England's wildlife is abundant and lovely, making this one of my most surprising blogs.
Britain's wildlife isn't the first thing that comes to mind, like other European countries.
Red deer are a native species having migrated to Britain from Europe 11,000 years ago. They were used extensively by Mesolithic man as a source of food, skins, and tools (bones and antlers).
Red deer are a distinctive rusty red colour in summer turning to a brown winter coat. Adults are not spotted. They have a short tail and a pale rump patch with no particular distinguishing features.
The grey seal is the larger of the two UK seal species, and if you catch a good look at them you’ll see how they got their scientific name Halichoerus grypus – it means hook-nosed sea pig!
Hedgehogs are small mammals with porcupine-like quills, short legs, and cone-shaped faces. Porcupines and hedgehogs are unrelated despite their resemblance.
Most hedgehogs can fit into an adult’s hand. They range in size from 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 centimeters). They typically weigh from 5 to 56 ounces (155 to 1,584 grams), depending on the species.