WILDLIFE

Background Information:

• About one-tenth of the United Kingdom's land area is devoted to productive forestry. 

• The government-supported Forestry Commission manages almost half of these woodlands, and the rest are in private hands. 

• Domestic timber production supplies less than one-fifth of the United Kingdom's demand. 

• The majority of new plantings are of conifers in upland areas, but the commission encourages planting broad-leaved trees where appropriate.

• British mammals survive in a greater range of habitats than do amphibians or reptiles. 

• Most of the formerly abundant larger mammals- such as boars, reindeers, and wolves have become extinct, but red deers survived in the Scottish Highlands and in Exmoor Forest and roe deer in the wooded areas of Scotland and Southern England.

• Smaller carnivores (badgers, otter, foxes, stoats, and weasels) thrive in rural areas.

• Rodent (rats, squirrels, mice) and insectivores (hedgehogs, moles, shrews,) are also widely distributed.

Famous Plants:

• Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)- carpet woodland floors in spring, creating a sea of blue.

• Foxgloves -Digitalis purpurea tower majestically, their spiked stems hosting tubular pink-purple flowers that are a favorite of bees. 

• The Dog Rose (Rosa canina)-, with its simple pink flowers, becomes a source of vivid red rosehips in autumn. 

• Primroses (Primula vulgaris) and Cowslips (Primula veris) -provide early spring color, their delicate blossoms often the first sign of warming weather. 

• Wood Anemones (Anemone nemorosa)- thrive under deciduous trees, their star-shaped flowers a delightful sight.

Famous Mammals:

• Red Deer

-The Red Deer is the largest mammal in England. They commonly live in Scotland, but they can also be found in the southwest of England. They have woodland habitats, but adapted to living in open areas. During the summertime, their red coats can be seen, but during the winter, it turns brown and grey.

• Fox

-Foxes can be found in almost any habitat in Britain, but only when there's food. They have adapted to urban life and can be found in big cities, but they're still common in woodland and farm areas too. They have large, fluffy ears with black tips, an orange-red coat and most famously, a big bushy tail.

• Badger

-Badgers are actually carnivores and one of Britain's largest. They have black fur with striking white stripes. They live in underground tunnels with groups between 4-12 adults and they feast on all kinds of small mammals.

• Red Squirrel

-Red squirrels are local to Britain. They prefer to live in woodland habitats that are full of pine trees in the north of England and Scotland. They have reddish-brown fur with tufts on the ears and a typically bushy tail.

• Hedgehog

-Hedgehogs are also local to Britain, but found throughout Europe. They're covered in spines and roll up into a ball to protect themselves from predators. Their favorite meal is slugs and worms.

• Otters

-Otters are a member of the weasel family and they spend their time on land and in water where there is plenty of fish to eat. They're secretive and can be quite hard to spot. They almost became extinct in the 1960s because of water pollution.