Species Profiles

Description

The Aesculapian snake reaches an average body length of 1.40 to 1.60 m, but can also grow up to two meters long and is powerfully built. Males generally grow slightly larger than females.

The basic coloration of the snake ranges from a yellowish brown to olive green and grayish brown to grayish black, with a smooth and shiny surface. Many of the scales are outlined in white, creating a light longitudinal striation along the body. In some animals there is an additional dark longitudinal stripe along the sides of the body. The belly is light or greenish yellow to whitish in color. However, in very dark individuals the ventral side of the body may be blue-black in color. While the 23 (rarely 21) rows of dorsal and lateral scales are smooth, the ventral scales have slight keels that facilitate climbing.

The head is only slightly separated from the body and normally has no markings. A dark temporal band may be developed above the eyes, extending backward to the neck. The eyes are medium sized with a round pupil. The head has eight, rarely nine, upper lip shields or supralabialia and a fore-eye shield called a praeoculare in herpetology.

The young animals are clearly more conspicuously marked. They have a bright basic coloration with dark staining on the back as well as a clear dark transverse band over the snout and a v-drawing in the neck directed to the back. In addition, there is a dark temporal band and a light yellow spot behind it on both sides. These spots can lead to confusion with the European grass snake (Natrix natrix), in which these spots are typical.

Habitat

The Aesculapian snake prefers warm and sunny areas, which should not be too dry. Accordingly, the snakes are found mainly in warm, humid, sun-exposed places in the lowlands and on sunny slopes in the mountains. It is also often found on the banks of water bodies and in riparian forests, as well as in forest clearings or in scree and bushes with ivy and brambles. Also popular are stone walls, old quarries, ruins and the edges of agricultural land, such as scrubby slope meadows. The highest occurrences are at about 1500 to 2000 m, but mostly it lives below 1000 m altitude.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia ( (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Äskulapnatter). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 24 June 2021

Description

The snout-vent length is between 9 and 12 cm and the tail length between 10 and 12 cm. The weight varies between 20 and 38 g. The alpine field mouse is brown on the back and on the outside of the limbs, with the upperparts being the darkest. The belly and the inside of the limbs are dark to white-grey. A yellowish spot often occurs on the throat. Morphological differences to the yellow-necked mouse are only found in details of the skull structure. The hind feet are quite large for a wood mouse, about 2.5 cm long. These and the long tail help the animal to climb in rocky terrain.

Habitat

Their habitat is forests or other tree stands interrupted by grassy areas or rocky spots.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpenwaldmaus). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 23 August 2021

Description

An alpine ibex has an average head length of 150 cm and a shoulder height of 90 cm. Does weight about 40 kg, whereas bucks can weigh over 100 kg. The buck has imposing, curved horns (up to 1 m long), while the doe has only short, barely curved horns. The bucks have a goatee. Bucks have a dark brown coat in summer; the females' coat is more reddish or golden brown. In winter, the fur of both sexes turns greyish.

In the Alps, the ibex lives at the altitude between the forest and ice line. It climbs up to altitudes of 3500 m. In winter, however, it stays at lower altitudes than in summer, and even in summer it often descends to alpine meadows to feed, while it goes to the high altitudes to spend the night.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpensteinbock). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 19 October 2021

Description

During the mating season in spring, the males, up to nine cm long, have a blue dorsal colouration; their flanks are spotted black and white and bordered by a blue stripe towards the belly. The flat, straight (not serrated) dorsal crest is alternately yellowish-black spotted. The females, up to twelve cm long, are dark grey-brown-greenish marbled in aquatic habitat and show somewhat weaker flank spotting. The central ventral side of both sexes is bright orange to cinnamon red in colour and - in contrast to other newt species - usually unspotted. After the end of the spawning season in May, the adults leave the water again and gradually develop a more inconspicuous land costume. This is characterised by a dark, almost black, granulated, dull and water-repellent skin on top. The belly remains slightly orange, but is less colourful than in the aquatic display.

Habitat

The Alpine newt is a typical inhabitant of water-rich forests in hilly to mountainous landscapes - it is often associated with the palmate newt, which is, however, rarer overall. It is usually absent in sparsely wooded areas. In addition to dense deciduous forests, it also inhabits park-like areas and semi-natural gardens. Outside the spawning season, the Alpine Newt is a nocturnal land animal. During the day it hides in many shady places, for example under stones or wood. At night, it hunts for beetles, earthworms and other small animals. Its main enemies are trout, other fish and larvae of the blue-green damselfly, which prey mainly on newt larvae. After "awakening" from their winter torpor in February/March, Alpine newts immediately migrate to nearby bodies of water - especially forest ponds and lakes, firewater ponds, wildlife ponds and water-filled wagon tracks on forest roads. These may well be cool, shady and devoid of vegetation.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergmolch). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 29 June 2021

Description

With a snout-vent length of seven to more than 13 cm, this relatively small mouse species has a tail length of 3 to 6.5 cm and weighs between 12 and 35 grams. The species shows size and weight differences of up to 300 percent between populations of different regions.

The dorsal fur is reddish brown to foxy red, sometimes yellowish. The flanks are brownish to grey-brown and usually cream-coloured. The belly coat is whitish to grey. The undercoat is grey. The paws are pale. The black fur at the end of the tail is slightly longer than the rest of the fur on the tail and clearly separated from it in colour. The ears are large to medium sized at nine to 16 mm.

Habitat

Its habitat is formed by beech and mixed forests, hedges and bushes close to forests, and wetlands. It is also often found near watercourses. Gardens close to forests are also accepted as habitats. There, the bank vole also builds its nests in little-used barns, storage sheds, garden huts or other wooden structures. Indications of an existing nest include foliage, dry moss cushions and twigs that have been brought in and deposited by the bank voles.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rötelmaus). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 20 August 2021

Description

The barn swallow is about 19 to 22 centimetres in length, of which two to seven cm are accounted for by the tail feathers. The weight of males during the breeding season is between 16.1 and 21.4 grams, females weigh between 16 and 23.7 grams. The wingspan is 32 to 34.5 cm.

The barn swallow is very slender with a characteristic deeply forked and long tail. The back is a shiny metallic blue-black. The underpart is creamy white. The maroon colour on the throat, which is framed entirely in black, and on the forehead and chin is also characteristic. There are white spots on the tail feathers, which can be seen when the tail is spread.

The species lives in the open cultivated landscape where there are farms, meadows and ponds. The birds spend the summer between April and September or early October in their breeding grounds. These are located throughout Europe, Northwest Africa, the temperate regions of Asia and in North America up to an altitude of about 1000 metres and as far as the Arctic Circle. Barn swallows winter in central and southern Africa. Asian wintering grounds are found in India and Iran.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rauchschwalbe). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 14 December 2021

Description

The relatively long and broad ears of the Bechstein's bat have a pointed ear cover, which is typical for all species of mouse ears (Myotis). They have a wingspan of between 25 and 29 cm and weigh between 7 and 14 g.

Habitat

This forest-dwelling species prefers tree hollows as summer habitats. As a substitute, however, bird nesting boxes are also accepted time and again. However, bird nesting boxes are not a sufficient alternative, as the Bechstein's bat frequently changes its habitat and is therefore dependent on a habitat network, such as exists in a cave-rich forest with many old trees and a corresponding proportion of deadwood.

Like other bats, the Bechstein's bat feeds on small insects such as flies, midges and moths. Since this species has mastered shaking flight and can perceive the crawling sounds of its prey, it also picks up, for example, spiders and caterpillars directly from the vegetation. Its hunting grounds include the forest, especially the insect-rich forest layers close to the ground.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechsteinfledermaus). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 18 August 2021

Description

The black rat has a snout-vent length of 17 to 22 cm, a tail length of 18 to 23 cm, the tail has 200 to 260 rings, the weight is about 160 to 210 g.

The snout of the black rat is pointed, eyes and ears are relatively larger than those of the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus). Main colour forms are all grey-black (especially in the subspecies rattus), brown-grey with grey underpart (especially in the roof rat Rattus rattus alexandrinus) and brown-grey with white underpart (especially in the fruit rat Rattus rattus frugivorus). There are transitions and other colour forms in between.

The tail is longer than the body, in contrast to the brown rat, where the tail is shorter than the body.

Habitat

The black rat is only bound to human settlements in colder regions, where it prefers to live in dry residential and storage buildings (especially on upper floors), but also in cellars and stables. In the open, it looks for very different hiding places and builds its nest there.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hausratte). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 25 August 2021

Description

With a body length of 35-39 cm and a wingspan of 86-99 cm,  black-headed gulls are the smallest regularly breeding species of the gulls themselves in Central Europe (i.e. notwithstanding the terns). Males are larger and heavier than females. In the nuptial plumage from early March to July, the head is dark blackish brown, the eyes are narrowly rimmed with white, and this rim is not closed in front. The back, upper and lower wing coverts, and upper surface of the secondaries and inner primaries are light gray; the rest of the rump and tail are white. The outer primaries are predominantly white, showing a black terminal band and narrow black margins on the inside of the inner vane. Only the outermost primaries also has narrow black margins on the outer edge of the outer vane. This forms a broad white wedge on the upperparts of the wing, which is dark edged; in flight this feature is often useful for species identification from a great distance. The beak and legs are red. The iris is dark brown. In basic plumage, only the eye region and ear area are diffusely blackish, and the red beak has a blackish tip.

