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Fauna of Great Britain

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Fauna of Great Britain Empty Fauna of Great Britain

Post  kosovohp Sat Oct 02, 2010 10:08 am

Animal diversity is modest, as a result of factors including the island's small land area, the relatively recent age of the habitats developed since the last Ice Age and the island's physical separation from continental Europe, and the effects of seasonal variability.[33] Great Britain has also gone through industrialisation and increasing urbanisation, which have contributed towards the overall loss of species.[34] A DEFRA study from 2006 suggested that 100 species have become extinct in the UK during the 20th century, about 100 times the background extinction rate.[35] However, some species, such as the brown rat, red fox, and introduced grey squirrel, are well adapted to urban areas.

Rodents make up 40% of the total number of mammal species in Great Britain. These include squirrels, mice, voles, rats and the recently reintroduced European beaver.[34] There is also an abundance of rabbits, hares, hedgehogs, shrews, moles and several species of bat.[34] Carnivorous mammals include the fox, badger, otter, weasel, stoat and elusive wildcat.[36] Various species of seal, whale and dolphin are found on or around British shores and coastlines. The largest land-based wild animals today are deer. The red deer is the largest species, with roe deer and fallow deer also prominent; the latter was introduced by the Normans.[36][37] Habitat loss has affected many species. Extinct large mammals include the brown bear, grey wolf and wild boar; the latter has had a limited reintroduction in recent times.[34]

There is a wealth of birdlife in Britain, 583 species in total,[38] of which 258 breed on the island or remain during winter.[39] Because of its mild winters for its latitude, Great Britain hosts important numbers of many wintering species, particularly ducks, geese and swans.[40] Other well known bird species include the golden eagle, grey heron, kingfisher, pigeon, sparrow, pheasant, partridge, and various species of crow, finch, gull, auk, grouse, owl and falcon.[41] There are six species of reptile on the island; three snakes and three lizards including the legless slow worm. One snake, the adder, is venomous but rarely deadly.[42] Amphibians present are frogs, toads and newts

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kosovohp

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