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New Pleistocene
This page is a part of New Pleistocene, a collaborative project detailing the fauna of the next glacial period.
Woolly mammoth

North America has become significantly drier during the New Pleistocene. Certain parts of North and Central America have become desert and scrublands. Though this drying of the continent has forced many of the animals of the west and even drove some into extinction, life is extremely biodiverse on this continent.

Western ScrublandsEdit

The North American Western scrubland is a scrubland covering parts of what is now the western region of The Great Plains. The western scrubland stretches from southwest Nevada (dry grassland) to Western Mexico(arid desert). This large category of land usually receives low levels of rain during dry season and large bushfires. Many descendants of domestic livestock exist here.


  • An interesting avian inhabiting most of the west is the Dust turkey, Meleagris deserto. A descendant of wild turkey, this galliforme is found in various locations across the scrubland, but is more commonly found in areas near and around what used to be Texas and Mexico. The turkey greatly resembles its ancestors, but is larger (standing about a meter tall). Every year they gather in small harems or bands that primarily consist of one or two males and three to five females; the males tend to have a bright blue waddles that scientist believe are used as a technique for attracting mates.
  • Deep in the heart of North America lives a small ungulate called the Brown gazelle, Gazella rubrum rubrum. A descendant of a gazelle species that escaped from a livestock ranch and established a wild population in Texas and Mexico and slowly spreading across most of North and South America.
  • A large beast inhabiting the western scrublands are the Spanish Aurochs, Bos primigenius toros. The Spanish aurochs is a descendant of Spanish fighting bulls and Texas longhorn that inhabit a range from Argentina to Arizona.
  • Another large bird that is scattered across the scrubland is the Aria Rhea, Rhea harenarum. A descendant of the common rhea that spread upward to Central and North America.
  • The Shruggy Boar, Sus harenarum is a descendant of feral pigs or razorbacks. It is much more herbivorous than it's ancestors, but in times of famine, will eat carrion and even cannibalize.
  • Burrowing Domies, Canis cuniculis are a descendent of the Dachshund dog, they live in burrows, and hunt small and burrowing prey. These canids go into a torpor during times of hardship.
  • Among these desert animals, the Degnum Sheep, Ovis gregem, which is a descendant of various Caribbean, African and European breeds of sheep that managed to survive the last World War. Like domestic sheep they travel in flocks, but these flocks are much looser and smaller to avoid predators.
  • The Western Cougar, Puma concolor concolor is a common large feline found throughout North and South America. In the western scrublands exists a western subspecies.
  • The Walkingman Lizard, Sceloporus bipedis is a descendant of eastern fence lizards that have evolved to run on their hind legs to escape from their enemies the fir ants. They have longer-stronger hind legs to run in large bipedal sprints and slightly shorter forelimbs.

Eastern Alpine ForestEdit

Many of the animals that were forced out of the Western scrubland, migrated here to the eastern Alpine. A temperate forest that extends from Maine to Kentucky and ends at South Carolina. It snows regularly during October to early March. Many of the descendants of smaller domestic animals thrive here; as well as many of the successful animals that survived the last World War

