ENDANGERED ANIMALS IN AUSTRIA

ground squirrel The population of these animals has declined within the last 20 till 30 years. Ground squirrel are among the species of squirrels. The animals are usually brown or gray with a whitish underside. The tail is short, just like the legs. Ziesel hold their winter sleep in burrows, of which there are two different types.It lasts from September to March. Only male ground squirrel defend their territory. Females leave their burrows to their young females but young males have to seek their own territory.

steppe polecat Steppeniltisse belong to the marten family. They live in Eastern Europe and Asia. The mating season starts in February and ends in March. After 40 days 4-18 puppies are born. Within nine months they are sexually mature. The main food of these animals are the ground squirrel.

horned viper The horned viper is found in Carinthia and on the border to Styria. Except the meadow viper the horned viper is the most endangered reptile in Austria, this is because of illegal trapping. The horned viper is then usually placed in small cages. This snake has usually gray, yellowish or reddish-brown scales. The diamond band, also called zigzag band varies in colour and occurs between light brown and black.

terrapin The pond turtle is small to medium sized. They are meat eaters and live mainly in the water. There are several types of tortoises. In Europe, thus also Austria, is the home of the European pond turtle. The carapace of this animal has a dark, usually brown or black coloration. The turtle has got five toes on the front feet and four on the hind feet. In all four limbs are webbs.

hamsters Most species are not threatened. The golden hamster is one of the most vulnerable. He is one of the few that is held as an experimental and domestic animal. Hamsters are mouse-to rat sized. They have a short tail. In each jaw half there are three teeth. Their inner cheeks are used to transport food.

sterlet The sturgeon is a fish with a slender physique. It has a dark gray to brown colour. Its belly is yellowish to white coloured with a reddish tinge. Today the sturgeon is the only species, out of five, that still exists in Austria. This fish is native to the area of the Austrian Danube, and in the Drava and the Mura.

Kleine Hufeisennase Kleine Hufeisennasen sind Fledermäuse und zählen zu der Gruppe der Hufeisennasen. Schon gegen Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts war ihr Bestand in Österreich sehr klein. Sie hatten nur einige Rückzugsgebiete in Vorarlberg und in Tirol. Diese Tiere bevorzugen die Wärme. Im Sommer leben sie in Tunneln und Baumhöhlen. Wie alle anderen Fledermäuse auch, jagen die Kleinen Hufeisennasen in der Nacht, wenn es dunkel ist.

Lesser Horseshoe Bat Lesser horseshoe bats are bats and are among the group of horseshoe bats. Even towards the end of the 20th Century, their population in Austria was very small. They had only a few safe places in Vorarlberg and the Tirol. These animals prefer the heat. In summer they live in tunnels and tree hollows. Like all other bats, the lesser horseshoe bats hunt at night, when it is dark.