Great Britain

===Fauna===
{{Main|Fauna of Great Britain}}
[[File:Robin, Leighton Moss January 2009.jpg|right|thumb|alt=European robin on a branch facing left, tan plumage with orange face and throat|The [[European robin|robin]] is popularly known as "Britain's favourite bird".<ref>{{cite web|title=The Robin – Britain's Favourite Bird|url=http://www.britishbirdlovers.co.uk/articles/the-robin-britains-favourite-bird.html|publisher=BritishBirdLovers.co.uk|access-date=15 August 2011}}</ref>]]
Animal [[Biodiversity|diversity]] is modest, as a result of factors including the island's small land area, the relatively recent age of the habitats developed since the [[last glacial period]] and the island's physical separation from [[continental Europe]], and the effects of seasonal variability.<ref>{{cite web|title=Decaying Wood: An Overview of Its Status and Ecology in the United Kingdom and Europe|url=http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/documents/gtr-181/004_Butler.pdf|publisher=FS.fed.us|access-date=15 August 2011}} Retrieved on 1 February 2009.</ref> Great Britain also experienced early [[industrialisation]] and is subject to continuing [[urbanisation]], which have contributed towards the overall loss of species.<ref name="animals">{{cite web|title=A Short History of the British Mammal Fauna |url=http://www.abdn.ac.uk/mammal/history.shtml |publisher=ABDN.ac.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060211110344/http://www.abdn.ac.uk/mammal/history.shtml |archive-date=11 February 2006 |url-status=dead }} Retrieved on 1 February 2009.</ref> A [[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs|DEFRA]] (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) study from 2006 suggested that 100 species have become extinct in the UK during the 20th century, about 100 times the [[background extinction rate]].<!--<ref>[[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs|DEFRA]], 2006</ref> False reference.--> However, some species, such as the [[brown rat]], [[red fox]], and introduced [[eastern gray squirrel|grey squirrel]], are well adapted to urban areas.

[[Rodents]] make up 40% of the [[List of mammals of Great Britain|mammal species]].{{Citation needed|reason=data source?|date=January 2017}} These include [[squirrel]]s, [[mice]], [[vole]]s, [[rat]]s and the recently reintroduced [[European beaver]].<ref name="animals" /> There is also an abundance of [[European rabbit]], [[European hare]], [[shrews]], [[European mole]] and several species of [[bat]].<ref name="animals" /> Carnivorous mammals include the [[red fox]], [[Eurasian badger]], [[Eurasian otter]], [[weasel]], [[stoat]] and elusive [[Scottish wildcat]].<ref name="else">Else, ''Great Britain'', 85.</ref> Various species of [[pinniped|seal]], [[whale]] and [[dolphin]] are found on or around British shores and coastlines. The largest land-based wild animals today are [[deer]]. The [[red deer]] is the largest species, with [[roe deer]] and [[fallow deer]] also prominent; the latter was introduced by the [[Normans]].<ref name="else" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/archaeology/research/plants_fallow.php |title=The Fallow Deer Project, University of Nottingham |publisher=Nottingham.ac.uk |access-date=24 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080315225356/http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/archaeology/research/plants_fallow.php |archive-date=15 March 2008 }}</ref> [[Sika deer]] and two more species of smaller deer, [[muntjac]] and [[Chinese water deer]], have been introduced, muntjac becoming widespread in England and parts of Wales while Chinese water deer are restricted mainly to East Anglia. Habitat loss has affected many species. [[List of extinct animals of Britain|Extinct large mammals]] include the [[brown bear]], [[grey wolf]] and [[wild boar]]; the latter has had a limited reintroduction in recent times.<ref name="animals" />

There is a wealth of [[List of birds of Great Britain|birdlife]], with 628 species recorded,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=McInerny |first1=Christopher |title=The British List: A Checklist of Birds of Britain (10th edition) |journal=Ibis |year=2022 |volume=164 |issue=3 |pages=860–910 |publisher=British Ornithologist's Union|doi=10.1111/ibi.13065 |doi-access=free }}</ref> of which 258 breed on the island or remain during winter.<ref>{{cite web|title= Birds of Britain|date= 16 July 2010 |url= http://www.bto.org/birdfacts/ |publisher=BTO.org}} Retrieved on 16 February 2009.</ref> Because of its mild winters for its latitude, Great Britain hosts important numbers of many wintering species, particularly [[wader]]s, [[duck]]s, [[goose|geese]] and [[swan]]s.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Balmer |first1=Dawn |title=Bird Atlas 2007-2011: The Breeding and Wintering Birds of Britain and Ireland. |date=2013 |publisher=BTO Books |location=Thetford}}</ref> Other well known bird species include the [[golden eagle]], [[grey heron]], [[common kingfisher]], [[common wood pigeon]], [[house sparrow]], [[European robin]], [[grey partridge]], and various species of [[crow]], [[finch]], [[gull]], [[auk]], [[grouse]], [[owl]] and [[falcon]].<ref name="birds">{{cite web|title=Birds |url=http://www.naturegrid.org.uk/biodiversity/birdindex.html |publisher=NatureGrid.org.uk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090630083140/http://www.naturegrid.org.uk/biodiversity/birdindex.html |archive-date=30 June 2009 }} Retrieved on 16 February 2009.</ref> There are six species of [[List of reptiles of Great Britain|reptile]] on the island; three [[snakes]] and three [[lizards]] including the legless [[slowworm]]. One snake, the [[Vipera berus|adder]], is venomous but rarely deadly.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Adder's Byte|url=http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/the1.htm|publisher=CountySideInfo.co.uk}} Retrieved on 1 February 2009.</ref> [[List of amphibians of Great Britain|Amphibians]] present are [[common frog|frogs]], [[common toad|toads]] and [[Smooth newt|newts]].<ref name="animals" /> There are also several introduced species of reptile and amphibian.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/identification.asp|title = Species Identification|website = Reptiles & Amphibians of the UK}}</ref>