Alpine lake in mission mountains by bitt

  • A descendant of a known and widespread animal is the Calico Squirrel, Sciurus nigrum. A descendant of the eastern grey squirrel that evolved to forage and live in abandoned human settlements. This 1 meter long squirrel is the largest tree squirrel in the Northern hemisphere. It generally favors the American chestnut as it's main food source and primarily feeds and mates on the forest floor.
  • The American Black Bear, Ursus americanus is a familiar animal that has evolved to favoring climbing trees. It was one of the more successful of the megafauna, because of it's adaptable diet, smaller size and partially to it's semi-arboreal lifestyle.
  • Besides from fauna, an interesting plant that evolved to live in the alpine of the eastern part of North America is the American Giant Bamboo, Gigantochloa americanus. A descendant of giant bamboo that was introduced by human beings during the Holocene, american giant bamboo grows in large groups in certain moist and temperate areas of North America.
  • The Grey Panda, Pedefelis zhúshí is a descendant of raccoon that evolved to take advantage of the hardy American giant bamboo. They evolved stronger arms and teeth that allow them to break off weaker bamboo stalks, though they don't exclusively feed on bamboo; they are known to feed on small animals, eggs and fruit.
  • Despite being confined to Alaska during the Holocene, musk oxen gave rise to the Wood Ox, Ovibos silvae. A branch of musk ox branched off and evolved to live in the temperate forests, it lost a majority of its shaggy coat for a shorter-curly coat.
  • Forest Domies, Canis saltus are a small, social (But not having wolf-like packs) descendant of Beagles. These are small generalized carnivores that are more at home in the forest then open pastures, yet inhabit both. Because of this, they are successful continually, instead of the ups and downs of other species faced with temperature.
  • The Short-faced Ferret or Mustela ferretus borealis is a large descendant of the domestic ferret, that were most likely abandoned by their owners during the start of the Last World War. This animals feeds on a variety of foods, including bird eggs, rodents, small lizards and snakes and a variety of fish.
  • The American Common Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus americanus is a subspecies of common pheasant and is descendant of common pheasants that were introduced from Asia as a game bird. They haven't evolved much from their pheasant ancestors, as the environment hasn't favored it to evolve.
  • The Common Starling, Sturnus vulgaris is a small bird inhabiting most of North and South America. It originally came from the Europe and quickly spread as an invasive species. It's eggs are favored by short-faced ferrets, because they are relatively more common to find than other birds.
  • The White-tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus is a medium-sized cervid found across the eastern alpine and Rocky Mountains. It is one of the most common deer species in North and South America.
  • The American Monkey, Cebus americanus is the descendant of capuchin monkeys that migrated across central America during the warming period and survived into the glacial period.
  • American Macaque: After the Last World War, a few thousand Japanese macaques were thriving in Texas. However, as Texas became dryer and dryer the macaques were forced east into the North American East Coast. Here, they evolved into a new species known as the American Macaque (Macaca americanus). These macaques feed mostly on fruits and insects, although they'll also eat carrion, eggs, American Bamboo leaves and small vertebrates. Like their ancestors, American Macaques are very social primates.

Rocky MountainsEdit

A major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than 4,830 km from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States. Within the North American Cordillera, the Rockies are somewhat distinct from the Pacific Coast Ranges and the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada which all lie farther to the west.

Rocky Mountains

  • Rock foxes, Vulpes petram which are red descendants that show multiple adaptations for rocky terrain, and are smaller then their ancestors; similar in size to a fennec fox, it is perhaps a few kg more massive.
  • Mountain Sheep, Oreamnos montem are descendants of rocky mountain goats. These lower-land creatures are less adapted to mountain life, thought are overall similar. However, they are smaller and hornless.
  • Rocky Alpaca, Vicugna petris. Despite its name it is not directly descended from the alpaca (though may have in some point in it's evolution hybridized with alpacas); it is actually a descendant of vicuña that migrated through central America and reached North America.
  • Rocky Mountain Ferret, Mustela ferretus rockus are descendants of short-faced ferret evolved to live in the rocky mountain range. They are very similar to their descendants though they have a shorter muzzle-length.
  • The Mountain Chucker or Marmota jordanis are smaller descendants of groundhogs that inhabit the rocky mountains. They are one of the food sources that the rocky mountain ferret relies on, though it's is more aggressive towards mountain ferrets, so the ferrets go after another prey animal.
  • The Rock Rat, Rattus inmonte is a descendant of the brown rat introduced by European settlers. It has gone through noticeable changes during it's evolution on the rocky mountains. They are the main prey source of the rocky mountain ferrets.
  • The Mountain cat, Felis corvanus are descendants of Maine coon cats, that inhabit various areas of the Rocky Mountains. Their primary diet consists of rock rats, birds and large insects.
  • American killer hog Sus scrofa cibum comedentis is a relative of the modern day feral pig with longer tusks and known for hunting in pairs of in large groups the American killer hog. Also known for not just being in the Mountains but all a cross North America.

