FAUNA OF THE BRITISH ISLES

The British Isles are a group of islands of the northwest coast of continental Europe that include England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and many smaller surrounding islands.

The Animals in England Britain is an island, this keeps summers warm and wet and winters generally mild and well… wet. This island has an incredible selection of animals that can live in mild damp climate.

Many larger animals such as wild boars, bears and wolves don` t live on the British Isles anymore but there are a lot of smaller animals : foxes, squirrels, rabbits, and hedgehogs. There are also different kinds of fish, snakes, birds, lizards, frogs, butterflies and dragonflies.

Hedgehog It lives in parks and gardens and eats worms, frogs, bird’s eggs and young birds.

The Red Fox It lives almost everywhere. It is usually reddish, but can be orange or yellow with a dark stripe down the back. It eats birds, rabbits, insects.

The Red Squirrel The Red Squirrel is active 2 - 3 hours after dawn and 2 - 3 hours before dusk in summer and a single morning peak in winter. It eats fruits, berries, flowers.

The Rabbit It has long hind legs, grey or brown fur, white under parts and short white tail. It eats grass and vegetables.

The Lizards There are only three species of lizard in Britain. It is usually 16 – 20 cm long. It eats small spidres, grass hoppers, insects

The Red Deer Red deer are Britain's largest native land mammal. It lives in forest and eats grass, young leaves and bark from trees.

The Weasel It is active both day and night as it must consume a quarter to a third of its body weight every day to survive. It eats mice and voles and also rats, frogs, birds and small rabbits.

The Snakes There are three species of snakes in England. All of snakes are completely protected under law, and it is even an offence to disturb them in some cases.

The Grass Snake The Adder The Smooth Snake

The Birds There is a wealth of birdlife in Britain, 583 species in total, of which 258 breed on the island or remain during winter. Because of its mild winters, there are many wintering species, particularly ducks, geese and swans. Other well known bird species include the golden eagle, grey heron, pigeon, sparrow, and various species of crow, owl and falcon.

Water Birds Grey Heron Coot Mute Swan Greylag Goose

Garden Birds Blue Tit Blackbird Goldfinch Robin

The Animals in Ireland Ireland has a mild climate and is green all year round due to lots of rainfall. However, the mountain regions do experience harsh winters.

Ireland has not got snakes and the only reptiles in Ireland are lizards. Some animals and sea life found in Ireland are: grey seals, pine martens, otters, red fox, rabbits, rodents, deer, badgers and goats. There are also many species of birds in Ireland, especially on the west coast where birds stop en route to other places.

The Otter The Eurasian Badger   The Red Fox

The Animals in Scotland Wildlife play a big part in the life of locals and tourists alike, especially in the Highlands and on the coast. The fact that Scotland has no wolves or bears has a big impact on what animals you see and, more importantly, where you see them.

Scotland is home to a wonderfully diverse range of species, from the bottlenose dolphins of the Moray Firth to the capercaillie of the Central Highlands and the thousands of seals and puffins.

Scottish Wood Ant Wildcat

Dolphins Highland Cows Puffins Sheeps

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