Animals are multicellular organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, and can reproduce. Over 1.5 million living animal species have been described—of which around 1 million are insects—but it has been estimated there are over 7 million animal species in total. Animals such as many mammals are living beings that have behaviour, feelings and expressions which to a large degree is the same as for humans. That of humans however is wider and include an intelligent and causative approach that sets it apart. Animals are alive and part of everyone’s life.
Table of Contents
Deers
Deer are forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including reindeer (caribou), white-tailed deer, roe deer, and moose. Male deer of all species, as well as female reindeer, grow and shed new antlers each year. Deer are widely distributed, with indigenous representatives in all continents except Antarctica and Australia, though Africa has only one native deer. While often associated with forests, many deer are ecotone species that live in transitional areas between forests and thickets (for cover) and prairie and savanna (open space). The majority of large deer species inhabit temperate mixed deciduous (of trees or shrubs that are shedding their leaves annually) forest, mountain mixed coniferous forest, tropical seasonal/dry forest, and savanna habitats around the world.
The Sika deer (Cervus nippon) is native to much of East Asia, and was introduced to other parts of the world. Its name originates from Shika, the Japanese word for “deer”.
The young fallow deer, known as fawn, can be totally white. These are not albinos, as evident from their dark eyes and nose. Here they are looking out at what is happening there...
Squirrels are familiar to almost everyone. More than 200 squirrel species live all over the world. Squirrels are members of a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, and flying squirrels. Squirrels typically have slender bodies with very long very bushy tails and large eyes. In general, their fur is soft and silky, though much thicker in some species than others. The coat color of squirrels is highly variable between—and often even within—species. Squirrels live in almost every habitat, from tropical rainforest to semiarid desert, avoiding only the high polar regions and the driest of deserts. They are predominantly herbivorous, subsisting on seeds and nuts, but many will eat insects and even small vertebrates.
The eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), is also known as simply the grey squirrel. It is a tree squirrel native to eastern North America, where it is the most prodigious and ecologically essential natural forest regenerator. It has been introduced to various places around the world, and in Europe into Ireland, Britain, and Italy. This has since become of concern because they have displaced some of the native squirrels.
The alpine marmot (Marmota marmota) is a large ground squirrel, that originated during the last cold period of Earth and is adapted to the ice-age climate. The alpine marmot since has persisted in the high altitude meadow, and live in heights between 800 and 3,200 m in the Alps and other European mountain regions. They spend up to nine month in hibernation.
The wolf (Canis lupus), also known as the grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus have been recognized, including the dog, though gray wolves, as popularly understood, only comprise wild subspecies. The wolf is the largest extant member of the family Canidae. Of all members of the genus Canis, the wolf is most specialized for cooperative game hunting as demonstrated by its physical adaptations to tackling large prey, its more social nature, and its highly advanced expressive behaviour, including individual or group howling.
Dogs (Canis familiaris or Canis lupus familiaris) are a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog’s nearest living relative. Dogs were the first species to be domesticated by hunter-gatherers over 15,000 years ago before the development of agriculture. Due to their long association with humans, dogs have expanded to a large number of domestic individuals. The dog has been selectively bred over millennia for various behaviors, sensory capabilities, and physical attributes. Dog breeds vary widely in shape, size, and color. Over the millennia, dogs became uniquely adapted to human behavior and they have commonly been called “Man’s best friend”, referring to their millennia-long history of close relations, loyalty, friendship, and companionship with humans.
The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), is also known as the white fox or polar fox. It is a small fox native to the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It is well adapted to living in cold environments, and is best known for its thick, warm fur that is also used as camouflage.
The brown bear (Ursus arctos) that lived in many parts of Europe still can be found living wild in a number of European countries. It evolved from a species native to Asia and entered Europe about 250,000 years ago. It does not fear man, nor does it fear any other animal. Its athletic qualities make it a fierce opponent. It is an extremely fast runner (it can run at a speed of up to 60 km/h), it can climb trees, swim…
Sheep (Ovis aries) are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term sheep can apply to other species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated sheep. Sheep are most likely descended from the wild mouflon of Europe and Asia, with Iran being a geographic envelope of the domestication center. One of the earliest animals to be domesticated for agricultural purposes, sheep are raised for fleeces, meat and milk. A sheep’s wool is the most widely used animal fiber. Being a key animal in the history of farming, sheep have a deeply entrenched place in human culture, and find representation in much modern language and symbology.