Northern Great PlainsEdit

A savannah stretching from Montana to Alaska and some of what was formerly Canada. This savannah ecosystem is supported by the largest megafauna of North America.

Great Plains

  • Tundra Bison, Bison northern is a species of giant bison found in large herds across the Northern plains. They are similar in size to both the extinct steppe wisent and gaur and are the largest bovid in North America. Besides from that tundra bison are very similar to the extinct plains bison.
  • Mountain Camels, Camelus moutanus are large domestic Bactrian camel descendants. It shows many adaptations for living on an open grassland.
  • Mustang Horse, Equus ferus caballus are large horse inhabiting North America. It was introduced by humans long ago before the Last World War, but managed to survive both persecution by human beings and the extreme effects on the environment after the Last World War.
  • Tundra MammothMammuthus northern is a species of mammoth found in large herds across the northern plains. They are similar in size to both the extinct Columbian mammoth and Deinotherium and are the largest land animals in North America.

Great Basin DesertEdit

The Great Basin Desert is the largest US desert and covers 190,000 square miles. It is bordered by the Sierra Nevada Range on the west and the Rocky Mountains on the east, the Columbia Plateau to the north and the Mojave and Sonoran deserts to the south.

Nevada Desert

  • The Pilot's Jackal, Canis gubernator is not a true jackal (not closely related to African jackals), but a jackal-like descendant of domestic dogs. It faces competition with the coyote and wolves, so it hunts in breeding pairs that mate for life.
  • The Ruminant Deer, Dama ruminanus is a descendant of fallow deer introduced by humans during the Holocene. They live in small herds consisting of three to four members and in times of famine, they are known to migrate east.
  • The Death Valley Camel, Camelus sonoranis are large descendants of dromedary camels that escaped during The Last World War. They have changed very little from their ancestors escape, due to their already great adaptations to desert life.
  • The Burro, Equus burro is a small donkey native to western parts of North America. Formerly classified as a breed of domestic donkey, it is now classified as an American species of Wild Ass.

Southern sash pine grasslands, Swamps and Forests

  • The Bush wolf canis venator lupus latrans. Is a medium sized pack hunting omnivore That are descended from feral dogs,coywolves, and the red wolf, they are extremely social and have been known be in packs as large as 49 individuals and are a tawny reddish tan with black markings around the muzzle.
  • The Northamerican capybara Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris is a sheep sized herbivorous rodent that lives in southern North America, They have changed not much because of there great adaptations to there life style.
  • The Florida Sugar Glider Petaurus breviceps floridanus - Descended from sugar gliders that escaped from zoos and pet stores from nearby states and then migrated to Florida when it was connected to the rest of the USA. Sugar gliders mostly died, but thrive strangely in Florida. They are omnivores. They are similar to their ancestors.
  • Marsh Deer - Odocoileus virginianus pastu paludis virecta A descedant of the white-tailed deer, it evolved to swim better than it's predecessor. It closely resembles a white-tailed deer, but with smaller antlers and are more built for speed.
    • New North American Jaguar Panthera onca americana- A descendant of South American jaguars that made it to North America . They are larger than there relatives in south america and are known to take on much larger animals than them selves.
    • Florida Monitor Lizard Varanus niloticus floridanus Descended from the invasive Nile monitor. Due to the abundance of food, it is a highly adaptable known for swimming up and down large rivers.
    • Swamp Tegu Tupinambis virecta Originating from the invasive tegu lizard, the swamp tegu has evolved a long body with short legs and webbed for swimming, and been known to climb large trees.
    • swamp hog a subspecies of wild hogs that have been known for only living in swamps.