The European continent is home to various sovereign states, in which a large number of species live, keeping in mind that there are endemic animals of Europe distributed in a significant variety of different habitats. The development of natural processes, coupled with the impact caused by human beings, has caused the animals native to Europe to decrease over time, so that current biodiversity is not the same as it was centuries ago. The limits of this continent are sometimes imprecise, since there are even experts who speak of the Eurasian super continent. However, we can establish that Europe is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Mediterranean to the south, the Atlantic to the west and Asia to the east.
In this article on our site we present a list of animals of Europe,keep reading and learn more about them.
Common cod
Common cod (Gadus morhua) is a highly commercialized fish for consumption on the continent. Although it is a migratory species, as well as others of the group, it is native to Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, the United United, among others. It generally travels through cold waters, close to 1o C, although it can tolerate areas with certain higher temperatures.
At birth, the diet is based on phytoplankton. However, in the juvenile stage they feed on smaller crustaceans. Once they are adults, they have a top predator role, feeding on other types of fish. An adult cod can reach 100 kg and approach 2 meters. Despite being considered in the category of least concern, there are alerts for the overexploitation of the species.
Common razorbill
The common razorbill (Alca torda) is a species of seabird, unique in its kind. It does not usually exceed 45 cm in length and the wingspan is close to 70 cm It has a thick bill, the coloration is a combination of black and white, the patterns of these colors vary depending on the reproductive season.
Although it is a bird with migratory behavior, it is native to Europe. Some of the countries from which it originates are Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Gibr altar, Sweden and the United Kingdom. It lives in cliff areas, but spends most of its time in the water. In fact, it is a bird that can dive efficiently, reaching depths of up to 120 m Its current status is vulnerable, due to climate change that significantly affects the species.
European bison
The European bison (Bison bonasus) is considered the largest mammal in Europe. It is a bovid, from the family of goats, bulls, sheep and antelope. It is a robust animal, with dark fur, which is more abundant on the head and neck. Both males and females have horns of about 50 cm.
The European bison is native to countries such as Belarus, Bulgaria, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine. They have been introduced into forest habitats, but prefer open spaces such as meadows, river valleys, and abandoned farmland. They preferentially feed on non-herbaceous vegetation that they digest better. Its current status is Near Threatened,due to low genetic diversity, which affects population size. Also the fragmentation of populations, some diseases of the species and poaching, significantly reduce the number of individuals.
European squirrel
The European squirrel (Spermophilus citellus) is a rodent, family of squirrels that corresponds to Sciuridae. Its weight is about 300 gr and it measures about 20 cm approximately. It is diurnal, lives in groups and feeds on seeds, shoots, roots and invertebrates.
The European squirrel is native to Austria, Bulgaria, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Its habitat is quite specific, limited to short-grass steppes and even sown grass areas such as golf courses and sports fields. It requires well-drained, light soils to build its burrows. It is in danger of extinction, mainly due to changes in the soils of the ecosystems where it lives.
Iberian desman
The Iberian desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) belongs to the thalpid family, which it shares with moles. It is a low-weight animal, reaching about 80 gr The length does not usually exceed 16 cm, but it has a long tail, which can even exceed the length of the body. The desman has characteristics between a rat, a mole and a shrew, which makes it peculiar. It lives in pairs, it is a good swimmer where it moves with agility and digs burrows in the ground.
The desman is native to Andorra, Portugal, France and Spain, mainly inhabiting mountain streams with fast currents, although it can be present in bodies of water with slow movements. Its current status is vulnerable,due to alteration of the restricted habitat where it grows.
Stream salamander
The stream salamander (Calotriton asper) also known as the Pyrenean newt, is an amphibian of the salamander family. It is brown in color, generally uniform, although the males change it during the reproductive season. It is nocturnal and has periods of hibernation. Their diet is based on insects and invertebrates.