During the breeding season, the species inhabits the shore areas of larger bodies of water, especially inland, but for some time now also increasingly on coasts; it mainly lives in still waters, and less frequently in larger rivers with low flow velocities. In winter, they visit favorable feeding habitats of all kinds, including short-grass meadows, arable land, garbage dumps, sewage treatment plants, harbors, and water bodies in cities. In recent decades, the black-headed Gull has increasingly appeared in urban areas far from water bodies in squares, pedestrian zones and similar places.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lachmöwe). On wikipedia the text is available under a  „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“licence. Status: 17 December 2021

Description

Brown bears inhabit a variety of habitats. The remaining animals in Europe live mainly in forested mountainous regions, even in Siberia they are more likely to be found in forests than in open terrain. As long as there is enough food and places to hibernate, they are not too choosy about their habitat. However, even in open terrain they need sufficiently densely vegetated areas as resting places.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braunbär). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 31 August 2021

Description

Brown rats are large, strongly built rats with an angular skull, blunt snout and thick tail, the length of which is normally less than the snout-vent length. The snout-vent length is 18-26 cm, the tail length 14-21 cm and the length of the hind foot 38-45 mm. The tail has 163-205 scale rings. The ears are round and small with a length of 17-23 mm; when folded forward they reach at most the posterior edge of the eye. Sexually mature animals weight about 170-350 g.

Depending on age, the coat is dirty grey-brown on top, reddish brown-grey to dark brown-black, the underpart grey-white. Upperpart and underpart colouration are not sharply separated. Rarely monochrome black animals occur. The tail is bicoloured, greyish brown above and lighter underparts.

Habitat

In their original range in north-east Asia, brown rats inhabit forests and bushy terrain. However, introduced populations are mainly restricted to human settlements, inhabiting drains, rubbish dumps, cellars, warehouses, stables, farms and similar habitats, very often near water. In Europe, the species also inhabits semi-natural habitats, especially water margins with dense vegetation and seashores, especially around river mouths.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanderratte). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 25 August 2021

Description

Adult chamois have a snout-vent length of 110 to 130 cm, a tail up to eight cm long, a height at the withers of 70 to 85 cm and a weight of 25 to 40 kg (females) or 35 to 50 kg (males). Chamois have a strong but stocky build. The slender neck carries a short head that narrows strongly towards the snout. Both sexes have horns, also called "Krucken" or "Krickel". These grow up to 25 cm long and are rounded. They are circularly notched at the root, straight upwards and curved backwards at the tip. Unlike the antlers of deer and roe deer, the horns are not shed in winter. The pointed ears of chamois are about half the length of the head.

The chamois has relatively long, strong legs with relatively large hooves. 

In summer the chamois is a dirty reddish brown, pale reddish yellow on the underpart, with a blackish brown eel line on the back, pale yellow on the throat and whitish yellow on the neck. The back of the thighs is white, the tail black on the underpart and at the tip. A black longitudinal band runs from the ears over the eyes.

In winter the chamois is dark brown or brown-black above, white on the belly, yellowish white on the feet and head, and slightly darker on the crown and snout. Both coats blend imperceptibly into each other. 

Habitat

The chamois depends on steep, if possible partly rocky terrain for its habitat. This is where its physical abilities come into their best play. For example, a comparatively large heart, a high proportion of oxygen-binding red blood cells and the special construction of the spreading hooves enable chamois to move safely and perform well under these conditions. The slope of the landscape is also used to stay in a suitable microclimate at all times, especially since temperatures as low as 12 degrees are considered rather unpleasant by the animals. Whether the terrain is forested is basically of no central importance. In the Alps, chamois tend to stay above the forest belt at altitudes between 1500 and 2500 m. The scarcity of food forces them to stay in the forest. Food shortages force them to descend to lower - forested - altitudes in winter.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gämse). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 19 October 2021

Description

The common bent-wing bat is a medium-sized bat with a snout length of 5.00 to 6.25 cm, a tail length of 5.6 to 6.4 cm, a wingspan of 30 to 34 cm and a weight of 9 to 16 g. The dorsal fur is grey to greyish-brown, sometimes with a purple shimmer. The dorsal coat is grey to grey-brown, sometimes with a lilac tinge, the ventral side is lighter grey. On the head, the coat is short and protruding. The snout, the ears and the patagiums are greyish brown, the tragus yellowish white.

The snout is relatively short and blunt and the forehead arched, the ears are small and triangular in relation to the head, they do not protrude above the crown of the head. The ears have four to five transverse folds and a short tragus, which is curved inwards and rounded at the tip.

The species got its name from the long, dark brown wings that narrow towards the back. The second limb of the third finger is about three times as long as the first. The arm patagium attaches to the heel of the feet, which are comparatively long.

Habitat

It is a cavern species that occurs in the plains as well as in the mountains and in karst areas. Caves, cellars and tunnels with temperatures between 7 and 12 °C are mainly inhabited as summer and winter quarters. They also use roosts on and in buildings. The bats hang freely from walls and ceilings, sometimes in larger groups.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langflügelfledermaus). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 18 August 2021

Description

The common buzzard is a medium-sized, compact bird of prey. It is 51 to 57 centimeters long and has a 113 to 128 centimeter wingspan. The wings are relatively broad, and the relatively short tail is rounded at the end. During circling gliding the wings are set up in a flat v-shape. The tips of the primaries are always dark, and the tail is usually narrowly banded all over. The crop area (breast band) is mostly longitudinally striped, rarely solid white to blackish brown, and usually dark even when the underside is otherwise light. The often brighter breast band is darkly longitudinally striped in young birds and transversely banded in adults. The undertail coverts are solid, spotted or banded. The feathers on the lower legs, the so-called pants, are plain, banded or longitudinally striped. The latter two feather parts may be lighter on dark underparts and darker on light underparts. The tail is the surest feature to distinguish the nominate form of the common buzzard from its subspecies and from the rough-legged buzzard. In the nominate form of the common buzzard, the tail feathers are gray, brown, or rusty red with eight to twelve dark cross bands. Further coloration and markings are highly variable.

The nominate form of the common buzzard occurs in very different colorations from almost completely white to almost completely blackish brown in numerous transitions, which is unique in the avifauna of Central Europe, except for the even more variable ruff. Light, intermediate, and dark morphs can be distinguished. The darkest morphs are almost entirely clay-colored to blackish brown, juveniles (from fledging to first molt) with longitudinal stripes on the underside, sometimes extending over the crop. Old birds may have transverse stripes on the underside extending to the darker crop area. The fully banded tail is brown or gray. Intermediate morphs have less distinct markings on the whitish to pale yellowish underside, sometimes without the typical breast bib on the lower part of the crop. The tail is sometimes incompletely banded. The lightest morphs with whitish-pale yellow underparts and dorsum have distinctly less to nearly absent wing and tail banding. Pale yellow individuals often have ochre brown and gray mottling on the back, which is why they look " multicolored."

The horn-colored talons are lighter or darker in all morphs according to the plumage coloration. The beak is black and lighter toward the head. The unplumaged parts of the body (feet and wax skins) are pale pink in newly hatched juveniles and yellow in adults. The iris is variable in coloration from gray, gray-brown to gray, rarely lighter or yellowish and is related to the general plumage coloration.

The common buzzard inhabits mainly small wooded areas with adjacent open landscapes, where it forages almost exclusively. In the vicinity of the forest, it prefers pastures, meadows, heath and wetlands or vegetation kept short by humans. Breeding at altitudes above 1000 meters above sea level is rare. Common buzzards are often seen perched on posts along highways as they scan these and other routes while hunting. Forest edges of smaller old-growth stands are preferred for nesting, and the inner parts of closed forests or narrow border strips between fields or individual trees are rarely colonized. Increasing colonization of landscapes with few trees was observed on control plots near Potsdam and in the west of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. A high proportion of broods was also found in rows of poplars, but also on single trees and in small copses at a distance of less than a hundred meters from individual farmsteads. These new colonizations were already described as not rare before. There are successful broods in direct proximity to houses in the settlement area.

As a synanthropic bird, the common buzzard has also settled the city centers. Here it prefers cemeteries or parks as eyrie sites, sometimes also in the immediate vicinity of residential areas.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mäusebussard). On wikipedia the text is available under a  „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“licence. Status: 17 December 2021

Description

Common chiffchaffs are small, compact and short-winged leaf warblers with a rather large head and without conspicuous markings. The body length is 10-12 cm, the weight 6-10 g. The sexes do not differ in appearance and weight, but males are slightly longer-winged than females. 

The upperparts are greyish-brownish green, the rump is often slightly lighter green. The throat, the underpart of the rump and undertail coverts are dirty white with individually very variable amounts of yellow and beige on the throat and breast. Especially in autumn, the flanks are often covered in beige-brown. Wing feathers and tail feathers are grey-brown, the edges of the outer plumes are narrowly fringed with yellow-green. A yellowish supercilium is clearly visible in front of the eye, behind the eye usually only indistinctly. The dark eye stripe divides the light eye ring into a lower and an upper half. The area below the eyes and the ear coverts are quite dark, so that the lower part of the light eye ring contrasts clearly with it. The short and fine beak is usually not very noticeably bright orange at the base and sides, and dark horn-coloured for the rest. The legs are usually dark brown or greyish black, rarely lighter brown.

difference to the willow warbler

The species inhabits a wide range of wooded habitats and is also frequently found in parks and the greened outskirts of towns. Forest areas with a structured tree layer, a well-developed shrub layer and at least a sparse shrub cover and correspondingly structured green spaces are preferred. The species hardly ever occurs in monotonous stands with largely no undergrowth, such as in closed copper beech forests. In Central Europe, the highest settlement densities are reached in alder swamp forests and wet riparian forests with 7 to 14 territories/10 ha.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zilpzalp). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 01 December 2021

Description

The common lizard has a maximum total length of 18 cm. Of this, the head and trunk account for up to 6 cm, and up to 7 cm in females. The strong tail reaches 1.25 to 2 times the snout-vent length (maximum value in males). The species is slender, short-legged, and has a small, rather flattened head - compared to the sand lizard, for example - even more so in females than in males. The so-called collar is strongly toothed and the dorsal scales, which are only 25 to 37 in the transverse direction, are very rough and usually keeled. The basic coloration is brown, sometimes also gray. In addition, many animals show a dark "dorsal stripe" on the back, broken up into single spots, dark sides as well as light, line-shaped spots on the upperparts (very variable). The throat is whitish or bluish, the belly light or dark yellow; in males at mating time orange or more rarely reddish and then often covered with dark spots. Sometimes also completely black colored adults occur, so-called "Blacklings".

