European Wildlife

Page 1


English oak

y af e In l a e d sh

Great Capricorn beetle

Fallow deer – buck Woodcock

Winter mushrooms

Shaggy ink cap Common oak fern

4 Smooth newt


Sparrowhawk

Besides the English oak, silver poplar and birch are among the tree species of the oak forests of the Hungarian Great Plain. Herbivores from small rodents to sizeable fallow deer mainly feed on buds, shoots and leaves in the spring and summer, and acorns, mushrooms and fruit in the autumn.

Jay

5

Middle spotted woodpecker

Pine marten

Black spleenwort

Fallow deer – doe

Red admiral

Agile frog

Jelly ear

Edible snail


wk Sparrowhaits prey

s on k descend w a h ory, w o rr a g its territ The sp in ll o tr a P . blue es and out of the tering plac a w e th s birds and it know s of small d f n u ro g g The bird o feedin em there. th den d id n h fi t n to e mom when t h g ri e th for en bursts prey waits age and th li fo e istently th g amon hawk pers w o rr a p s a jay, he y, such as forward. T rr a u q g in e fle rab its follows its rward to g fo s n lo ta its thrusting up. it catches s a victim

e great The larva of th le develops Capricorn beet an oak and in the trunk of feeds on the adult insect the tree. sap seeping from

For fallow deer the rut, in other words the mating season, falls in October and November. At this time the bucks usually meet in a forest clearing, where they challenge each other and lock antlers in duels. The strongest ones win the right to occupy the rutting area in the middle of the clearing and the weaker males can only “pitch camp� at the edge of this. The bucks make scrapes in the ground with their hooves which they mark with excretions. Here the male bellows in a croaky voice to attract females, which select the highest ranking males to breed with. ted The middle spot s ed fe woodpecker st its nidicolous ne ught lings insects ca . on the tree

Middle spotted woodpecker 6

at a speed of The middle spotted woodpecker can drum ng in the tree. hidi ae 13 km per hour to reach the insect larv ched to its After chiselling a passageway, muscles atta ky tongue with a tongue bone contract, forcing its long stic ct has been barbed tip into the passage. Once the inse speared, the barbs pull the victim out.

deer allow ring f k c u u The b se 20 kg d lo may . t the ru


Thanks to its long claws and hairy feet ensuring a sure, slip-free grip and its tail providing balance, the pine marten is able to hunt squirrels and birds in the canopy of trees.

Edible snail

in and eats mainly insects The jay is omnivorous au e th in over to seeds the summer changing ourite and the jay stores tumn. Acorns are a fav r winter. It transports several kilos of them fo ldorns into its crop and ho them by stuffing six ac hid its at urgitates them ing one in its beak. It reg ch su at different places, ing place and hides them rk or holes as crevices in the tree ba in the ground.

e snail In the autumn the edibl s secretion, produces a calcareou g the which forms a lid closin e snail th mouth of its shell, and feed on will only come out to the spring. in ain tender plants ag

Although the edible snail is a hermaphrodite animal – in other words it has both male and female reproductive organs –, it need s a partner to breed. In early summer when a mate is found, they put their fl at soles together and then they exchange sperm packets with each other. Later the fertilised eggs are deposited in a hole scraped in the ground and left to their own devices. At the end of the summer the small snails, whose shell is still soft, hatch. By wintertime their shell has hardened and provides shelter for them.

In the sprin g acorns th at the jay has hid ground but den in the forgotten about spro ut. In this w ay the bird pla nts oak tre es.

7


Honey buzzard

on the spends a lot of time The honey buzzard sts or r wasps’ or bees’ ne ground searching fo a ts’ movements from observing these insec hen the ere the nests are. W perch to identify wh lons, ens it up with its ta bird finds one, it op e y comb, and eats th breaking up the hone ed by er th bo t no is d ar buzz larvae and eggs. The it e zzing around becaus the stingy insects bu ble tra its legs and impene has tough scales on . body plumage covering its

ks. At eparate floc s in e z ra g s and ewe r, the flock ouflon rams on, howeve s m a e e s th g r n a ti e a y m possible. During the ny ewes as al rut in the a n m m s a tu u rt a u e o c th ts to the time of butting bou male tries to d h a c e a h e e d v n a a h t up rivals and s towards of rams spli ms become veral metre e ra s e n th ru s y s e e c th way off. In the pro On occasion eard a long . h te e a b m n a c to t h win the righ re clashing horns, whic way. befo and slinks a rs e d n e each other rr u s ts until one The duel las

ian When alarmed, the Euras shopas gr d he herbivorous toot es to tri d per leaps into the air an to 60 fly away at a height of 30 cm off the ground.

