Eurasian otter
Introduction:
The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is a semi-aquatic mammal that belongs to the
family Mustelidae, which includes weasels, stoats, badgers, and ferrets. These
otters are widespread in Eurasia, where they inhabit a range of aquatic
habitats, from freshwater rivers and lakes to coastal estuaries and marine
environments. In this document, we will discuss the distribution and habitat,
diet, and breeding habits of Eurasian otters.
Distribution and Habitat:
Eurasian otters are found throughout Eurasia, from the British Isles and
Scandinavia in the west to Japan in the east. They are also found in North
Africa, although their range there is much more limited. In general, Eurasian
otters are found in areas with abundant water resources, including rivers,
lakes, estuaries, and coastal areas.
Eurasian otters are highly adaptable and can inhabit a wide range of aquatic
habitats, from fast-flowing rivers to slow-moving streams and stagnant ponds.
They are also found in both freshwater and saltwater environments, and can even
be found in brackish water where freshwater and saltwater mix.
Diet:
Eurasian otters are carnivores and primarily feed on fish. They are
opportunistic predators and will eat whatever is available in their habitat,
including crustaceans, mollusks, amphibians, and small mammals. They are also
known to consume birds, reptiles, and insects. The otters hunt by diving into
the water and catching their prey with their sharp teeth and strong jaws. They
are skilled swimmers and can hold their breath for several minutes
underwater.
Breeding:
Eurasian otters are solitary animals, except during the breeding season.
Breeding occurs in late winter and early spring, with mating typically taking
place in the water. After a gestation period of about two months, the female
gives birth to a litter of one to four pups. The young are born blind and
helpless and remain in the den for the first few weeks of their lives, relying
on their mother for food and protection. The mother otter is highly protective
of her young and will defend them against predators and other threats. The young
are weaned at around 3 months old, and they will stay with their mother for up
to a year before becoming independent.Conclusion:
Eurasian otters are fascinating animals that are well-adapted to their
aquatic habitats. Their distribution and habitat range are vast, and they are
known to inhabit a variety of aquatic environments, from freshwater rivers and
lakes to coastal estuaries and marine environments. Their diet primarily
consists of fish, although they are opportunistic predators and will eat a
variety of prey. Eurasian otters breed in late winter and early spring and give
birth to litters of one to four pups. The young are born blind and helpless and
remain with their mother for up to a year before becoming independent.
Common Uk Lizard (Viviparous lizard)
Introduction:
The common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) is a small, non-venomous reptile that is
native to the United Kingdom. Common lizards are widespread throughout the UK,
and can be found in a range of habitats, from heathland and moorland to
grassland and woodland. In this document, we will discuss the distribution and
habitat, diet, and breeding habits of the UK common lizard.
Distribution and Habitat:
The UK common lizard is found throughout the UK, with the exception of some
of the Scottish islands. They are most commonly found in England and Wales,
although they are also found in Scotland, particularly in the Highlands. Common
lizards are found in a range of habitats, including heathland, moorland,
grassland, and woodland. They are most commonly found in areas with abundant
cover, such as rocks, logs, and vegetation.
Common lizards are cold-blooded and require warm, sunny spots to bask and
regulate their body temperature. They are active during the day and are often
seen basking in the sun on rocks or logs. They hibernate during the winter
months, typically from October to April.
Diet:
Common lizards are insectivores and feed primarily on small invertebrates
such as spiders, beetles, and ants. They are opportunistic feeders and will eat
whatever is available in their habitat. They are also known to consume other
small prey, such as slugs and worms.
Breeding:
Common lizards mate in the spring, typically in April or May. After mating,
the female common lizard gives birth to live young rather than laying eggs,
which is a rare trait among reptiles. The young are born fully formed and can
move around on their own shortly after birth. The female can give birth to up to
eight young, but the typical litter size is four to six.
Conclusion:
The UK common lizard is a fascinating reptile that is well adapted to its
habitat. They are widespread throughout the UK and can be found in a range of
habitats, including heathland, moorland, grassland, and woodland. They are
insectivores and feed primarily on small invertebrates such as spiders, beetles,
and ants. Common lizards mate in the spring and give birth to live young, which
is a rare trait among reptiles. Overall, the UK common lizard is an important
part of the UK's biodiversity and is a fascinating animal to observe in the
wild.
Cockchafer Beetles (Maybugs)
Introduction:
The cockchafer beetle, or May Bug / Doodlebug (Melolontha melolontha) is a
large, common beetle that is found throughout Europe. These beetles are often
seen in the spring and summer, when they emerge from the soil to mate and feed.
In this document, we will discuss the distribution and habitat, diet, and
breeding habits of cockchafer beetles.
Distribution and Habitat:
Cockchafer beetles are found throughout Europe, from the UK in the west to
Russia in the east. They are most commonly found in central and southern Europe,
where they inhabit a range of habitats, including forests, grasslands, and
agricultural fields.
Cockchafer beetles are nocturnal and spend most of their time in the soil,
where they feed on the roots of plants. They emerge from the soil in the spring
and summer to mate and feed on the leaves of trees and shrubs. They are most
commonly seen during the months of May and June, when they are in the process of
mating and laying eggs.
Diet:
Cockchafer beetles feed primarily on the roots of plants, including grasses,
cereals, and trees. They can cause significant damage to crops, particularly in
agricultural fields. They are also known to feed on the leaves of trees and
shrubs, particularly oak and beech trees.