The young are very dark - almost blackish - and bronze colored. They measure 3 to 4 cm after birth.

Habitat

Habitats include bogs, heaths, grasslands, abandoned quarries and sand pits, dunes, and wooded areas and edges in lowlands, hills, bogs, and uplands. Vegetation-rich fringe structures, slopes and clearings are preferred. The species is more in need of moisture than other lizard species. In case of danger, it also flees into the water and swims through it. The lizard is diurnal and usually faithful to its habitat. Occasionally, however, so-called "pioneers" decide to migrate. They are responsible for colonizing new habitats.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldeidechse). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 26 May 2021

Description

The common newt is a small caudate with a maximum body length of 11 cm (less in southern Europe). The upperparts are with smooth skin and yellow-brown to black-grey colouration. The males have coarse, roundish, dark spots on it - especially conspicuous during the mating season. Both sexes have alternating light and dark stripes on the sides of the head (hence the name "striped newt"); there are three longitudinal furrows on the upperpart (compare cover photo). The underpart is orange in the middle, becoming lighter towards the sides and also with dark markings - in the males these are large dots, in the females fine spots.

In their aquatic phase, the males develop a high, wavy to serrated (in southern subspecies also smooth-edged), flexible skin crest, which - in contrast to the great crested newt - runs from the back of the head to the end of the tail without an indentation at the root of the tail. Their fin seam on the underpart of the laterally flattened tail shows a bluish tinge. The hind feet show blackish swimming fringes at this stage. The cloaca of males is much more prominent and darker in colour than that of females. The females look much more inconspicuous overall and usually have a slightly lighter, rather brownish basic colouration. For the non-expert, they are difficult to distinguish from those of the palmate newt. Among other things, however, the throat is usually also spotted, in contrast to that of the palmate newt. In addition, yellow pads can be seen under the soles of the feet of female newts, which are usually absent in common newts. In the terrestrial habitat, the skin becomes dry, fine-grained and water-repellent; the colouration is now very muted.

Habitat

The common newt prefers semi-open to open landscapes, but does not completely avoid densely forested mountainous regions. In such areas, however, the Italian crested newt and, especially in the west, the palmate newt are found much more frequently. In the lower altitudes of Central Europe, the common newt is by far the most common caudate and, along with the common toad and the grass frog, one of the still almost ubiquitous amphibian species. During "toad migration" campaigns along roads to protect migrating amphibians, it is not uncommon for hundreds, in extreme cases even several thousand common newts to be registered.

Land habitats include grassland areas with hedges, forest edges, semi-natural gardens and parks, abandoned gravel pits and the banks of water bodies. The common newt is considered a very adaptable amphibian and a synanthropic species. It feeds on insects, worms and other small animals at night; during the day and in dry periods it hides under stones, leaves or roots. In spring and early summer, it feeds mainly on small crustaceans, but also on frogspawn, tadpoles and even eggs and larvae of its own species. Smaller, at least temporarily sunny pools, ponds and ditches with rich underwater weeds are preferred as spawning waters. Thanks to their tail, the newts move as swiftly as fish under water. They regularly swim to the surface to gasp for air. In case of danger, they flee in a flash to the bottom of the water or between water plants. By July, most common newts have left the water to live on land. Some, however, remain more or less permanently aquatic (compare: Northern crested newt). In October or November (Central Europe), the animals retreat to frost-proof terrestrial shelters; some also hibernate in the water.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teichmolch). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 29 June 2021

Description

The common partridge, like all members of the genus, is of stocky build with short legs, short round tail and short round wings. The orange-brown head, light gray forebody and reddish-brown lateral banding are characteristic. The tail, with the exception of the central rectrix, is vivid russet. There is a more or less pronounced dark brown patch in the shape of a horseshoe at the center of the lower breast, sometimes absent in females and often much smaller. In spring and summer the common partridge wears the nuptial plumage, in autumn and winter the basic plumage. The straight beak is yellow and brown or gray at the base. Common partridges have a body length of about 30 centimeters, a wing length of 14.6 to 16 centimeters, and a tail length of 7.2 to 8.5 centimeters. Males and females are similar in size; however, the latter are slightly heavier. Body weight ranges from 290 to 415 grams for males and 300 to 475 grams for females.

The common partridge lives mainly in lower altitudes below 600 m, but it can also be found in higher altitudes of the low mountain ranges and alpine valleys. The original habitats were steppes, especially tree and shrub steppes. Due to their high adaptability, common partridges are synanthropic birds and live in heaths as well as on arable land, grassland and fallow land, herbaceous meadows and in richly structured mixed areas. In warmer areas with fertile soils the highest population densities are reached. Optimal habitats are characterized by alternating multi-crop agricultural use with hedgerows, shrubs, field and road margins, offer small-scale structured plots and have little forest cover. Necessary cover is provided by a high proportion of boundary lines. Boundary lines are characterized by many hedge strips and thus much cover. Stubble fields and fallow land are very popular as resting and feeding places. Areas with winters with little snow are clearly preferred. Root crop fields (potatoes, beets, cabbage) provide optimal conditions, as there is good protection from weather deformities and aerial predators under the large-leaved plants. The raw soils between the plants warm up quickly and dry out quickly, allowing dust baths and rapid escape.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebhuhn). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 17 December 2021 2021

Description

The shape is similar to a swallow, but the swift is slightly larger than European swallows. The wings are long compared to the body and their crescent shape is easily seen in gliding flight. The tail is relatively short and forked. Males and females cannot be distinguished externally. The plumage is sooty to brownish black except for the greyish-white throat patch, which is, however, difficult to see in flight. The face, seen from the front, appears roundish; the eyes are relatively large and the iris is deep brown. The small, black beak is slightly curved downwards. The short feet are blackish flesh-coloured. The four toes end in sharp talons; as in all swifts, they are all pointed forward.

Adult swifts weight about 40 grams on average, but the weight varies quite a bit with nutritional status. Non-breeders and swifts that have just arrived at the breeding site are usually somewhat heavier than breeding birds. The trunk length averages 17 cm, and when the wings are put on they cross and overhang the tail by about four cm. The wingspan is between 40 and 44 cm. Compared to other bird species, the primaries are very elongated; the upper and lower arms are short and compact.
The juvenile plumage is darker and less shiny, the white of the throat is more extensive and purer than in adult birds. In addition, young birds are distinguished from adults by the white feather seams, which are most conspicuous on the axillary feathers, the wing coverts, the large plumage and especially on the forehead. Only the fringes of the forehead feathers remain until the juvenile moult, while the other white fringes disappear quite soon due to wear. One-year-olds look like adult swifts; they are best recognised by the worn juvenile plumage, in which the ends of the tail feathers are more rounded.

In Central Europe, the swift mainly breeds on multi-floor old buildings, including residential houses, church towers, factory buildings or railway stations. On such buildings, many cavities on roofs and façades are used, such as eaves or roller shutter boxes. New buildings with a dense outer skin offer hardly any breeding opportunities. Due to the availability of suitable breeding sites, swifts often settle in only a few places, such as town centres, industrial or harbour facilities, and in small towns often exclusively on churches or other historic buildings.

Swifts were originally predominantly rock-breeders, but today they are rare in Central Europe and only known from a few regions, such as the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. It is assumed that the transition from rock-breeding to building-breeding took place in the Middle Ages. Possibly, castles built of rough natural stone were the link through which the birds approached human buildings and became a synanthropic bird.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauersegler). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 14 December 2021

Description

The coot is a medium-sized, roundish rail with a body length of 36 to 42 cm, which is usually found swimming duck-like on the water, lying relatively high in the water. The head is relatively small, the tail short. The beak is about 30 mm long, white or slightly pinkish, pointed with a curved ridge and a strong base. The eponymous blaze is a bright white horny shield above the beak that covers the forehead and varies in size individually, age-wise and between the sexes. At 14 to 30 mm long, it is usually slightly shorter than the beak and between 6 and 19 mm wide. Looking at the head in profile, the indentation between the upper beak and the shield forms an acute angle, in contrast to other species such as the comb coot. The feet are strong and the long toes are webbed. The iris is red to dark brown-red in colour. The sexes do not differ in plumage. Males usually have a larger forehead shield than females, but this is not a reliable distinguishing feature due to individual variation. When both stand side by side, a slight difference in size is noticeable. 

Adult birds show a slate grey to blackish plumage on the back, with a brownish to olive shimmer. The throat and lower neck are darker, the head and neck velvety black. The underpart is grey to grey-brown. There are very fine (not visible in the field) whitish lace fringes on the breast and belly. The brown-black primaries have whitish tips, the outermost a fine white outer fringe. The wing feathers are predominantly blackish. There is an olive-brown tinge on the inner greater coverts, a white fringe on the front edge of the wing and - a feature noticeable in flight - a white fringe on the rear edge of the secondaries. The underwing coverts are grey to light grey and show white tips in the area of the hand wing. The rectrix are brownish black. The legs are pale ash-grey, pale greenish yellow or bright yellow. The heel joint becomes a stronger golden brown with age. The toes and webbed lobes are pale olive with dirty blue-green joints. The margins of the lobes are lead-grey to blackish.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blässhuhn). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 17 December 2021

Description

The Danube crested newt is a rather graceful, slender newt compared to other crested newts. At 12-14 (males) or 13-16 cm (females) in total length, the species remains slightly smaller than the other crested newt species; in addition, its limbs are relatively short. The dorsal colouration is often brown rather than blackish with round, dark spots; males from the Danube Delta also show a brick-red dorsal colour. As in Triturus cristatus, there are some white spotted areas on the coarsely granulated flanks. Females sometimes have an orange-yellow longitudinal line on the back. The ventral side is orange-red to yolk-yellow and patterned with smaller, sharply defined dark spots, which may also merge to form longitudinal bands. The throat and the head area are grey to black and covered with white spots.