Sometimes the peregrine falcon catches its prey in mid-air and then carries it to a safe place.

pirale curved s v a h s m a r imal can Mouflon ge of an an a e h T . s th n r shaped ho annual grow e h t g in t n u co be told by e horns. h t n rings o

18


The eagle-eyed peregrine falcon scours the countryside for prey while circling high in the sky. When it notices a rock dove for example, the falcon stoops. It flies above its victim and then closes its wings and tail feathers, and plummets from high above at a breathtaking speed that can reach 320 km per hour. As it nears its prey, the falcon extends its talons, and the dove falls to the ground from the impact. The hunter lands besides the victim, plucks it and then eats it.

The wildcat silently stalks its target prey, then po unces from behind and kills it.

19 ng tree or amo w o ll o h a in day resting cellent vispends the ed by its ex t id a a c d t, il h w ig e n reach h t T a more light to d ves to hunt a g le in d w n o a ll a s b rk lle a shru f the eye ca ate in the d o il d k c s a il b p u e p th s t tapesa sion. It own as the ensitive cell n s k t r h e g y li la f e o v r nti the laye ess of the a other, reflec n n a rp a is h s re e e h th T ice. the retina. er improves e eyeball tw th which furth , h g m u u d ro ci th lu tum t passes n as the ligh imal’s visio

The Caspian whipsn ake emerges from hi bernation below grou April. In May the wh nd in ipsnake searches fo r a mate and one mon courtship, the female th after lays 5 to 12 eggs in a cavity in the rocks. 40 days later, the young to 45 snakes hatch and im mediately set off in prey insects and lizar search of ds. They grow quick ly and shed their skin 10 days and periodica after 7 to lly do this another 5 to 7 times a year. Ad whipsnakes, which ult can grow up to 2 m long, shed their skin slowly, only 3 times s more a year. Their prey an imals include rodent lizards and even othe s, birds, r whipsnakes.

is a nake s ip h s to w spian er and trie a C e Th ha unt less h rs wit relent ff attacke o ward bite.

The hazel dormouse emerges its nest a from fter the s un has go and begin ne down s collectin g it hazelnuts and berrie s supper of s, such as and rowa sloes nberries.


bulrush, eats tender le o v ra d n shallow The tu ots, and digs o sh d e re d n sedge a d. This is w the groun lo e b s w o rr u to a litter b le gives birth a m fe e th re a year. whe 2 or 3 times g n u o y 10 of 5 to

The white-winged tern builds a nest of leaves and stems of aquatic plants on floating vegetation or on tussock sedge. The parents take turns to brood the three eggs and both bring insects to feed the chicks when they hatch. Small fish, tadpoles and little frogs complete their diet .

r tle u t d n o p n a e p o r u E ay, the male

dM ial ritual in April an As part of its nupt e female in the th nd ou ar s rtle swim European pond tu d shakes his front rns to face her an water and then tu after mating, the her. A few weeks legs trying to win r a sandy spot. re and searches fo female goes asho osen the soil and tail like a drill to lo First she uses her with her hind to 15 cm deep pit then scrapes a 12 one and then s her eggs one by legs. There she lay oothes the soil sand. Lastly she sm covers them with e of her shell. with the undersid

26

ner Golden jackals remain faithful to their part terr a itory throughout their lives. The pair lives in and marked with their scent, and they hunt fethe ing, mat breed there. Two months after ermale gives birth to 3 to 6 pups in her und eyes ground den. At first they are blind, their suckles her mot r thei opening after ten days, and weeks two er them for four months. However, aft t as well, they eat regurgitated, pre-digested mea to solid thus the pups make a gradual transition ng spri off r thei food. The parents are helped by do from earlier litters who are now adults and their their share of feeding and looking after younger siblings.

In the breeding season the body and the front underside of the wings of the white-winged tern are black and its legs are red.

nal ckal is a noctur The golden ja roeds mainly on hunter that fe a d voles, but in dents, mice an in y le larger pre pack can tack . ar r and wild bo cluding roe dee


Great crested grebe

in the mood for breeding In spring pairs of great crested grebe get male and female swim with a graceful series of movements. The then alternate rhythminext to each other with ruffled crests and their feathers. Finally, they cally shaking their heads and preening beneath the water retrieve a clump of weed for their nest from paddle with their chests and, raising their body out of the water, their wings and flap touching. From time to time they spread e’s. After mating, they them or entwine their neck with their mat e sitting on the eggs. 25 build a nest in dense reeds, and alternat with striped plumage to 27 days later 4 or 5 nidifiguous chicks hatch.

