Famous English Animals

There are quite a few animals in the U.K that are identified with the culture and the country.  By far one of the most well-known is the Red Deer.  Although it also lives in Europe, Asia and Africa it is very much associated with the hunt in England.  It is a large reddish coloured animal with magnificent horns with twelve branches.  There are many conservation areas that protect this animal from being hunted too widely but in some areas of the U.K. it is still hunted and eaten as food.

The Hazel Dormouse is a little rodent and the only animal in one genus known as the Muscardinus genus.  These are little rodents that grow to be about nine centimeters long in the body and they have tails that are seven inches long.

Another unique seen often in the United Kingdom is the Stoat. This is also known as the short-tailed weasel or the Ermine.  It was hunted widely and it’s coat used to make wraps and coats for humans.  Stoats have the same body proportions and movements as a weasel. It has a shorter tail than most weasels. The tail of the Stoat also tends to be black.  The fur is very dense and silky.  The fur on the neck and belly tends to be all white.  Their favorite food is chipmunk.

The Sand Lizard is one of those reptiles that changes color.  It is green with a stripe on the belly. At full size it is ten inches long. It is mainly found along the southern heathlands that is the scrubby vegetation along the sand dunes along the coast of northwest England.

The Natterjack Toad also lives in the sandy  heathland off the coast of England.  These Toads have a yellow line down the middle of their back and very short legs. They are known for their very loud mating call and their long life; they live up until fifteen years.

Yet another often seen animal in the area is the Great Crested Newt.  They are indigenous to Great Brittany, Brittany, the Alps and the Black Sea. This is a very mystical looking animal that almost looks like a small dinosaur.  This lizard has dark grey and brown back and are covered in large black blotches.  The males have the jagged scratch and the females have a yellow orange stripe on their tale.  They live on land but like to live nearby rocky pools.  They are becoming rarer everywhere and in the U.K. it is a crime to harm or kill a Great Crested Newt.