During the mating season, the males develop a particularly high, deeply serrated, flexible dorsal crest. At the root of the tail, this is separated from the skin edges of the ruddy tail, although not always as clearly as in other great crested newts. The dorsal and caudal crests are regressed in the terrestrial habitat.

Habitat

The Danube crested newt prefers terrestrial habitats with riparian forests and structurally rich forest edges near spawning waters. For breeding, the species needs standing waters with shallow zones, which are as free of fish as possible.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donau-Kammmolch). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 29 June 2021

Description

Habitat

As a pet or domestic animal, the domestic cat is found worldwide in almost all areas populated by humans. As a wild or feral animal, however, it can only live in climatically warm or temperate zones independent of supporting human influences. It is considered as a synanthropic animal.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hauskatze). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 27 August 2021

Description

The eagle owl is the largest present owl species on earth. Females are significantly larger than males (reverse sexual dimorphism). The heaviest Central European female eagle owl weighed 3200 g. The difference in size between males and females is also evident in the wingspan. The wingspan of males averages 157 cm, that of females 168 cm.

The head is large and has strikingly long feather ears. These usually stand off obliquely to the side or back. The eagle owl also has the facial disc typical of owls, but less pronounced than, for example, the long-eared owl or barn owl. The body plumage of that species in Central Europe is a light brown with dark longitudinal and transverse stripes. The back is darker than the belly, and the underparts of the wings are also more lightly feathered. The individual subspecies of the eagle owl differ in body size and in the basic colouration of their plumage.

Mainly due to human persecution, the eagle owl was largely restricted to the low mountain ranges and the Alps in Central Europe. In the meantime, the lowlands are increasingly being recolonized. The typical hunting ground or foraging area has an average size of 40 square kilometers. In its range, the eagle owl shows how strongly it can adapt to the different conditions of its habitat. Eagle owls live in almost treeless desert mountains and steppes, in sparse boreal coniferous forests, and in subtropical latitudes. They are also found along seashores.

The ideal hunting ground for the eagle owl is diversely structured and interspersed with hedges, water bodies and field shrubs as well as open field areas. While eagle owls defend the narrow area around the nest, this does not apply to their hunting ground. This partly overlaps with that of neighboring individuals. In habitats that offer optimal conditions, the population of eagle owls can be very dense. 

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uhu). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“licence. Status: 17 December 2021

Description

The eurasian collared dove is 31 to 33 cm in length and thus about the same size as the feral dove. However, it is lighter and longer-tailed, making it appear slimmer and more delicate. Its wingspan is 47 to 55 cm; it weighs 150 to 200 grams. The plumage is uniformly light beige-brown, the wing tips are slightly darker, the head and underparts are slightly lighter. The reddish eye has a narrow white eye ring. The most striking feature is a deep black nape stripe in the adult plumage, which is additionally framed by a narrow white stripe. The sexes are alike.

Eurasian collared doves are synanthropic birds. They originate from Asia, but as they found an increasingly better food supply in more northern areas of Europe through agricultural and domestic waste, they expanded their habitat over the whole of Europe in the course of the 20th century. In the meantime, they are advancing further to the north-east. Their expansion in the middle of the 20th century could be observed and recorded in detail. They have now established themselves as resident birds and live in parks and gardens, always close to settlements, preferably in quiet residential areas where there are a few conifers. They need the latter, as they prefer to breed in conifers. They are not very shy.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Türkentaube). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 14 December 2021

Description

The eurasian jackdaw is a medium-sized corvid with a body length of 33-39 cm. It appears stocky - especially in comparison with most ravens and crows - and has a stout, strong beak and relatively short legs. The jackdaw's tail is of medium length and slightly rounded in comparison to the genus, its wings are round, weakly digitated and fall slightly behind the tail when attached. Male jackdaws grow larger on average than females, although there is overlap in the dimensional ranges: Males reach a wing length of 208-255 mm and a tail length of 122-138 mm. Their beak grows to 20.6-21.5 mm from the nostrils to the tip, and the male tarsometatarsus 42.3-49.0 mm. The male weight is 174-300 g. With 205-250 mm wing length, 115-134 mm tail length, a 19.8-23.2 mm long bill and 41.2-46.5 mm length of the tarsometatarsus, and a weight of 175-282 g, females achieve only slightly smaller maximum measurements, but significantly smaller mean values.

The sexes are very similarly coloured, differing at most in a slightly lighter colouration of male birds at certain times of the year. The nasal bristles, forehead, crown, eye area, cheeks and chin down to the throat are black in adult jackdaws. The black head plate has a metallic blue or violet shimmer. The back of the crown, the back of the head, the nape of the neck and the ear coverts contrast with the black crown due to their light to slate grey coloration, but merge into black in the cheek, throat and nape area. On the sides of the neck and in the nape of the neck, some individuals develop a sometimes more, sometimes less distinct, silver-grey band, which becomes broader towards the breast and separates the plumage of the head from the body plumage. The eurasian jackdaw's back, like its wings and tail, is black-grey to black.[2] The wing feathers have a faint greenish or bluish sheen. The underparts - breast, flanks, belly and abdomen - are slate grey and darker than the back of the head. From moult to moult, especially the grey areas of the plumage fade. In black feathers, usually only the edges fade, resulting in a scaly pattern on the back. The nasal bristles turn rusty brown with time. Old birds have a whitish-blue iris, which contrasts strikingly with the black facial plumage. Their beak is black, as are their legs.
Juveniles differ from adults in colour only in a few details. Their plumage colours are duller and have much less sheen than adults. The black parts of the adult plumage appear more brownish or greyish, and the colour separation of the head plate from the back of the head is less distinct. The most obvious difference is the eye colour: after the juvenile moult, the iris colour of the birds changes from light blue to dark brown. Only after about one year does it become lighter again on the outside, and from the third year of life it is completely white-blue again.

The availability of potential breeding sites and suitable areas for foraging influence the habitat selection of the eurasian jackdaw. As a predominantly cavity-nesting bird, it is strongly dependent on old wood stands with woodpecker cavities, on rock holes or on buildings with sufficient niches in its habitat, at least during the breeding season. Quarries, rocky coasts, settlements with old buildings, medieval churches as well as parks and groves with large, old trees are therefore frequently used breeding habitats by the jackdaw. They also serve as roosting sites outside the breeding season. Forests are colonised only at the edges (maximum 2 km from the forest edge).

The species needs relatively wide open areas to forage on the ground. These areas must have low vegetation (maximum 15-20 cm) so that the eurasian jackdaw can move around on them, so parkland and pastureland are preferred. Because they should also be rich in insects, the bird likes to use dry grasslands and extensively cultivated areas. In the course of the year, the eurasian jackdaw uses very different areas - pastures, steppes, stubble fields, floodplains - for foraging.

The eurasian jackdaw is relatively weather and temperature tolerant, but avoids extremes of heat and cold. It is more likely to be found in lowlands and valleys than in mountainous areas. Below 500 m it is usually widespread, between 500 and 1000 m it is often found only in local aggregations. In some exceptional cases, breeding habitats extend beyond 1000 m, for example in the Alps, in the Atlas or in Kashmir up to about 2000 m. Outside the breeding season, it can also be found at altitudes of up to 3500 m.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dohle). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 14 December 2021

Description

With a snout-vent length of between 80 and 120 cm and a shoulder height of 50 to 70 cm, the Eurasian lynx is the largest cat in Europe after the Persian leopard, which is found in the Caucasus. The length of the back without the head and neck corresponds to the shoulder height, so that the physique appears square. The front legs are 20 percent shorter than the hind legs. The large paws prevent the Eurasian lynx from sinking deep into the snow. 

What the Eurasian lynx has in common with the other species of the genus are the brush ears, the broad and roundish head and the very short tail. The tail of the Eurasian lynx is between 15 and 25 cm long and ends in a black tip. The Eurasian lynx is characterised by a very distinctive whisker, which it can spread wide. 

The fur tips on the pointed, clearly triangular ears are up to five cm long.

The Eurasian lynx's coat is reddish to yellowish brown on the upperparts during the summer and grey to greyish brown during the winter months. The chin, throat, chest, belly and the inside of the legs are whitish grey to creamy white. The spotting of the coat varies from individual to individual, but it can also be almost completely absent. 

Habitat

The Eurasian lynx prefers large forest areas with dense undergrowth as its habitat and uses open landscapes and human settlements only marginally and temporarily. Ideal conditions for hunting are provided by forests with a strong small-scale structure of old-growth islands, clearings, rocky slopes and marshland zones. However, Eurasian lynx can also be found in the rocky mountain zone up to an altitude of 2500 m. These habitats offer a large number of cover opportunities between rocks and bushes. Telemetric studies accompanying a number of reintroduction projects in recent decades have shown that Eurasian lynx hunt a large part of their prey in the fringes of forests, rarely entering agricultural land. During the day, Eurasian lynx stay in their hiding places and tolerate the proximity to humans. In the Vosges Mountains as well as in the Bavarian Forest, female Eurasian lynx raise cubs not far from places that are heavily frequented by tourists.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasischer_Luchs). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 25 August 2021

Description

The otter has a snout-vent length of up to 90 cm, plus a tail of 40 cm. The cross-sectionally round and muscular tail serves the otter as a control and stabilising organ.

Otters have a shoulder height of about 25 to 30 cm. Adult otters can reach a body weight of up to 12 kg. On average, females weigh about 7.4 and males 10.5 kg. The body is elongated and cylindrical and the legs are short, the head is rounded and blunt-nosed, and there are long tactile hairs on the snout, which are an important sensory organ in murky water. The toes are connected with webbings The fur is light brown. With age, the throat and fore-neck turn whitish.

The otter's fur provides particularly effective insulation against cold and wetness due to the unusual structure of its hairs: the hairs are interlocked, like a zip, by microscopic interlocking wedges and grooves. The result is an extraordinarily dense fur mesh that holds insulating air bubbles but repels water at the same time. In this way, the otter's skin remains dry and its body warm.

