Childrens Illustrated Animal Atlas

British IslesThe British Isles are made up of the United Kingdom—which includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland—and the Republic

of Ireland. Although wolves and bears once lived here, today the largest wild mammal is a deer.

Red squirrels can be right- or left-handed— you can tell by the way they handle a pinecone.

Red squirrel

The European hedgehog has around

5,000 spines in its coat.

N

S

E

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LocationThis group of islands is found off the northwest coast of mainland Europe. The weather is often wet and windy, but summers can also be very warm.

HABITAT KEYWetlandsMountains

Coniferous forestsDeciduous forests

SCALE

50 kilometers

0 0

50 miles

European badgerThe badger likes to live in groups. Six or more share a system of underground tunnels called a sett, which they dig out with powerful claws. One badger can eat

hundreds of earthworms in a single night!

European hedgehogIf threatened, this hedgehog curls up into a ball. Although it is known for eating earthworms and slugs, it actually prefers insects—even wasps and bees.

Cold British waters don’t bother this marine mammal. It has a 2½ in (6 cm) layer of fat under its skin, called blubber, to keep it warm.

Gray seal

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Scotland
Northern
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Edinburgh
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LAKE DISTRICT
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This wildcat looks like a big domestic cat, but it’s really a fierce, strong predator with 18 razor-sharp claws!
Scottish wildcat
Shore crabs must shed their old shells as they grow because once it hardens, the shell can’t get any bigger.
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