Woodlands

The broadleaved woodlands of Europe provide food and shelter for a rich variety of animals. Insects feed on the leaves, birds and mammals nest in the trunks and branches, and creatures such as woodlice and beetles live in the leaf litter on the woodland floor. The weather changes with the seasons, and this affects animal behavior. In the warm spring days, insects emerge, birds begin to nest, and young mammals are born. In the hot summer months, there is plenty of food and young animals grow quickly. In the fall, most of the trees lose their leaves, and the animals feast on fruits and berries or store food for the winter. The long, cold nights and short days make winter difficult for animals. Many grow thick coats and spend more time in their homes. Some birds fly away to spend the winter in warmer climates.

Caterpillar diet

In spring and summer, blue tits feed their young mainly on caterpillars. While the young are in the nest, their parents may bring them more than 10,000 items of food. In winter, blue tits feed in mixed flocks with other small birds.

Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) Length: up to 4.7 in (12 cm)

N T I C

O C E A N

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A B R I T I S H I S L E S

EURASIAN BLUE TIT I R I S H S E A

EURASIAN NUTHATCH

European badger (Meles meles) Body length: up to 3 ft (90 cm) Tail: up to 8 in (20 cm)

Strong digger

Badgers have strong front legs and long, sharp claws that they use to dig out extensive underground burrows, called setts. The tunnels can be up to 65 ft (20 m) long. Generations of badgers may live in the same sett for hundreds of years. When digging, badgers can close their ears and nostrils to keep out dirt.

Eurasian nuthatch (Sitta europaea)

Length: up to 6.7 in (17 cm)

Nutcracker beak

The nuthatch often wedges a nut in the bark of a tree and hammers it open with its beak. It is the only bird that can climb headfirst down trees, searching for insects under the bark as it moves.

European stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) Length including antlers: up to 3 in (7.5 cm) E N G L I S H C H A N N E L

EUROPEAN BADGER

LEAST WEASEL E

EUROPEAN STAG BEETLE

GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER

Loire

WEST EUROPEAN HEDGEHOG

Antler jaws

The male European stag beetle has huge jaws that look like stags’ antlers. He uses them to fight rivals. Females lay eggs in rotting wood, which the larvae feed on until adulthood.

Northern Europe has a warm, wet climate; many rivers flow through the woodlands.

P Y R E N E E S

EURASIAN WILD PIG

Common fallow deer (Dama dama) Height at shoulder: up to 3 ft 1 in (95 cm) Body length: up to 5 ft 1 in (1.6 m)

Super snout

The Eurasian wild pig uses its long, sensitive nose to search along the woodland floor for roots, bulbs, nuts, mushrooms, and small creatures. The young have striped coats that make them hard to see and protect them from enemies.

Summer spots

In summer, the fallow deer has white spots on its coat, which help camouflage it among the leaves. In winter its coat turns darker. Adult males use their antlers to fight each other over females.

Eurasian wild pig (Sus scrofa) Height at shoulder: up to 3 ft 7 in (1.1 m) Body length: up to 3 ft 3 in (1 m)

The red squirrel’s long, bushy tail helps it balance as it leaps from tree to tree. It may also flip its tail to warn others of danger. The squirrel has long, strong back legs and hooked claws, which help it grip tree bark.

Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) Body length: up to 10 in (25 cm) Tail: up to 8 in (20 cm) West European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) Length: up to 9.6 in (24.5 cm)

Prickly armor

A hedgehog has 7,000 spines or more on its back. Spines are really modified hairs. Although they are hollow, they are very strong and have sharp points. When a hedgehog is alarmed, it rolls into a ball to protect its underparts with its spines. Baby hedgehogs have soft spines so they do not scratch their mothers while suckling.

Clinging claws

The great spotted woodpecker has curved claws that help it cling to tree bark, and stiff tail feathers to support its weight against the trunk. It uses its long tongue to reach insects in trees’ cracks and crevices.

COMMON FALLOW DEER

EURASIAN RED SQUIRREL

U R O Elbe P E

Rhine RED FOX

HAZEL DORMOUSE

P S

Danube Rotting leaves litter the woodland floor and provide a rich source of food for plants and insects.

TAWNY OWL

KILOMETERS 0 100 200

0

MILES 100 300

200 Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) Length: up to 9.5 in (24 cm)

Tawny owl (Strix aluco) Length: up to 1 ft 3 in (39 cm) Wingspan: up to 3 ft 4 in (1 m) Silent wings

The tawny owl hunts at night. It has soft, fringed wing feathers that are specially suited for silent flying. It can see well in the dark and has very good hearing. Its prey are small creatures, such as mice and voles, which it seizes with its curved talons.

Slim hunter

The weasel has a long, thin body, which it squeezes into the burrows of mice and voles to stop them escaping. The weasel is strong for its size and can kill larger animals, such as rabbits.

Least weasel (Mustela nivalis) Body length: up to 10 in (26 cm) Tail: up to 3.5 in (9 cm) There are many gaps in the trees that let light down to the woodland floor. Winter sleeper

The dormouse hibernates through the cold winter months in a warm nest of leaves and grass, usually under leaf litter or in a hollow tree stump. The dormouse prepares for hibernation by eating as much as possible in the fall and may nearly double in weight.

Hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) Body length: up to 3.5 in (9 cm) Tail: up to 3.4 in (8.6 cm)

Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) Height at shoulder: up to 17.5 in (45 cm) Body length: up to 3 ft (90 cm)

Night hunter

Red foxes hunt mainly at night. They eat almost anything, from rabbits and earthworms to fish and apples. Although their natural habitat is woodland, many foxes have now adapted to live in towns. They often come out at night to search in people’s trash bins for food.