It prefers shallow rivers with vegetated banks and flood plains. The decline of such habitats and hunting have led to the European otter disappearing in some places and becoming extremely rare in many areas. However, it can cope with all types of freshwater habitats as long as the waters are clear and rich in fish and offer it sufficient hiding places along the banks.

It reveals its presence by well-camouflaged exits on the banks. Otter droppings (scats), marking secretions and prey remains can be found along the occasionally trodden otter paths. On muddy ground or in snow, not only the footprints (tracks) can be seen, but also the drag marks of the tail.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischotter). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 31 August 2021

Description

The snout-vent length is 65 to 85 mm, the tail length 35 to 47 mm and the weight 6.5 to 14.3 g. The upperparts are blackish brown, the flanks are light brown and the underpart is grey. In young animals the upperparts are lighter and the transition to the light flank colouration is smooth.

The closely related crowned shrew, which is also widespread in western Central Europe, is slightly smaller on average. The dark brown colouration on the back is usually narrower and contrasts more clearly with the light brown colouration on the flanks. In both species, however, the body size and colouration of the specimens varies considerably and so there are ultimately no reliable external distinguishing characteristics. They can only be identified by genetic examination and minor differences in the skeletonised skull. The Eurasian pygmy shrew is smaller, the upperpart colouration is not clearly bicoloured, but grey-brown, the tail is proportionally longer and quite conspicuously thickened. Their eyes are proportionally even smaller. 

The Alpine shrew, Eurasian water shrew and Mediterranean water shrew have black to black-grey fur, the latter two species are also significantly larger and stronger. The only distantly related native white-toothed shrews, i.e. the bicoloured shrews, European white-toothed shrews and lesser white-toothed shrews, differ from the Eurasian shrew, among other things, in that their auricles are not covered by hair, the tips of their teeth are white instead of dark brown, and there are occasional long, protruding hairs on their tails.

Habitat

The Eurasian shrew reaches its highest densities in damp forests and wet meadows, but also inhabits almost all other terrestrial habitats, including rock crevices and sand dunes.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldspitzmaus). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 06 August 2021

Description

Females are just larger than a kestrel, with a body length of 35-41 cm and a wingspan of 67 to 80 cm, and are close in size to small goshawk males. Sparrowhawk males are much smaller, with a body length of 29-34 cm and a wingspan of 58 to 65 cm. The wings are relatively short, broad, and rounded at their tips, and the tail feathers are relatively long. These characteristics do not allow for extreme flight speeds, but do enable high maneuverability in confined spaces. Legs and toes show distinct adaptations for hunting small and fast songbirds. The legs are comparatively long and very thin. The middle toe is very long and can be used to grasp objects, while a protuberance on the underside of the toe means that the digit can be closed without leaving a gap, and so can still hold individual feathers. The claws are long and very pointed.

The occurrence of the species is limited in most of its range to the north as well as to the south by the distribution of these coniferous forests. Only in Central and Western Europe, as well as in the Western Mediterranean, where other small representatives of the genus Accipiter inhabiting deciduous forests are absent, it also inhabits deciduous forests of the temperate zone, as well as the Mediterranean hardwood forests. In recent decades, this raptor species also shows a strong tendency towards urbanization and now inhabits parks, cemeteries and similar green spaces in many cities in Europe.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sperber_(Art)). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“licence. Status: 17 December 2021

Description

The species is the largest shrew in Europe. The snout-vent length is 70-96 mm and the tail length 47-77 mm. The animals weight 15-20, rarely up to 25 g. The coat is glossy black on top, the underpart is variably silvery white to blackish brown, often with a rusty brown overcoat. The species is well adapted to life in water. The fur is long and dense, the underpart of the tail has a bristled keel along its entire length, which serves as a rudder, and the hind feet have bristles that aid propulsion. The water shrew is one of the few poisonous mammals in Central Europe. The secretion produced by venom glands located under the tongue is lethal in animals up to mouse size.

Habitat

The Eurasian water shrew inhabits near-natural shore areas of all kinds of water bodies including seashores, but also swamps, wet forests and meadows and in the north of its range even fields. The species occurs from the lowlands up to 2500 m altitude.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasserspitzmaus). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 09 August 2021

Description

The European adder reaches an average length of between 50 and 70 cm, but can grow to about 90 cm in extreme cases. Females are typically much longer than males, which do not usually exceed a body length of 60 cm. The tail length, on the other hand, is greater in males than in females in proportion to body length. The weight of the animals averages 100 to 200 g with maximum values up to about 300 g in pregnant females.

The body of the snake is stoutly built, the head comparatively little distinctly set off from the body for a viper. The snout is rounded in front and merges into a flat top of the head, the canthus rostralis is also rounded. The head is oval when viewed from the top and slightly broadened at the back of the head due to the venom glands. As an adaptation to cool habitats, it is able to widen its body by actively spreading its ribs to provide a larger surface area for heat absorption while basking, thus making more effective use of smaller amounts of radiant heat.

The basic coloration of the adder is highly variable, ranging from silver-gray and yellow to light and dark gray, brown, blue-gray, orange, reddish-brown, copper-red, and black. Coloration is highly variable within the species, and different colorations may appear even within the same population. In much of the range, the animals exhibit sexual dichromatism. Males usually have different shades of gray from whitish gray to almost black, moreover the contrast between the ground color and the markings is usually more pronounced in them than in females. In females, various shades of brown, red, or beige predominate, and the contrast between light ground color and dark zigzag band is usually somewhat less.

The most conspicuous feature of the pattern is a dark zigzag band on the back. Like the ground color, the dorsal pattern can be very variable. The variations range from broad or narrow zigzag lines to wavy and rhombic bands to single transverse bands, as they are especially developed in the subspecies V. b. bosniensis. Especially in Austria and Slovenia there are populations with a dark ground color with light or light bordered markings. On the flanks there is also a row of dark, round spots. Not infrequently, smooth snakes are mistaken for European adder snakes.

In addition to the marked color varieties, monochromatic specimens of the adder also exist. The black adder, also known as the mountain viper in the Alpine region, is a melanistic colored European adder. Just like the black adder, the "copper adder", a pure copper color variant, was once thought to be a separate species. Most specimens of the black (mountain) viper or "copper viper" are not black or red from birth, but darken or redden gradually in the first two years of life. The black coloration seems to occur more frequently in cooler areas, for example in northern Europe, in moor areas or in mountains, than in warmer areas. Locally, more than 50% or even 70 to 95% of the population may be melanistically colored. Partially melanistic and also albinotic animals are very rare, however, also documented.

The head usually shows the same basic color as the body, especially in females the rostral and Canthus rostralis can be slightly yellowish brown. On the back of the head, the animals have an x-shaped or a v-shaped marking with the tip pointing to the head, which is separated from the zigzag band of the back. A broad temporal band extends over the eyes to the neck. Typical for vipers are the vertically slit pupils, which are surrounded by a rust-red iris. The ventral side is grayish brown, blackish brown or black in color and often has lighter spots, especially on the throat and in the chin region. The underside of the tail tip may be yellow, orange, or brick red.

Habitat

The European adder prefers habitats with strong day-night temperature variation and high humidity. It inhabits dwarf-shrub-rich forest aisles and forest edges, bogs, moors, wet lowlands, alpine scree fields and mountain meadows near the tree line. In the mountains, the snake can be found up to altitudes of 2500 to 3000 m.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kreuzotter). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 24 June 2021

Description

Adult males reach a maximum body length of 6.5 cm, females a maximum of about 8 cm; on average, however, both sexes remain slightly smaller. The coloration of the European spadefoot toad varies depending on the way of life, regional occurrence and sex. Mostly the animals show irregular dark brown, often elongated spots on a light gray to beige-brown ground. Almost every animal is thereby individually distinguishable. In addition, reddish or brown warts can appear, on the flanks also red spots. Females are usually more reddish brown in color, males tend to be more gray or clay yellow. In addition, the latter exhibit thickened upper arm glands at mating time. Some specimens lack the spotted pattern almost completely. While in the water, many individuals darken and thus have temporarily lower contrast markings.

The belly is whitish in color, often with light to dark gray speckles. Occasionally, albinotic forms also occur. Other distinctive external features are a helmet-like "parietal hump" on the back of the head and the vertical slit-shaped pupils, which are otherwise only found in the common midwife toad among Central European frogs. The metatarsal tubercle (callus internus) on the soles of the feet, which is present in all frogs, is particularly enlarged, sharp-edged and hardened in the spadefoot toad. It serves the animal as a "digging shovel" (digging callus).

The garlic odor, which gives this frog its name, is at most perceptible during a strong startle reaction. The secretion emitted serves as a defense against the predator. The behavioral repertoire of defense against predators is said to include active attacking and biting of the opponents as well as emitting a cry of fright similar to a toddler's scream. However, passive behaviors such as inflating the body or crouching are much more regularly observed in threatening situations.

Habitat

Adult toads are ground-dwelling terrestrial animals, except during the spawning season. They particularly prefer landscapes with loose, sandy to sandy-loamy topsoil (e.g. heaths, inland dunes, rough grasslands, steppes). Here, the animals can burrow quickly by means of their metatarsal tubercle " shovels" on the hind feet and the specially adapted leg musculature. The burrows dug are used several times by the animals. Under optimal environmental conditions, the subterranean daytime hiding places are literally turned into living caves, as the walls are mechanically stabilized and strengthened by the European spadefoot toad. In very dry summers, there may occasionally be prolonged periods of inactivity during which the toads rarely leave their burrow.

As soon as evening dusk falls, they dig themselves free from their underground hiding place to forage on the surface. 

Agriculture and its tendency to increase acreage have benefited European spadefoot toads in some ways. The more open, tilled soil areas with loose grains are present, the more frequently the animals migrate into these habitats. European spadefoot toads are particularly fond of colonizing sandy potato and asparagus fields ("potato toad").