It is native to Andorra, France and Spain, it inhabits bodies of water such as lakes, streams and even mountainous cave systems with quite low temperatures. It is in the almost threatened category,due to alterations to the aquatic ecosystems where it is located, mainly due to infrastructure development and tourism.
Alpine marmot
The alpine marmot (Marmota marmota) is a large rodent within the European continent, reaching a size of about 80 cm including its tail, weighing up to about 8 kg It is a robust animal, with short legs and ears. It has diurnal habits, highly sociable, spending most of its time in search of food such as grasses, reeds and herbs to accumulate body reserves and hibernate in winter.
The alpine marmot is native to Austria, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland. It builds communal burrows in alluvial soils or rocky areas, mainly in alpine meadows and high altitude pastures. It is rated least concern
Boreal Owl
The Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus) is a bird that does not reach large dimensions, reaching a size of around 30 cm and with a wingspan of about 60 cm, the weight ranges between 100 to 200 gr. The coloration of the plumage is between black, brown and white. It is carnivorous, its diet is mainly based on rodents such as water rats, mice and shrews. Emits a song that can be heard over great distances.
Some of the European countries where the Boreal Owl is native: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Romania, Russia, Spain, among others. It is also bred outside the borders of Europe. Lives in mountain forests, mainly dense coniferous. Your current status is least concern
European Crayfish
The European crayfish (Astacus astacus) is an arthropod belonging to the Astacidae family, which corresponds to a group of crayfish native to Europe. Females mature between 6 and 8.5 cm, while males mature between 6 and 7 cmof length. It is a species with high oxygen requirements, so in the summer if the water bodies develop high eutrophication, there is great mortality for the species.
The crayfish is native to Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Polinia, Romania, Russia, Switzerland, among others. It inhabits rivers, lakes, ponds and reservoirs, in lowlands and highlands. What is important is the presence of available shelter such as rocks, logs, roots and aquatic vegetation. Builds burrows on soft sand bottoms, spaces for which it opts most often. Your current status is vulnerable.
Mediterranean Moray
The Mediterranean moray eel (Muraena helena) is a fish that belongs to the eel group, which it shares with eels and conger eels. It is long-bodied, measuring up to about 1.5 m and weighing about 15 kg or even a little more. It is territorial, nocturnal and solitary, feeding on other fish, crabs and cephalopods. Its coloration is gray or dark brown and it lacks scales.
Some of the regions where the moray eel is native are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, France, Gibr altar, Greece, Italy, M alta, Monaco, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. It inhabits rocky bottoms where it spends most of the day, it is located at depths between 15 and 50 m Its current status is least concern
Grass Frog
The grass frog (Rana temporaria) is an amphibian of the Ranidae family, with a robust body, short legs, with a head that it narrows towards the front forming a kind of beak. It has different color patterns, which makes it an attractive species
It is native to countries such as Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, among others. It develops in various types of forests, such as coniferous, deciduous, tundras, forest steppes, thickets, swamps, also in aquatic habitats such as ponds, lakes and rivers where it spawns. It is frequently present in gardens. Your current status is least concern
Iberian Lizard
The Iberian wall lizard (Podarcis hispanicus) or common wall lizard have a length of 4 to 6 cm approximately, the females tend to be a slightly smaller than males. The tail is quite long, generally exceeding the dimensions of the body. This structure is shed when it feels threatened by a predator, so it uses it as a distraction to escape.
The Iberian wall lizard is native to France, Portugal and Spain. It is generally found in rocky areas, weedy areas, alpine meadows, dense vegetation and also on buildings. It is rated least concern.
Other animals of Europe
Here is a list of other animals in Europe:
- European Mole (Talpa Europea)
- Dwarf shrew (Sorex minutus)
- Large Buzzard Bat (Myotis myotis)
- European mink (Mustela lutreola)
- Badger (Meles meles)
- Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus)
- Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus)
- Deer (Cervus elaphus)
- Mountain Goat (Capra Pyrenees)
- European hare (Lepus europaeus)
- Common Gecko (Tarentola mauritanica)
- Common hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus)
