-date=February 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227145147/http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/index_e.html#1971 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
!Community
!Region
!July daily<br/>maximum<ref name="Cities Climate"/>
!data-sort-type=number|January daily<br/>maximum<ref name="Cities Climate"/>
!Annual<br/>precipitation<ref name="Cities Climate"/>
!Plant<br/>hardiness<br/>zone<ref name="NRC-PHZ">{{cite web |title=Plant Hardiness Zone by Municipality |url=http://www.planthardiness.gc.ca/?m=22&lang=en&prov=Alberta&val=A |department=[[Natural Resources Canada]] |publisher=Government of Canada |access-date=July 27, 2016 |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305181823/http://www.planthardiness.gc.ca/?m=22&lang=en&prov=Alberta&val=A |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|[[Medicine Hat]] || [[Southern Alberta]] || {{cvt|28|C}} || {{cvt|-3|C}} || {{cvt|323|mm}} || 4b
|-
|[[Brooks, Alberta|Brooks]] || Southern Alberta || {{cvt|28|C}} || {{cvt|-4|C}} || {{cvt|301|mm}} || 4a
|-
|[[Lethbridge]] || Southern Alberta || {{cvt|26|C}} || {{cvt|0|C}} || {{cvt|380|mm}} || 4b
|-
|[[Fort McMurray]] || [[Northern Alberta]] || {{cvt|24|C}} || {{cvt|-12|C}} || {{cvt|419|mm}} || 3a
|-
|[[Wetaskiwin]] || [[Central Alberta]] || {{cvt|24|C}} || {{cvt|-5|C}} || {{cvt|497|mm}} || 3b
|-
|[[Edmonton]] || [[Edmonton Metropolitan Region]] || {{cvt|23|C}} || {{cvt|-6|C}} || {{cvt|456|mm}} || 4a
|-
|[[Cold Lake, Alberta|Cold Lake]] || Northern Alberta || {{cvt|23|C}} || {{cvt|-10|C}} || {{cvt|421|mm}} || 3a
|-
|[[Camrose, Alberta|Camrose]] || Central Alberta || {{cvt|23|C}} || {{cvt|-6|C}} || {{cvt|438|mm}} || 3b
|-
|[[Fort Saskatchewan]] || Edmonton Metropolitan Region || {{cvt|23|C}} || {{cvt|-7|C}} || {{cvt|455|mm}} || 3b
|-
|[[Lloydminster]] || Central Alberta || {{cvt|23|C}} || {{cvt|-10|C}} || {{cvt|409|mm}} || 3a
|-
|[[Red Deer, Alberta|Red Deer]] || Central Alberta || {{cvt|23|C}} || {{cvt|-5|C}} || {{cvt|486|mm}} || 4a
|-
|[[Grande Prairie]] || Northern Alberta || {{cvt|23|C}} || {{cvt|-8|C}} || {{cvt|445|mm}} || 3b
|-
|[[Leduc, Alberta|Leduc]] || Edmonton Metropolitan Region || {{cvt|23|C}} || {{cvt|-6|C}} || {{cvt|446|mm}} || 3b
|-
|[[Calgary]] || [[Calgary Metropolitan Region]] || {{cvt|23|C}} || {{cvt|-1|C}} || {{cvt|419|mm}} || 4a
|-
|[[Chestermere]] || Calgary Metropolitan Region || {{cvt|23|C}} || {{cvt|-3|C}} || {{cvt|412|mm}} || 3b
|-
|[[St. Albert, Alberta|St. Albert]] || Edmonton Metropolitan Region || {{cvt|22|C}} || {{cvt|-6|C}} || {{cvt|466|mm}} || 4a
|-
|[[Lacombe, Alberta|Lacombe]] || Central Alberta || {{cvt|22|C}} || {{cvt|-5|C}} || {{cvt|446|mm}} || 3b
|}

