Animal Life

In England there are only about 50 species of land mammals. Many of these have differentiated into subspecies which are different from those on the continent.

Several species such as the bear, the wolf and the beaver were exterminated in historic times, but others such as the fallow-deer, rabbit and rat were introduced by man. The birds are much more numerous than the mammals and there is one species peculiar to Britain – the red grouse. There are many migrant species which only visit the country.

Although the increasing human population has destroyed many of the former breeding places of some birds, the bird fauna is still numerous because of the many varied habitats available.

There are few kinds of reptiles but they are nearly all plentiful where conditions suit them.

Sea fish and fresh water fish are numerous.

The most fundamental division in the geography of Britain is that between highland and lowland. The division is manifest in geology and climate, in vegetation and mineral resources, in industry and agriculture.

In England the lowland predominates. In lowland areas the population density is very high and presents a major contrast to the lightly populated, largerly uncultivated highlands of western and northern Britain.

Within its bounds England contains, however, three major portions of highland Britain: Cumbria in the north-west, the Pennine upland of the north centre and the south-west peninsula.Lowland England is subdivided into the Midland plains and scarplands.

England possesses a richness and variety of landscape rarely equalled in an area of similar size.