Animal

Beavers – 2021 was a record comeback year for these industrious creatures

Perhaps now better known for their North American relatives, beavers are actually native to mainland Britain. But these industrious herbivores were hunted to extinction in the 16th century by people who wanted their fur, meat and scent glands.

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The Black Rat - gone but not forgotten?

The legendary Black Rat, whose rather wonderful Latin name is Rattus rattus, was the agent of the Black Death in Medieval Britain. Consequently, you may be glad to hear that this rodent is now extremely rare - possibly extinct - in this country.

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Tube mice - deep down underground dwellers

Mice are well-known for their adaptability to survive in different environments. But London's Underground must be one of the most unnatural for them imaginable. Yet the mice thrive ...

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Thespian felines - the tradition of the theatre cat

British theatres revere the tradition of the theatre cat - though now a disappearing one. As rather unusual workplaces, in use for much longer hours during the week than most offices, there has often been provision of residential quarters for the theatre manager. They have frequently been accompanied by a resident feline, charged with keeping the mouse population down.

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The irrepressible Grey Squirrel

Native to North America, grey squirrels were first introduced to the UK in the 19th century. Notoriously, they have displaced the smaller native red squirrel and are now common across the UK.

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The lovable Sheltie

The Shetland Sheepdog, often known as the Sheltie, is a British breed of herding dog that originated in the Shetland Islands. The original name was Shetland Collie, but this caused confusion with the Rough Collie (the familiar and much larger dog often just known as a collie), so the breed's name was formally changed.

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The almost-extinct Scottish wildcat

The Scottish wildcat clings on as a small enclave of the European wildcat species in Scotland. They are listed as Critically Endangered in the United Kingdom – with only 400 cats estimated to meet the genetic and morphological criteria of a wildcat, rather than a domestic cat.

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Tardigrades - the 'water bears' you can't see in your garden!

Tardigrades, or 'water bears', are rather appealing microscopic-sized animals and the first known species to survive after exposure to outer space.

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Red Kites - majestically flying again

This impressive bird of prey was once prevalent throughout the UK, until persecution reduced its range to Wales. But a highly successful reintroduction scheme has brought this bird back to many parts of England and Scotland, as well as Central Wales.

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Welsh Black cattle - black gold from the Welsh hills

The Welsh Black breed of cattle is one of the oldest in Britain, having inhabited the hills of Wales since pre-Roman and pre-Christian times. It is Wales' only native breed of cattle.

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Grey seal

The grey seal is the larger of the two UK seal species, and are particularly abundant around the coasts of the Outer Hebrides and the Orkney Islands in Scotland.

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The distinctive Manx Cat - a tale to be told

Though the British Isles has produced many dog breeds, we seem less well-known for breeds of cats. However, there are several distinctively British cat types. One of the best known is the Manx Cat.

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The Shetland Pony - a sturdy survivor and stalwart of the pits

The Shetland pony is a hardy breed from the Shetland Isles, off Scotland’s north-east coast. It is the smallest breed of pony found in Britain, standing up to 107 cm at the withers. It has a heavy coat and short legs, is strong for its size, and is used for riding, driving, and pack purposes. For a period, the Shetlands played a key role in the British coal industry as 'pit ponies'.

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Highland Cattle

The Highland is a Scottish breed of rustic cattle. It originated in the Scottish Highlands and the Outer Hebrides islands of Scotland and has long horns and a long shaggy coat. It is a hardy breed, bred to withstand the harsh conditions in the region.

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The slow worm - a band of bronze in the garden

If you see a slow worm (Anguis fragilis) in your garden, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a snake. But it's actually a legless lizard, the only such creature native to Britain. Indeed, slow worms are probably the most frequently seen reptile in Britain, as they are less shy and slower to hide than the common lizard which is considered to be more prevalent in Britain.

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The Suffolk Punch - an admirable working horse

The Suffolk Punch is an English breed of working or draught horse that played an important part in the development of agriculture and pre-mechanised haulage of goods like coal and beer. It is a much respected and admired animal.

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The leopard slug - the gardener's friend

Yes, you read that correctly. The Leopard Slug is a common British species that should actually be welcomed by gardeners. They don’t damage healthy, living plants, but they do eat other slugs, including those that can damage garden plants and vegetables.