=== Ecology ===
==== Flora ====
[[File:Rosa acicularis 8448.JPG|thumb|The [[Rosa acicularis|wild rose]] is the provincial flower of Alberta.]]
In central and northern Alberta the arrival of spring is marked by the early flowering of the [[Pulsatilla nuttalliana|prairie crocus]] (''Pulsatilla nuttalliana'') ''[[anemone]]''; this member of the buttercup family has been recorded flowering as early as March, though April is the usual month for the general population.<ref>[http://plantwatch.naturealberta.ca/plant-information/prairie-crocus Prairie Crocus Information] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515015621/http://plantwatch.naturealberta.ca/plant-information/prairie-crocus |date=May 15, 2013 }} Alberta Plant Watch. Author Annora Brown. Published: no date given. Retrieved August 28, 2013.</ref> Other prairie flora known to flower early are the [[Thermopsis rhombifolia|golden bean]] (''Thermopsis rhombifolia'') and [[Rosa acicularis|wild rose]] (''Rosa acicularis'').<ref name="Jennings2010">{{cite book |author=Neil L. Jennings |title=In Plain Sight: Exploring the Natural Wonders of Southern Alberta |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BuUCxztT6ycC&pg=PA98 |access-date=August 28, 2013 |year=2010 |publisher=Rocky Mountain Books Ltd |isbn=978-1-897522-78-3 |page=98 |archive-date=June 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140628093356/http://books.google.com/books?id=BuUCxztT6ycC&pg=PA98 |url-status=live }}</ref> Members of the [[Helianthus|sunflower]] (''Helianthus'') family blossom on the prairie in the summer months between July and September.<ref name="Angier1974">{{cite book |author=Bradford Angier |title=Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants |url=https://archive.org/details/fieldguidetoedib00angi |url-access=registration |access-date=August 31, 2013 |year=1974 |publisher=Stackpole Books |isbn=978-0-8117-2018-2 |page=[https://archive.org/details/fieldguidetoedib00angi/page/220 220] }}</ref> The southern and east central parts of Alberta are covered by short prairie grass,<ref name="Johnsgard2005">{{cite book |author=Paul A. Johnsgard |title=Prairie Dog Empire: A Saga of the Shortgrass Prairie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v1DKQL0OBigC&pg=PA181 |access-date=August 31, 2013 |year=2005 |publisher=U of Nebraska Press |isbn=978-0-8032-2604-3 |page=181 |archive-date=June 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140628093556/http://books.google.com/books?id=v1DKQL0OBigC&pg=PA181 |url-status=live }}</ref> which dries up as summer lengthens, to be replaced by hardy perennials such as the [[Ratibida|prairie coneflower]] (''Ratibida''), [[fleabane]], and [[Sagebrush|sage]] (''[[Artemisia (plant)|Artemisia]]''). Both yellow and white [[Melilotus|sweet clover]] (''Melilotus'') can be found throughout the southern and central areas of the province.

The trees in the parkland region of the province grow in clumps and belts on the hillsides. These are largely [[deciduous]], typically [[aspen]], [[Populus|poplar]], and [[willow]]. Many species of willow and other shrubs grow in virtually any terrain. North of the North Saskatchewan River, evergreen forests prevail for thousands of square kilometres. Aspen poplar, [[Populus balsamifera|balsam poplar]] (''Populus balsamifera'') or in some parts [[Populus deltoides|cottonwood]] (''Populus deltoides''), and [[Betula papyrifera|paper birch]] (''Betula papyrifera'') are the primary large deciduous species. [[Conifer]]s include [[jack pine]] (''Pinus banksiana''), Rocky Mountain pine, [[Pinus contorta|lodgepole pine]] (''Pinus contorta''), both white and black [[spruce]], and the deciduous conifer [[Larix laricina|tamarack]] (''Larix laricina'').