Breeding:
Cockchafer beetles mate in the spring and lay their eggs in the soil. The
eggs hatch into larvae, which feed on the roots of plants for several years
before pupating and emerging as adult beetles. The life cycle of the cockchafer
beetle can take up to four years, with the larvae spending the majority of this
time in the soil. The adult beetles live for only a few weeks, during which time
they mate and lay eggs before dying off.
Conclusion:
Cockchafer beetles are a common and important part of the European ecosystem.
They inhabit a range of habitats, including forests, grasslands, and
agricultural fields, and feed primarily on the roots of plants. Cockchafer
beetles mate in the spring and lay their eggs in the soil, with the larvae
feeding on plant roots for several years before emerging as adult beetles.
Although they can cause significant damage to crops, cockchafer beetles are an
important part of the food chain and play a key role in maintaining the health
and balance of the ecosystem.
In culture:
Children since antiquity have played with cockchafers. In ancient
Greece, boys caught the insect, tied a linen thread to its feet and set
it free, amusing themselves to watch it fly in spirals. English boys in
Victorian times played a very similar game by sticking a pin through one
of its wings. Nikola Tesla recalls that as a child he made one of his
first "inventions"—an "engine" made by harnessing four cockchafers in
this fashion.
Cockchafers appear in the fairy tales Thumbelina by
Hans Christian Andersen and Princess Rosette by Madame d'Aulnoy.
The cockchafer is featured in a German children's rhyme similar to
the English Ladybird, Ladybird:
Maikäfer
flieg... Dein Vater ist im Krieg Deine Mutter ist in
Pommerland Pommerland ist abgebrannt Maikäfer flieg! |
Cockchafer fly... Your father is at war Your mother is in
Pomerania Pomerania is burned to the ground Cockchafer fly! |
The verse dates back to the Thirty Years' War in
the first half of the 17th Century, in which Pomerania was pillaged and
suffered heavily. Since World War II, it is associated in Germany also
with the closing months of that war, when Soviet troops advanced into
eastern Germany.
The cockchafer was the basis for the "fifth
trick" in the well-known illustrated German book Max and Moritz, dating
from 1865.
Jim Dixon, in Kingsley Amis's comic novel Lucky Jim
(1954), repeatedly calls his department head, Professor Welch, an "old
cockchafer."
The Italian – specifically Neapolitan – collection
of stories Il Pentamerone of Giambattista Basile (in its English
translation by Norman M. Penzer from Benedetto Croce's Italian) contains
a tale on Day 3, Night 5: "The Cockchafer, Mouse and Grasshopper".
There have been four Royal Navy ships named HMS Cockchafer.
Common Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis)
Anguis
fragilis is a reptile native to Eurasia. It is also called a deaf adder, a
slowworm, a blindworm, or regionally, a long-cripple, to distinguish it
from the Peloponnese slowworm. These legless lizards are also sometimes
called common slowworms. The "blind" in blindworm refers to the lizard's
small eyes, similar to a blindsnake (although the slowworm's eyes are
functional).
Slowworms are semifossorial (burrowing) lizards,
spending much of their time hiding underneath objects. The skin of
slowworms is smooth with scales that do not overlap one another. Like many
other lizards, they autotomize, meaning that they have the ability to shed
their tails to escape predators. While the tail regrows, it does not reach
its original length. In the UK, they are common in gardens, and can be
encouraged to enter and help remove pest insects by placing black plastic
or a piece of tin on the ground. On warm days, one or more slowworms can
often be found underneath these heat collectors. One of the biggest causes
of mortality in slowworms in suburban areas is the domestic cat, against
which it has no defence.
Physical traits
These reptiles are mostly active during the
twilight and occasionally bask in the sun, but are more often found
hiding beneath rocks and logs. They are carnivorous and, because they
feed on slugs and worms, they can often be found in long grass and other
damp environments.
The females give birth to live young
(ovoviviparous birth). In the days leading up to birth, the female can
often be seen basking in the sun on a warm road.
Although these
lizards are often mistaken for snakes, a number of features
differentiate them. The most important one is that they have small eyes
with eyelids that, like other lizards, blink. Unlike snakes, they may
also have visible ears. They shed their skin in patches, whereas most
snakes shed their skins whole. Slowworms may also shed their tails
(autotomy) as a defence mechanism, by breaking one of their tail
vertebrae in half. The pattern of a slowworm's ventral scales is also
different from that of a snake's.
Size and longevity
Adult slowworms grow to be about 50 cm
long, and are known for their exceptionally long lives; the slowworm may
be the longest-living lizard, living about 30 years in the wild and up
to at least 54 years in captivity (this record is held by a male
slowworm that lived at the Copenhagen Zoo from 1892 until 1946, the age
when first obtained is unknown). The female often has a stripe along the
spine and dark sides, while the male may have blue spots dorsally.
Juveniles of both sexes are gold with dark brown bellies and sides with
a dark stripe along the spine.
Protected status in the UK
In the United Kingdom, the slowworm has been granted protected
status, alongside all other native British reptile species. The slowworm
has been decreasing in numbers, and under the Wildlife and Countryside
Act 1981, to intentionally kill, injure, sell, or advertise to sell them
is illegal.
Ireland
The slowworm is not native to Ireland, but is
believed to have been illegally introduced in the 1970s. It has been
sighted only in parts of County Clare, mainly in the Burren region.