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British Boar

If you go down to the woods today, according to the old song, you’re sure of a big surprise. Oh, good! Well, maybe not. It won’t be cuddly, picnicking Teddy Bears, but it could just be wild boar.

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Queen Elizabeth II and her Corgis

The late Queen of England, Elizabeth II, was a huge fan of Corgis and had been ever since she was a child - having been raised alongside Pembroke Welsh Corgis.

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Flying high - the return of the British Crane

Standing an impressive four feet high, the crane is the UK’s tallest bird. With a long neck and legs, slate-grey plumage and a wingspan of up to two metres, the loud, resonating call of the crane can be heard from quite a distance. Once a common a sight, the crane disappeared from the British countryside in the 1600s, with a combination of hunting and loss of wetland habitat leading to their decline.

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The Dormouse - irresistably cute but endangered

Who can resist the delightful hazel, or common dormouse? Sadly hazel dormice are rare and vulnerable to extinction in the UK, due to habitat fragmentation and changes in woodland management.

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The Red Squirrel - rare, but they're the natives!

The relatively rare red squirrel is the version native to the UK - having been around for approximately 10,000 years. They were almost driven to extinction, however, due to the invasion of the grey squirrel from North America.

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Water vole - more lovable, but much less common, than its cousin the rat

Next time you are enjoying watching the ducks at a local park and then notice what appears to be a rat slipping into the water, you might actually have been lucky enough to see Britain's fastest disappearing mammal - the water vole.

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Jerseys and Guernseys - traditional British breeds of cattle

The Jersey (pictured) and the Guernsey are two similar breeds of British small-to-medium size dairy cattle originating from the Channel Islands, but now farmed worldwide.

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Adder - the UK's only venomous snake

The adder is the UK's only venomous (poisonous) snake - although their bites are rare, and hardly ever fatal. A relatively small and broad-set snake, the adder is acclimatised to woodland, heathland and moorland habitats. When spotted, it is often when they are basking in the sunshine!

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The White-lipped snail - the minty-looking one in the garden

Snails are annoying to gardeners, but some are quite pretty. That mint humbug-looking one commonly found amongst the plant pots is the White-lipped snail (Cepaea hortensis).

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Red deer - monarch of the glens (and quite a lot of other places)

The Red Deer is Britain's largest land mammal. They are a native species having migrated to Britain from Europe 11,000 years ago. The population has declined at various times in the past, but is currently on the rise.

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The Pipistrelle - our smallest bat

Britain is home to 18 species of bats, of which the common pipistrelle bat is the smallest. It has a wing span of about 22 to 25 centimetres with an average life span of four to five years. These bats are common to woodland and farmland but are also found in towns, where the females roost in lofts and buildings when rearing young.

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Our much-loved but disappearing hedgehogs

The hedgehog is one of Britain's favourite mammals, and was once a common sight in gardens and parks after dark. However, they are becoming increasingly rare, with the population thought to have declined significantly overall, and by a third in urban areas since 2000.

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The badger - Britain's largest predator!

With its characteristic black and white-striped face, grey fur and short furry tail, the badger looks like no other UK mammal. Stocky, powerfully-built creatures, they typically weigh 10–12kg, with a body length of about 90cm. This makes them the biggest land predator in the UK.

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The seaweed-eating sheep of North Ronaldsay

The North Ronaldsay is a breed of sheep from the northernmost island of Orkney, off the north coast of Scotland. The rugged animals have evolved to live almost entirely on seaweed - one of few mammals to do so.

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Border Collie - happy herding sheep

The modern Border Collie is recognised to be an extremely intelligent, athletic, and energetic breed of dog. They originated in Northumberland on the borders of England and Scotland, having been developed over centuries for herding sheep, a role in which they are now well-known.

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Skye Terrier - a plucky loyal breed

The little Skye Terrier has had mixed fortunes over the years. Ancestor of many terrier breeds, this plucky hunting dog became a favourite of queens and great ladies, but now is an uncommon sight even in Scotland from whence it originated.

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The Pine Marten - happy in a remote forest

Pine martens are members of the stoat and weasel family (mustelids), which inhabit forest in the remoter parts of Britain, notably in the Scottish Highlands.

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Bloodhound - ahead of the pack by a nose

The Bloodhound is an ancient breed, first taken to England from Normandy by William the Conqueror. It has the best nose of any hound and excels at tracking.