27 nly rebe o g d e t s nd ear eat cre The gr rufous ruff a ason. se a wears he breeding t tufts in

The ins ec female t-hunting, sc dragon arlet fly is ye llo brown and only wish male is t scarlet he .

Pare n warb tal instin ct l sect er to dev drives t food o h to th tedly bri e reed ng in e cuc koo chick Instead of building its s. own nest, the cuckoo sm uggles its eggs into other birds ’ nests. When a reed wa rbler, a great reed warbler or a robin is away from its ne st, the cuckoo lays its own sm all egg with a similar pa ttern to the host bird’s into the nest and throws out on e or two of the host bird’s eggs so there won’t obvious ly be too many. The cuckoo chick hatches before the othe r eggs and pushes them out of the nest. The host bird then will only care for and fee d the giant chick.

Cuckoo


In the warm seas skirting the southern parts of the continent there are rocks with colourful communities reminiscent of coral reefs. Morays and scorpionfish lurk in the underwater caves, while monk seals find sanctuary in those on the Mediterranean shores. This is where the females give birth to their calves, while leatherback turtles lay their eggs on sandy beaches.

Short-beaked common dolphin

Leatherback sea turtle

Bioluminescent jellyďŹ sh

Swallowtail sea perch

Small-spotted catshark – egg case

Paramuricea clavata

Yellow tube sponge

Purple sea urchin

Pilgrim hervia

60 Small-spotted catshark


e u l b y Sk sea

Mediterranean monk seal

61

Smooth hammerhead

Feather duster worm

Red starďŹ sh

Mediterranean moray

Red scorpionďŹ sh Monaco cleaner shrimp


feed above ts When they rmo e of the ma tles n o , d n u o r g his uard and w stands on g f o rs in case to the othe danger.

y emerge from their The Alpine marmot lives in colonies. The on and feed on burrows in the morning and in the afterno s greatly at the end of shoots and roots. Their appetite increase a thick layer of fat for the summer because they need to put on are for this period of hibernation. The marmots carefully prep y stuff dried grass rest, which can last up to six months. The insulating material, into the entrance to their burrow as an chamber. There they which they also use to line their bedding m. curl up and huddle together to keep war

Chamois Female chamois live with their kids in herds, while male chamois live by themselves in their own territory. In the mating season at the end of the autumn, the males join the females and fight other billies for the right to mate. The opponents ruffle their fur to seem bigger and butt each other with their hooked horns. The horns frequently get locked together and then one male pulls the other. In the end the winner chases his rival away from the females and then mating follows.

66

The wallcreeper scales sheer rock faces with the skill of an acrobat.

Chamois graze from dawn until late morning, but rest at noon in the blazing southern su n. The afternoon is spent out on the gr ass again.


Capercaillie

cock capercaillie has During the courting period in spring the shinier green feathers, nuptial plumage. His breast is covered in ve each eye and a there is a bright red spot of naked skin abo beak. He courts from a “beard” hangs from the lower half of its tail feathers, strutting high spot or branch of a tree, fanning his then, and singing to with his head up, flying up every now and impress a female.

During the finale of its courtship song, the male capercaillie, which otherwise has acute hearing, becomes deaf for a short period.

67

Sand viper The lesser spotted eagle nests in deciduous woods but hunts in open wetland areas.

Frogs are the favourite food of the lesser spotted eagle, but it also eats lizards, snakes, rodents and insects. When the pair is raising young, they feed their two chicks the same prey animals. Usually there is an age difference of 2 to 5 days between the chicks, and the elder is unwilling to share the food with its sibling, thus it uses its greater strength and often kills the younger chick. This instinct passes when the young bird is 3 to 4 weeks old, thus there is a chance that the younger sibling may grow under the mother’s protective wing and then fly the nest.

– nce – a horn on its nose The sand viper’s appeara ord in Europe. It is a rec makes this snake special ich om of the sand viper, wh holder because the ven t of ges d birds, is the stron hunts small mammals an does it , ver nt. In winter, howe any snake on the contine e vic st hibernate in a cre not use its fangs as it mu below the rocks or in a cavity several metres deep in hiding its ld season. It shares ground to survive the co ecies sp n red snakes of its ow place with several hund d ine r-l ipsnake and the fou and with the Caspian wh snakes.

pollo ar of the A ill p r e t a c e s, thus Th s on sedum s, d e e f ly f r e butt us area mountaino it occurs in found. plants are h c u s e r e h w


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.