Capra is a genus of mammals, the goats, composed of up to nine species, including many species known as ibexes. An ibex is any of several species of wild goat (genus Capra), distinguished by the male’s large recurved horns, which are transversely ridged in front. Ibex are found in Eurasia, North Africa and East Africa. Ranging in height from 70 to 110 centimetres (27–43 in) and weighing 90 to 120 kilograms (200–270 lb), ibex can live 20 years.
The spælsau sheep (ovis aries) is one of the Northern European short-tailed sheep breeds. It is well adapted to the Nordic climate and was a domestic animal from the Iron Age. The wool is characterized through having two layers. The outer long-haired layer of wool is protecting the underlying layer against rain and wind. The underlying layer keeps the sheep warm. Its use in Norway goes at least as far back as the Viking age (from 800 to 1066 AD), where a dense fabric used as clothes allowed survival in North Sea weather. The Viking ship sails were also made from spælsau yarn. Spælsau wool can be a bit rougher than wools that are popular today, but it is exceptionally strong, and can protect against wind and rain, and it makes a traditional Nordic sweater that is truly authentic.
The Corsican mouflon (Ovis gmelini) is a wild sheep, thought to be the ancestor of all modern domestic sheep breeds. The horns of the male forms a coil, that when it reaches 7-8 years of age can measure up to 1,10 m.
Male wild goat or ibex (genus Capra), called buck, with its characteristic recurved horns with transversed ridges in front. They are unbelievable apt at climbing even very steep mountain slopes.
The African wild ass (Equus africanus) or African wild donkey is a wild member of the horse family, Equidae. This species is thought to be the ancestor of the domestic donkey (Equus asinus), which is sometimes placed within the same species. There are no naturally wild living donkey species alive in Europe. Free living donkeys thus are likely escaped domesticated donkeys.
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves, characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight skeleton. Birds live worldwide and range in size from the 5.5 cm (2.2 in) bee hummingbird to the 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) common ostrich. There are about ten thousand living species. Birds have wings whose development varies according to species.
The European herring gull (Larus argentatus) are known as seagulls, however, the term “seagull” is a colloquial term. It is not used by ornithologists and biologists.
Adults Herring gulls are told from most gulls by their large size, pale grey upperparts and pink legs. It is a large gull, measuring up to 66 cm (26 in) long and weighing between 1,050 and 1,525 g. These birds are highly adaptable feeders that opportunistically take a wide range of prey. They are also intelligent and beautiful. They display this intelligence when it comes to feeding, they can adapt to human created changes and learn to live from a different type of food than their ancestors. Gulls have also been observed to drop hard-shelled molluscs onto rocks so that they break open so they can eat them. They’ll also stamp their feet in a group to imitate rainfall and trick earthworms to come to the surface. Another example of intelligence is behavior of hovering over bridges in order to absorb raising heat from paved roadways. The herring gull have exhibited tool-use behaviour, for example using pieces of bread as bait with which to catch goldfish.
The alpine accentor (Prunella collaris) is at home even when temperatures drop below freezing and with strong winds. Its habitats are above the treeline and thanks to its sturdy build, it can hold out in high mountains even in the coldest time of the year. The Alpine Accentor finds sufficient food on snow-free ledges and wind-exposed slopes.
It's an interesting characteristic of the black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) that its dark hood (it is actually a chocolate brown color and not black) is lost in the winter, leaving just a dark spot on each side of the head.
The ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri) first appeared in Brussels in the 1970s and have since grown to thousands living in various parts of the city.
The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is a very common and widespread seabird. Adults have white patches on the thighs and on the throat in the breeding season. Here a couple are seen in the Mediterranea.
The genus name of the Alpine chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus) is derived from Greek πύρρος (purrhos), "flame-coloured", and κόραξ (korax), "raven". It breed in high mountains from Spain eastwards through southern Europe and North Africa to Central Asia and Nepal, and it may nest at a higher altitude than any other bird. The Alpine
chough pairs for life and displays fidelity to its breeding site, which is usually a cave or crevice in a cliff face.
Insects are pancrustaceanhexapodinvertebrates of the class Insecta. Insects have a chitinousexoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes and one pair of antennae. The total number of extant species is estimated at between six and ten million; potentially over 90% of the animal life forms on Earth are insects.
The nut weevil (Curculio nucum) may be one of those animals abound that most people never see. Its a beetle with a characteristic elongated snout. The weevil is from 6 - 8,5 mm large.
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