==== Fauna ====
[[File:Bighorn Sheep - Kananaskis.jpg|thumb|left|A [[bighorn sheep]] in [[Kananaskis Country]]. The bighorn sheep is the provincial mammal of Alberta.]]
The four climatic regions ([[alpine climate|alpine]], [[Taiga|boreal forest]], [[Aspen parkland|parkland]], and [[prairie]]) of Alberta are home to many different species of animals. The south and central prairie was the homeland of the [[American bison]], also known as buffalo, with its grasses providing pasture and breeding ground for millions of buffalo. The buffalo population was decimated during early settlement, but since then, buffalo have made a comeback, living on farms and in parks all over Alberta.

[[Herbivore]]s are found throughout the province. [[Moose]], [[mule deer]], [[elk]], and [[white-tailed deer]] are found in the wooded regions, and [[pronghorn]] can be found in the prairies of southern Alberta. [[Bighorn sheep]] and [[mountain goat]]s live in the Rocky Mountains. Rabbits, [[porcupine]]s, [[striped skunk|skunks]], squirrels, and many species of rodents and reptiles live in every corner of the province. Alberta is home to only one venomous snake species, the [[Crotalus viridis|prairie rattlesnake]].

Alberta is home to many large [[carnivore]]s such as [[wolf|wolves]], [[grizzly bear]]s, [[American black bear|black bears]], and [[Cougar|mountain lions]], which are found in the mountains and wooded regions. Smaller carnivores of the [[canidae|canine]] and [[Felidae|feline]] families include [[coyote]]s, [[red fox]]es, [[Canada lynx]], and [[bobcat]]s. [[Wolverine]]s can also be found in the northwestern areas of the province.
[[File:Alberta Department of Public Health Rat Poster (26497442131).jpg|thumb|Alberta Department of Public Health rat poster (1948)]]
Central and northern Alberta and the region farther north are the nesting ground of many migratory birds. Vast numbers of ducks, [[goose|geese]], [[swan]]s and [[pelican]]s arrive in Alberta every spring and nest on or near one of the hundreds of small lakes that dot northern Alberta. [[Eagle]]s, [[hawk]]s, owls, and [[crow]]s are plentiful, and a huge variety of smaller seed and insect-eating birds can be found. Alberta, like other [[Temperate climate|temperate]] regions, is home to [[mosquito]]es, [[fly|flies]], [[wasp]]s, and bees. Rivers and lakes are populated with [[Esox|pike]], [[walleye]], [[Freshwater whitefish|whitefish]], [[rainbow trout|rainbow]], [[Brook trout|speckled]], [[brown trout]], and [[sturgeon]]. Native to the province, the [[bull trout]], is the provincial fish and an official [[Symbols of Alberta|symbol of Alberta]]. Turtles are found in some water bodies in the southern part of the province. Frogs and [[salamander]]s are a few of the [[amphibian]]s that make their homes in Alberta.