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Wood mouse - your cat may find you one

The tiny, brown wood mouse is one of Britain's most common rodents, and is very likely to be found in the garden. Cat owners are especially likely to be aware if wood mice are about! It is similar to the house mouse, but has larger ears and eyes relative to its size.

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Tamworth pigs - police pigs on the run!

The Tamworth is considered Britain’s oldest pure breed and is similar in appearance to the Old English Forest Pig. They came to public attention and gained a reputation for intelligence in 1998, when the ‘Tamworth Two’, Sundance and Butch, spent a week on the run after absconding from a Wiltshire abattoir.

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Welsh springer spaniel - a loyal breed with a colourful coat

The Welsh Springer dog breed is a member of the spaniel family. Thought to be comparable to the old Land Spaniel, they are also similar to the English Springer Spaniel. Historically they have been referred to as both the Welsh Spaniel and the Welsh Cocker Spaniel.

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The wild rabbit - an Iberian arrival, that's really made itself at home

The wild rabbit is a much-loved creature by many Britons because it looks so cuddly, harmless and defenceless. But farmers are often less keen, and rue the day that these foreign mammals were brought to Britain to breed... like rabbits.

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Fallow Deer - Norman invaders

Though probably Britain's most familiar deer, the fallow deer is a continental interloper. Thought to be native to the Eastern Mediterranean, they moved westwards with the Romans, and were finally introduced to the British Isles by the Normans around the 11th century.

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Dolphins in British waters

Around 30 different species of whales and dolphins have been seen around the UK coastline. The species most commonly sighted around the UK coast are bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises.

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Colourful migrants: the feral parakeets of the UK

Feral parakeets are wild-living, non-native birds that have established themselves as a colourful addition to the UK's wildlife. There are now estimated to be nearly 9, 000 breeding pairs in Britain. The origins of these birds are subject to speculation, but are generally thought to have bred from those that escaped from captivity.

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The elusive otter - now not as uncommon as you might think

The wild otter species found in Britain is now making a remarkable comeback, after suffering catastrophic declines in the 1950s and 1960s due to the combined effects of water pollution, habitat destruction and persecution. Otters are often elusive, with large ranges and largely nocturnal behaviour, making spotting them a rare and delightful experience.

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Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Originally bred as fighting dogs, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, or "Staffie" has a mixed reputation. Many regard them with suspicion as aggressive dogs, but owners testify to the Staffie's loving temperament as a family pet.

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Great Crested Newt - scourge of housebuilders!

Great Crested Newts are one of three newt species in the UK and are also the biggest. These interesting amphibians have become the legendary foe of builders, as they are heavily protected by UK and European law and their discovery on the site is notorious for delaying or disrupting development plans.

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Mrs Chippy - the faithful cat that sailed with Shackleton

Mrs Chippy was the ship's cat that accompanied explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's ill-fated attempt to make the first land crossing of the Antarctic continent in 1914–1917.

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The Weasel - Britain's smallest carnivore

Weasels are the UK’s smallest carnivores. Around 7 inches high, with red or brown upper coats and white bellies, they belong to a group of animals known as mustelids - meaning they have a long body and short legs, and are related to otters and stoats (with which they are sometimes confused).

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Snowdonia's unique Pony breed

The Carneddau Mountain range in the Snowdonia National Park is home to a small population of around 300 semi-feral distinctive-looking Carneddau ponies, whose history is thought to date back to the Bronze Age. Although they are not designated as a rare breed, they are genetically separate from the Welsh Mountain pony and carry genes specifically related to hardiness and waterproofing.

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Lloyds' black stallion

The prancing black stallion which is used as the symbol of Lloyds Banking Group must be one of Britain's most famous trademarks, and an icon of our television screens.

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Red Rum - a lame horse who became an equine superstar

Red Rum was a champion Thoroughbred steeplechaser. He is the only horse in the history of the Grand National to win the race three times and on the two occasions that he ran and did not win he came second.

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Dartmoor pony

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The Airedale Terrier

The Airedale Terrier is a British dog breed that originated in the valley of the River Aire in Yorkshire. It is traditionally called the "King of Terriers" because it is the largest of the terrier breeds, and has been used as a hunting dog, farm dog, and to carry messages during World War 1.

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Exmoor pony