Small to medium-sized, eutrophic still waters such as ponds and pools with a minimum depth of about 30 cm are preferred as spawning biotopes. They also like to colonize so-called secondary biotopes such as gravel, sand or clay pits, but also extensively managed carp pond areas. A riparian zone rich in vegetation, for example overgrown with swath reed, cattail reed or flood lawn, meets the needs of the animals. More often, spawning sites are located near or even in the middle of cultivated farmland. For hibernation, European spadefoot toads burrow up to one meter deep into the ground. Found earth cavities, such as mouse holes or mole tunnels, are preferably accepted as winter habitats and remodeled according to their own needs. Topsoil in fens and floodplains is usually avoided by European spadefoot toads - unless the floodplain is interspersed with drifting sand dunes, geest islands or fluviatile sand deposits.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoblauchkröte). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 25 June 2021

Description

The snout-vent length of adults reaches a maximum of eleven cm, with females growing slightly larger on average than males due to the slightly later onset of sexual maturity. Most specimens, however, are between seven and nine cm in size and appear quite plump. The upperparts can be yellow, red or dark brown in colour. In some animals it is only slightly marked, others have irregular black spots that can occasionally almost obscure the ground colour. The two dorsal gland bars approach each other a bit in the shoulder area. The characteristic triangular temporal spot on both sides with the tympanic membrane in it is distinctly dark brown, as in all brown frogs. The transverse striation of the hind legs is also a characteristic of all brown frogs. The male's underpart is whitish-grey and mostly unspotted, while the female's is often yellow with a reddish marbling. The tip of the snout is bluntly bevelled and rounded in plan view, the pupil is elongated and horizontally aligned. The inner metatarsal tubercle on the sole of the foot appears small and soft in this species.

The forelegs of the males are much more strongly built than those of the females. This is due to the reproductive behaviour, as the animals have to hold on to the females' backs in an axillary clasp (amplexus), sometimes for days. At spawning time, the males sometimes appear slightly "flabby" due to accumulations of lymph fluid and may even appear slightly bluish (but not as intensely as moor frog males). They develop dark, rough rutting calluses on their respective inner fingers during this phase. In females, a so-called breeding tubercles of whitish "spots" on the flanks and hind legs can be observed at spawning time.

Habitat

Spawning waters include a wide range of standing or slow-flowing waters. However, shallower, sunlit still waters such as small ponds and pools (also garden ponds) are preferred, although they are rarely allowed to dry out, or also cattle watering places in grassland areas. Floodplain grasslands, for example from the floodplain swath, are particularly popular as spawning substrates. After laying their eggs, the animals usually leave the watercourse very quickly and go over to terrestrial life. Habitats now include grassland, fringe biotopes, bushes, water banks, forests, gardens, parks and moors. At night, the frogs hunt for insects (e.g. beetles and grasshoppers), isopods, worms, spiders and slugs, during the day they hide in damp places between vegetation or under stones or deadwood. Hibernation sometimes takes place at the bottom of water bodies (then often collectively), but mainly terrestrially in holes in the ground and similar frost-free shelters. Before that, in autumn, the animals have usually already migrated some distance towards the spawning water or even use it for hibernation in cold torpor - summer habitat and hibernation quarters are therefore not necessarily identical.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grasfrosch). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 29 June 2021

Description

The snout-vent length ranges from 10 to 16 cm; specimens over 10 cm are mostly females. The upperparts are mostly olive green or olive brown, in Central Europe barely grass green, with distinct dark spots. The green dorsal midline typical of water frogs is usually present. The inner sides of the thighs are white-grey and black marbled (yellow parts are usually absent); the paired vocal sacs of the males are dark grey. The body structure is similar to that of its relatives, the pool frog and the common water frog, but with different proportions. The hind legs or lower legs are very long in relation to the torso. The metatarsal tubercle is small and flat.

Habitat

The European green frog has a very close relationship to water bodies. Even juveniles only move a few m away from the water. European green frogs prefer larger, eutrophic water bodies in the floodplain area, such as lakes, oxbow lakes, flood channels, calm river sections, larger ponds and quarry ponds, sometimes also canals and wide ditches. A rich aquatic and riparian vegetation is advantageous, but there should be no shading by woody plants. There, the animals like to sit on the shoreline and sunbathe. In case of danger or disturbance, they immediately jump into the water. Unlike most other frogs, they overwinter mainly aquatically in the water sediment. The species is therefore dependent on oxygen-rich waters that rarely freeze over completely or for long periods.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seefrosch). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 29 June 2021

Description

The size of males ranges up to eight, females up to nine (ten) cm. While the basic color of the males is rather light gray, this is almost white in the females. Both are covered with green spots (more "washed out" in the male), which are missing only on the belly. On the flanks of the females are usually reddish warts. For the interpretation of the name "changeable toad" either the changing spot pattern is referred to or the ability of the animals to adapt their basic color from light to dark or vice versa depending on the environment. The pupils are horizontal and the iris is lemon-yellow to greenish. Like all Bufonidae, the species has ear glands (parotids) behind the eyes. There are many warts on the upperparts that are not very pronounced.

Habitat

As an eastern steppe species as well as a Mediterranean faunal element, the European green toad is well adapted to dryness and warmth. It prefers open, sun-exposed, dry-warm habitats with burrowable soils and sometimes lacking patchy grass and herbaceous vegetation. It is therefore found mainly in ruderal sites, in dry fallow land in fields, and in excavated areas. It sometimes moves very far away from open water. European green toads are mainly nocturnal. Spawning waters are shallow and poor in vegetation, for example in quarries. Temporary waters with mineral soil are preferred as spawning waters. The European green toad tolerates a slightly increased salinity of the spawning waters of more than ten per mille. Thus, the larvae are also able to develop in brackish ponds at the Baltic Sea. The ecological requirements of the species are similar to those of the natterjack toad, which has a more Atlantic or western distribution.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wechselkröte). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 29 June 2021

Description

European hamsters reach a snout-vent length of 20 to 34 cm, with a 4 to 6 cm long, almost hairless tail. The weight of adult animals varies between 200 and 650 g. Males are usually larger and heavier than females. The hamster is considered the most colourful European fur-bearing animal. The fur colouration is variable: the most common form is a yellow-brown upperpart and a dark, almost black underpart. There are several white patches on the flanks, on the cheek, in front of and behind the forelegs. The striking counter-colouration (back lighter than belly) is plausibly explained by the fact that a hamster, when it can no longer flee, rears up to defend itself: the black belly imitates the mouth of a larger predator with the four white paws as "fangs". The region around the snout and around the eyes is reddish brown in colour, the feet and the tip of the nose are again white. There are also melanistic (almost entirely black) and strikingly light-coloured field hamsters. The undercoat is uniformly grey. All hamster species have well-developed, expandable cheek pouches, which they sometimes use to carry up to five kg of grain into their burrow, even though they only need two kg of food to survive the winter. The feet are broad and have well-developed claws.

Habitat

They are typical ground dwellers and are found almost exclusively in loess and clay soil. 

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feldhamster). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 20 August 2021

Description

The most striking feature of the European hedgehog are the spines that cover the top of the head and the back. European hedgehogs have short limbs, with the hind limbs being slightly longer than the front limbs. Each foot ends in five toes, which are provided with claws. The second, third and fourth toes are approximately the same length, the first and fifth are smaller and also have smaller claws. The head of the European hedgehog has a long, mobile snout. The eyes are round and small, the ears are also small with a length of one cm and almost completely hidden in the fur.

Habitat

European hedgehogs prefer a richly structured field with a varied vegetation of hedges, bushes, ground covers, pastures, field margins with old grass or shrub thickets, small woody plants with dead wood and ruderal areas. They can also be found at the edges of deciduous forests. They avoid coniferous forests, treeless and shrubless agricultural areas and excessively wet habitats such as bogs. Bushes and hedges, but also hollow tree trunks and rock crevices serve them as resting places. Sometimes they also occupy abandoned burrows of other mammals. Today, European hedgehogs are mainly found in meadow orchards, near-natural gardens, parks and cemeteries, as well as in green settlements on the outskirts of towns and villages. They have been able to compensate for the loss of their original habitat - namely a richly structured field landscape - at least in part by increasingly entering the human settlement area as synanthropic species.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braunbrustigel). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 22 July 2021

Description

Kestrels show a pronounced sexual dimorphism in their plumage. The most striking distinguishing feature between male and female kestrels is the head colouration. Males have a gray head, while females are uniformly reddish brown in colour. Males also have small black and sometimes diamond-shaped spots on their reddish-brown backs. Their uppertail coverts, as well as the rear back and tail feathers are also light gray. The tail feathers has a distinct black terminal band with a white fringe. The underpart is pale cream and only very lightly mottled or streaked with brown. The underbelly and underwing coverts are nearly white.

The adult female is darkly cross-banded on the back. Unlike the male, the tail feathers are brown and also show several transverse stripes and a distinct terminal band. The underpart is also darker than on the male and shows heavier spotting. Juvenile birds are similar to females in their plumage. However, their wings appear rounder and shorter than adult kestrels. In addition, the tips of the primaries have lighter fringes. Ceroma and eye ring, which are yellow in adult birds, are light blue to greenish yellow in juveniles.

In both sexes, the tail is rounded as the outer tail feathers are shorter than the middle tail feathers. In adult birds, the wing tips reach the end of the tail. The legs are rich yellow, the talons black.

typical habitats of the European kestrel

The kestrel is an adaptable species that can be found in a variety of habitats. In general, kestrels avoid both dense closed forests and completely treeless steppes. In Central Europe, it is a common bird of the cultivated landscape, which can live wherever there are shrubs or forest edges. Basically, it needs open areas with low vegetation for hunting. Where trees are absent, it uses the poles of power lines as nesting sites. 