Alberta is the only province in Canada — as well as one of the few places in the world — that is free from [[brown rat|Norwegian rat]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex3441?opendocument |title=The History of Rat Control in Alberta |publisher=Alberta Department of Agriculture |access-date=January 11, 2007 |archive-date=August 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110828164627/http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex3441?opendocument |url-status=dead }}</ref> Since the early 1950s, the [[Executive Council of Alberta|Government of Alberta]] has operated a rat-control program, which has been so successful that only isolated instances of wild rat sightings are reported, usually of rats arriving in the province aboard trucks or by rail. In 2006, Alberta Agriculture reported zero findings of wild rats; the only rat interceptions have been domesticated rats that have been seized from their owners. It is illegal for individual Albertans to own or keep Norwegian rats of any description; the animals can only be kept in the province by zoos, universities and colleges, and recognized research institutions. In 2009, several rats were
found and captured, in small pockets in southern Alberta,<ref name="Rodents defying Alberta's rat-free claim">{{cite news |url=http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=e2e136e9-fa2d-45ab-91dc-fe9951d40c3e&p=2 |title=Rodents defying Alberta's rat-free claim |last=Markusoff |first=Jason |date=September 1, 2009 |newspaper=Calgary Herald |access-date=November 12, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120822090845/http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=e2e136e9-fa2d-45ab-91dc-fe9951d40c3e&p=2 |archive-date=August 22, 2012 }}</ref> putting Alberta's rat-free status in jeopardy. A colony of rats was subsequently found in a landfill near [[Medicine Hat]] in 2012 and again in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/albertas-rat-free-status-in-jeopardy-more-than-dozen-found-in-landfill/article4483243/ |title=Alberta's rat-free status in jeopardy: More than dozen found in landfill |newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=August 15, 2012 |access-date=August 18, 2012 |archive-date=August 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120817105207/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/albertas-rat-free-status-in-jeopardy-more-than-dozen-found-in-landfill/article4483243/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/several-rats-found-at-medicine-hat-landfill-one-spotted-at-nearby-farm-1.2602916 |title=Several rats found at Medicine Hat landfill, one spotted at nearby farm |publisher=[[CBC News]] |date=April 8, 2014 |access-date=August 18, 2012 |archive-date=August 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180819002313/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/several-rats-found-at-medicine-hat-landfill-one-spotted-at-nearby-farm-1.2602916 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Paleontology ===
[[File:Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7|Specimens at the [[Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology]], in the [[Horseshoe Canyon Formation]] at [[Dinosaur Provincial Park]]. Some of the specimens, from left to right, are ''[[Hypacrosaurus]]'', ''[[Edmontosaurus]]'', ''[[Lambeosaurus]]'', ''[[Gorgosaurus]]'' (both in the background), ''[[Tyrannosaurus]]'', and ''[[Triceratops]]''.]]
Alberta has one of the greatest diversities and abundances of [[Late Cretaceous]] dinosaur fossils worldwide.<ref name="alberta-paleo" /> [[Taxon|Taxa]] are represented by complete fossil skeletons, isolated material, microvertebrate remains, and even [[Bone bed|mass graves]]. At least 38 dinosaur [[Type (biology)|type specimens]] were collected in the province. The [[Foremost Formation]], [[Oldman Formation]] and [[Dinosaur Park Formation]]s collectively compose the [[Judith River Group]] and are the most thoroughly studied dinosaur-bearing strata in Alberta.<ref name="alberta-paleo" />

Dinosaur-bearing strata are distributed widely throughout Alberta.<ref name="alberta-paleo" /> The [[Dinosaur Provincial Park]] area contains outcrops of the Dinosaur Park Formation and Oldman Formation. In Alberta's central and southern regions are intermittent [[Scollard Formation]] outcrops. In the [[Drumheller]] Valley and [[Edmonton]] regions there are exposed [[Horseshoe Canyon Formation|Horseshoe Canyon]] [[facies]]. Other [[Geological formation|formations]] have been recorded as well, like the [[Milk River Formation|Milk River]] and Foremost Formations. The latter two have a lower diversity of documented dinosaurs, primarily due to their lower total fossil quantity and neglect from collectors who are hindered by the isolation and scarcity of exposed outcrops. Their dinosaur fossils are primarily teeth recovered from microvertebrate fossil sites. Additional geologic formations that have produced only a few fossils are the [[Belly River Group]] and [[St. Mary River Formation]]s of the southwest and the northwestern [[Wapiti Formation]], which contains two ''[[Pachyrhinosaurus]]'' bone beds. The [[Bearpaw Formation]] represents strata deposited during a [[marine transgression]]. Dinosaurs are known from this formation, but represent specimens washed out to sea or reworked from older [[sediment]]s.<ref name="alberta-paleo">Ryan, M. J., and Russell, A. P., 2001. Dinosaurs of Alberta (exclusive of Aves): In: Mesozoic Vertebrate Life, edited by Tanke, D. H., and Carpenter, K., Indiana University Press, pp. 279–297.</ref>