In addition to the presence of nesting opportunities, it is primarily the availability of prey that influences which habitats are occupied by the kestrel. If prey is sufficiently available, it shows great adaptation to different heights. 

synanthropic birds

The city presents dangers for the animals. Falcons regularly collide with cars or crash into windows. Young falcons can fall out of the nesting niche and are found weakened. Up to 50 animals are cared for annually in the two stations of the Berlin kestrel expert group.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turmfalke). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“licence. Status: 17 December 2021

Description

European polecats, or forest polecats, have a slender, elongated body with short limbs. The coat is dark brown or black, the yellowish undercoat shimmers through the outer hairs. The snout is whitish, as is the area behind the eyes and the tips of the ears. Black patches around and in front of the eyes provide a mask-like face pattern. The coat is the same colour in summer and winter, but the summer coat is much thinner.

Despite the name forest polecat, the polecat is not a distinct forest dweller; its habitat tends to be the open edges of forests, but also fields and meadows. It is often found near water bodies and wetlands. Sometimes it settles close to villages and on farms, where stables and barns are also part of its hunting ground.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europäischer_Iltis). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 02 September 2021

Description

Adult males, also called quail cocks, have an overall grey-brown colouration with a multitude of reddish-brown and black streaks. On the middle of the head as well as on the sides of the crest, the white shaft lines of the feathers form three longitudinal stripes. The sides of the head are dark dashed. A reddish band runs from the angle of the beak, enclosing the whitish throat at the side. This reddish band is in turn bordered by an indistinct creamy white band with a narrow brown edge. A brown stripe runs across the middle of the throat. The upper chest is cream coloured with small white longitudinal stripes, changing to white-grey in the lower chest area, which also extends over the belly.

The front dorsum has black horizontal stripes and spots, the white shaft stripes of the feathers give a longitudinal pattern. The wings are grey. Wing coverts and wing feathers have a transverse pattern of thin whitish stripes. The rump and upper tail are dark with a transverse pattern of broad black and narrow reddish and white stripes.

The females, also called quail hens, are very similar to the males. However, they are usually only a solid white-grey on the breast and fore-neck. The band bordering the throat only extends to the side of the throat.

Both the cocks and the hens have a small and curved beak. The size of the quail is about 15 to 20 cm, its weight about 90 to 110 grams. Adult birds moult part of their small feathers in March and April. The annual complete moult begins in the second half of June, but moulting times can vary greatly from individual to individual.

Young birds are coloured similarly to females, but their plumage is slightly duller. The chicks are pale yellowish beige on the underparts. The upperpart of the body is orange-beige with a dark forehead patch. Starting from the forehead patch, two parallel, dark parietal stripes extend to the nape of the neck. A blackish brown central stripe runs down the middle of the back to the tail. There are two dark stripes on each wing.

Due to their small size and predominantly grey plumage, quails cannot be confused with any other species in Central Europe.

The habitat of the quail are open fields and meadows with a high herb layer providing cover. It prefers areas with deep to somewhat moist soils. Typical breeding habitats are cereal fields, fallow land, alfalfa and clover fields. However, it also occurs in salt marshes with salt weed stands and in loamy wormwood steppes. At higher altitudes, it also inhabits meadows surrounded by forest.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wachtel_(Art)). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 14 December 2021

Description

The European robin is roundish in shape with long, thin legs. The orange-red throat, forehead and forechest are easy to recognise and allow easy identification. Feet and iris are dark brown, the beak is black-grey to brown-black. There are three to four beard bristles above each corner of the beak. The size is about 13.5 to 14 cm. The wingspan is 20 to 22 cm and the body weight is usually 15 to 18 grams.

Merkmale ??

The orange-red colouration of adult birds extends from the forehead and throat to the forechest and also includes the sides of the head and neck, the patch being most pronounced on the breast. On the forehead the orange colouration is less distinct and fringed with ash-grey. The upperparts are olive-brown, but in spring it turns greyish due to wear of the outer feather fringes. The white underparts are bordered by the light olive-brown sides of the body. While the uppertail coverts are yellowish brown, the undertail coverts are cream coloured. The tail feathers are dark brown with a yellow-grey outer vane fringe. Primary and greater coverts are large with rusty brown tips. The underwing coverts are greyish white to light brown in colour.

The European robin is native to riparian forests, deciduous, mixed and coniferous forests, provided the shrub layer is not too dense and there is a rich ground fauna. It can also be found in bushes, hedges and undergrowth. It often lives in an area close to water. The European robin prefers shady and relatively humid areas to dry and hot areas. In the mountains it can be found up to 2600 m altitude. Its habitat also includes parks, cemeteries, copses and gardens.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotkehlchen). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 17 November 2021

Description

With a body length of 20-22 cm, the song thrush is somewhat smaller than a blackbird and also appears more delicate and short-tailed. The wing length averages 80 mm. The average weight in winter is about 70 g, the minimum weight at the end of the breeding season is 60 g. If fat deposits have been built up at migration time, a song thrush can weight up to 90 g. The upper head is warm greyish-brown.

The top of the head is warm grey-brown, with a lighter over-eye stripe indicated, but usually only in the area of the forehead. The lore are dark brown and show a light speckling. The ear coverts are light brown. The nape, sides of the neck and front of the back are warm brown, the rest of the upperparts are greyish brown to olive brown. The chin and front throat are beige to cream, the front chest and flanks are overlaid with a yellowish brown colouration, which blends smoothly into the dull white of the rear chest and belly. The underparts are also patterned with blackish-brown spots, which are elongated and narrow on the chin and throat and become denser into a moustachial stripe. This is set off by an unpatterned, light-coloured edge towards the brown rein. Towards the belly the spots become larger as well as roundish fan-shaped and form implied rows. In spring they can look inverted V-shaped or heart-shaped. Towards the flanks they sometimes become lighter, on the underbelly more sparse. The rectrix and wing feathers are largely brown with a reddish brown, lighter outer plume. The three inner secondaries are often indistinctly light fringed. The greater and middle coverts bear a pale lace patch. The underwing coverts are rusty yellow and stand out clearly in flight from the otherwise rather greyish brown to grey underwing.

The eye is dark brown with a cream-coloured ring. The beak is blackish brown with yellowish underbeak branches. The feet are yellowish brown to brownish pink in adults and pinkish pearly in juveniles.

Sexual dimorphism is not pronounced. Only the average size of males is slightly bigger.

In juvenile plumage the upper side is warmer brown and shows an intense cinnamon yellow blotch on shoulders and back. The underpart is more yellowish than in adults, and the spotting on the underpart is less contrasting.

The song thrush can be confused with the mistle thrush, which is, however, one fifth larger, has a teardrop-shaped round, very coarse mottling on the underpart and is rather dull grey-brown above. The tail, which appears much longer, shows white tips on the outer feathers and the flight is wavy. The red-winged thrush is also similar, but smaller, showing strong fox-red flanks and the same underwing coverts in flight. In addition, the underpart is more streaky and the head pattern of light over-eye streak and light moustachial stripe is much more distinct.

The song thrush inhabits a variety of forest types, but shows a preference for conifers, much and dense undergrowth, shade and high humidity. Unlike other thrush species, it does not depend on forest edge habitats or open areas for foraging. It is particularly fond of spruce regrowth as a nesting site.

In the Alps and the low mountain ranges, it is particularly common in forests with spruce and silver fir. These can be pure coniferous forests, but also mixed forests with spruce interspersed and undergrowth. It is usually rarer in pure deciduous forests.

In the lowlands, it occurs in all types of forest except in beech woods without undergrowth and similar habitats. However, young spruce afforestations and moist, undergrowth-rich habitats such as riparian or moor forests are preferred. It also occurs here in smaller habitats such as juniper heaths, field copses, rows of poplars with undergrowth and the like. Since the beginning of the 20th century, it has also increasingly penetrated urban habitats such as garden settlements, parks or cemeteries.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singdrossel). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 14 December 2021

Description

The body length of males in Central Europe is up to nine cm, females grow up to twelve cm long. Most adult European toads weight between 30 and 50 g (males) and between 50 and 100 g (females). The relatively plump animals have a stocky body, covered with warty skin glands on the upperpart, with a broad, short-nosed rounded head. On the back of the head there are prominent, paired, bean-shaped glands (parotids), which contain skin toxins to ward off predators. The upperparts are usually grayish to reddish brown; males are sometimes blackish brown or even light clay-colored, while females are more red. Washed-out dark spots may also be present, primarily in males. The underparts are dirty white in both sexes, with gray-black speckling throughout. The pupils are horizontally elliptical in shape, and the iris appears coppery to reddish gold ("amber"). European toads have rather short hind legs and move forward striding on all fours, but also hopping when disturbed. Males can also be identified at mating time by the brown to black nuptial pads on each of their three inner fingers. They also have stronger front legs, a flatter head, and remain smaller on average than females. Male European toads, unlike European green toads or natterjack toads, for example, do not possess vocal sacs.

Habitat

The European toad is a cold-blooded animal that is generally active at dusk. During the day, the animals rest under stones, crumbled walls, dead wood, foliage, shrubbery, or in burrows they have dug themselves. As terrestrial habitats, they colonize a wide spectrum of biotopes, ranging from forests to semi-open landscapes of meadows, pastures, and hedgerows to semi-natural gardens. Herb-rich forests (especially deciduous and mixed forests) without complete tree canopy closure are particularly preferred; settlement density is somewhat lower in closed upland forests. Floodplains are also not completely avoided, but are less favorable. Compared to other amphibian species, the European toad also occurs more frequently in alternately wet to dry forests. Orchard meadows and park-like landscapes are particularly popular because of the varied structures. The species is also found in drier habitats (e.g. vineyards, sand pits), but avoids very dry warm places.

Its occurrence in residential areas, parks, gardens, allotments, backyards, damp cellars, ruins and cemeteries justifies the designation "synanthropic species". Even in the midst of small towns, European toads can sometimes be found. Unsuitable habitats are, above all, intensively used farmland without field copses, vineyards that have been cleared of vegetation, and large-scale coniferous monocultures. The species also cannot exist where spawning waters are lacking over large areas.

Medium-sized to larger ponds, pools and lakes are mainly used as breeding waters. Still waters in or near the forest are colonized with great consistency. However, shallow and silting small water bodies are avoided by the European toad; a sufficiently large free body of water is a prerequisite for use as spawning habitat. The water depth should not be less than 50 cm; a weak flow is tolerated. Because of the inedibility of the larvae, the European Toad, unlike other amphibians, also spawns successfully in fish ponds.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erdkröte). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 25 June 2021

Description

The European wall lizard reaches a total length of 25 cm. It is slender and often appears relatively flattened in the dorsal region due to its body length. The collar is usually smooth-edged, and the dorsal scales are slightly keeled. The tail can reach twice the snout-vent length. Dorsal coloration is light to medium brown or gray, sometimes greenish. An irregular blackish mottling, sometimes forming a reticulated pattern, is conspicuous. The underparts are very variably colored, ranging from whitish to yellowish to red and from unspotted to heavily spotted or spotted. Depending on their origin, the animals can vary greatly in body coloration and pattern of markings, making them sometimes difficult to identify.

Habitat

The European wall lizard inhabits a wide range of biotopes. Preferably, the animals are found on areas exposed to the southeast or southwest. In these biotopes there is an optimal utilization of the morning and afternoon sun, respectively.

The lizards that live in the cavities of the walls use this shelter both for protection against the cold at night and for protection against the extremely high temperatures during the midday heat in midsummer. In general, rocks and walls with evenly distributed open joints and crevices are favorable. On the one hand, the animals prefer wall surfaces with a variety of vegetation, which attract abundant insects, and on the other hand, they prefer unvegetated areas to bask in the sun. Low wall vegetation can be compensated by adjacent natural vegetation at the base of the wall. An influence of the wall height on the colonization by the lizards is not known. European wall lizards living at castle ruins in principle use the entire wall surface. The same applies to the colonization of rock walls and scree surfaces. As a typical synanthropic species, the European wall lizard can also be found in vineyards, on railroad and road embankments, and on buildings in settlements and cities. Occasionally, the species also occurs on open, vertical rock surfaces of quarries.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauereidechse). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 26 May 2021

Description

The fallow deer is significantly larger than the roe deer, but smaller and above all lighter than a red deer. The European subspecies has a snout-vent length of 120 to 140 cm, a scut (tail) about 20 cm long and a shoulder height of 80 to 100 cm. The weight of males usually varies between 53 and 90 kg, very heavy males can reach a weight of 110 kg in exceptional cases. 

The colouration of the coat is seasonally and individually very variable. In normally coloured individuals, the summer coat is light rusty brown with conspicuous white patches. These rows of spots start almost at the rear edge of the thighs and extend over the sides of the rump and the back to the base of the neck. A dark dorsal stripe runs down the middle of the back, which in the European fallow deer continues to the tip of the tail. The dorsal stripe is bordered on both sides by a white spotted line on the back. A conspicuous horizontal, light-coloured line runs down the middle of the side of the body. The underparts of the belly and the legs are pale and self-coloured, the neck is self-coloured pale rusty brown. The so-called mirror (bright spot around the anus) is bordered by a black rim, so that with the dark tail a vivid pattern of the rear part is created. In winter, the fallow deer is brown-grey on the head, neck and ears, blackish on the back and sides, and ash-grey on the underpart. The spotting is then only vaguely visible.

The fallow deer prefers sparse forests with extensive meadows, but is generally very adaptable, so that it can be found in almost all regions of Europe. Ideal fallow deer territories have a dense mosaic of woodlands and fields, with the forest predominantly composed of deciduous trees. The soil is rich in nutrients and produces lush shrub vegetation. The proportion of forest in the respective habitat does not have to be very large, because fallow deer need the forest primarily as cover, but not as a food source.

In Austria, fallow deer are almost exclusively found in enclosures, but can be encountered sporadically.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damhirsch). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 23 September 2021

Description

The field vole is slightly larger on average than the very similar field mouse and the coat is slightly darker, looser and longer haired. The snout-vent length is 95-133 mm, the tail length 26-47 mm, the length of the hind foot 16-19 mm and the ear length 11-14 mm. The animals weight 20-47 g, rarely up to 55 g. The fur is dark brown on top, occasionally reddish brown. The underpart is whitish, occasionally with a yellowish tinge.

Habitat

The field vole prefers relatively damp and cool habitats, in Central Europe above all sparse forests, clearings, grassy meadows and wet meadows, and of all the small mammals of Central Europe it enters upland moors the furthest. It occurs in the Alps up to 1800 m altitude.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erdmaus). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 20 August 2021

Description

The nocturnal forest dormouse is easily recognised by its black face mask. On a light brown to grey background, it extends from the eyes to the front edge of the ears. Another clear distinguishing feature of the species is the unicoloured bushy tail, which is slightly greyer than the back.

Forest dormice are small dormice with medium-sized eyes and ears and a bushy tail. The snout-vent length is 80-113 mm, the tail length 73-119 mm, the length of the hind feet 19-24 mm and the ear length 10-15 mm. The animals weight 15-60 g. The coat colour on the upperparts ranges from reddish brown to yellowish brown to grey, the underpart is sharply contrasting greyish yellow. The tail, which is about the length of the body, is plain grey and only occasionally has a white tip. Fur length increases on the tail from the base to the tip. All feet have six sole pads.

Habitat

The forest dormouse lives exclusively in forests. In its large range, which extends far into Asia, a variety of forest types are colonised. Only dry pine forests with little undergrowth are avoided (Schedl 1968). In the Eastern Alps, the forest dormouse has been found in damp spruce and spruce-beech forests rich in undergrowth (Spitzenberger 2001).

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baumschläfer). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 19 August 2021

Description

The Geoffroy's bat is a medium-sized species and reaches a snout-vent length of about 41 to 53 mm with a wingspan of 22 to 24.5 cm and a weight of 7 to 15 g. The tail reaches a length of 38 to 46 mm. The tail reaches a length of 38 to 46 mm. The long and woolly dorsal fur is tricoloured with a grey base, straw-yellow centre and rust-brown to foxy-red tips. The ventral side is yellowish-grey and the snout is reddish-brown. Juveniles of the Geoffroy's bat are distinctly darker in colour than adults and have a smoky grey to brown-grey dorsal coat. The ears of the species are dark grey-brown and medium-sized, with an almost right-angled indentation on the outer edge of the upper third and six to seven pronounced transverse folds. The outer side is covered with numerous conspicuous papillae. The tragus is lanceolate and notched on the outer margin, almost reaching the indentation of the outer margin in height.

The patagium is also greyish-brown in colour. The forearm is 36 to 41 mm long and the wings are relatively broad. The hand flight skin (plagiopatagium) attaches to the toe root of the relatively small feet. The tail flight skin (uropatagium) has a straight calcar that reaches about half the length of the uropatagium. The bat got its name from sparse fine hairs on the dorsal side of the uropatagium, which overhang the free edge of the uropatagium.

Habitat

Summer habitats are often very bright compared to those of other species, in attics they prefer temperatures between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius and hang freely from roof battens or the ridge. 

They hunt their prey in flight like other bats, but also prey on caterpillars. The flight out to hunt begins about 40 to 45 minutes after sunset. The hunting grounds are usually close to the hunting grounds at about 500 m, and are reached via flight paths along hedges or paths. The bat hunts close to the ground at a height of one to five m and over water surfaces at a height of about two m. In the area of hedges and vegetation edges it flies slowly and collects prey, otherwise it is an agile flyer. In addition, Geoffroy's bats also like to hunt in livestock sheds, where they collect insects and spiders from walls and ceilings in pendulum flight.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wimperfledermaus). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 18 August 2021

Description

The European gopher achieves a length of 18 to 23 cm without the tail. With the relatively long and densely furred tail, it adds another 5.5 to 7.5 cm. It weighs 200 to 430 g, depending on the season. The legs are relatively short. The yellow-grey fur on top is covered with white-yellow spots, these spots are missing on the sides of the body. Towards the more yellowish belly side the coat lightens slightly. The forehead and crown are shaded slightly darker than the back. The dark eyes are framed by a lighter ring.

Habitat

The gopher mostly lives in steppe areas and grasslands in north-eastern Austria.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europäischer_Ziesel). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence: 19 August 2021

Description

The great spotted woodpecker is about 23 cm tall. Its wingspan is between 34 and 39 cm. It weighs between 60 and 90 grams. Its plumage is black on top with two large white wing spots and yellowish-grey underneath. The undertail coverts are a vivid red. Only the male has a red nape patch and juveniles have a red crest. The cheeks are white, the part above the beak rather grey. There are black stripes on the sides of the neck.

Great spotted woodpeckers have pointed, curved talons on their climbing feet, which they use to hold on to the bark. Two talons point forwards and two point backwards. Their skin is unusually thick, which protects them from insect bites. A flexible, joint-like connection between the broad base of the beak and the skull absorbs the vibrations that occur when carving the woodpecker's cavity. The upright and stable posture on the tree is supported by strong muscles that control the supporting tail feathers. To prevent inhalation of the resulting wood flour, the nostrils of the great spotted woodpecker are covered with fine feathers.

Visually similar and therefore easily confused with the great spotted woodpecker in Central Europe are the middle spotted woodpecker, the lesser spotted woodpecker, the white-backed woodpecker and the syrian woodpecker, but all of them occur much less frequently in Austria.

The great spotted woodpecker is the least specialized native woodpecker species and therefore the most common. It can be found in both deciduous and coniferous forests, but also in parks and in cultivated landscapes, provided there are avenues, shelterbelts or small groups of trees. Mixed oak and beech forests with a lot of old and dead wood are optimal habitats for it. Monotonous pure spruce stands have only low woodpecker abundance.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buntspecht). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“licence.  licence. Status: 17 December 2021