Spanish Fauna Trivia Quiz

Answer: Rabbits

The Iberian lynx has the distinctive ear tufts and whiskers, resembling a beard, shared by members of the lynx family. It is only about half the size of the Eurasian lynx and has a shorter tail.

At the beginning of the twenty-first century the Iberian lynx was close to extinction with under one hundred animals left in the wild. The causes were the usual culprit of habitat loss but also a reduction of the number of rabbits, the cats' main food source, available for hunting due to various diseases such as myxomatosis. Since this low point, efforts have been made to protect the existing animals and introduce new ones bred in captivity. The status of the Iberian lynx was downgraded to 'endangered' in 2015 - still serious but an improvement thanks to human intervention.

Answer: Tenerife

This pretty little bird is found only on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Morocco. The one in the picture is male, of course. Like most birds, the female's colouring is much more subdued being a greyish-brown.

The scientific name is Fringilla teydea and it is commonly called the Tenerife blue chaffinch. It is one of the symbols of the island.

Answer: Broom

The broom hare isn't likely to help you with your cleaning. The name relates to its preference for heathland where shrubs such as broom and gorse grow. Broom hares are found in only one region of Spain, the northern Cantabrian Mountains. It is classed as vulnerable, not helped by being a favourite target for hunters.

Prior to 1976, the broom hare was not considered a separate species and was classed as being the same as the Granada hare. It is a nocturnal animal and little is known about its feeding or breeding processes other than that they are likely to be similar to those of the Granada hare.

Answer: Goat

If I'd given you the scientific name, Capra pyrenaica, you'd have probably got the answer straight away as Capra is the genus of goats. Also known as the Iberian wild goat and Spanish ibex, this goat has short legs and hooves which allow it to jump around on rocky hills and evade predators.

Only two sub species still exist in the first quarter of the twenty-first century as the Portuguese ibex and the Pyrenean ibex are now extinct. Ibexes can be found primarily in southern regions of Spain in mountainous and forested regions.

Answer: Mink

This is the European mink, Mustela lutreola, sadly considered critically endangered at the time of writing (2023). It was once found all over Europe but is now restricted to a handful of places including Romania, Ukraine, northern Spain and across the border into southwest France.

As well as the usual culprits of habitat loss and over hunting, the bigger and invasive American mink has led to the dramatic reduction in European mink numbers. Conservation efforts are being made by introducing animals bred in captivity into the existing stocks.

Answer: Magpie

Cyanopica cooki is the scientific name for the Iberian magpie reflecting the beautiful blue colours on the birds' wings and tail. The body is a sandy colour and the bird has a solid black cap. They tend to form large flocks, especially for feeding - groups of up to seventy have been observed.

The birds are distributed all over Spain and Portugal with some sightings in southern France and even in Italy. Like most of the crow family, these are noisy birds. Their numbers are increasing and it is classed as being of least concern as far as conservation is concerned.

Answer: Pyrenees

Chamois are usually described as goat-antelopes as they have characteristics of both animals. The Pyrenean chamois is the larger of the two common breeds and has a darker coat. The Cantabrian chamois is smaller, lighter and has shorter horns. This species lives in the Cantabrian Mountains, also in northern Spain

The Pyrenean chamois, as you'd expect, is found in the Pyrenees but also in the Cantabrians and in Italy in the Apennines. As its hide is used to make the soft material known as chamois leather, the breed came close to extinction in the 1940s but has recovered since to a healthy level. It is considered to be least concern in the first quarter of the twenty-first century.

Answer: Africa

The common genet was introduced to Spain from Africa - one of its native strongholds is the north African coast bordering the Mediterranean Sea which places it close to the Iberian Peninsula geographically. It was probably brought in to help control vermin. It is a member of the viverrid family making it a relative of civets, hyenas and mongooses.

The genet has made itself at home in Europe and is found in France, Andorra and Portugal as well as in Spain. They are nocturnal, though, so spotting them isn't easy. Although the numbers aren't known, especially in Europe, the common genet is considered not to be at risk, classed as least concern.

Answer: Bearded vulture

The German name of lammergeier means 'lamb vulture' due to the, mistaken, belief that they took new born lambs as prey. Spain is one of the few places where these birds live, in the Pyrenees. The Spanish name is quebrantahuesos, meaning 'bone-crusher', as the birds drop large bones on rocks to break them open and obtain the marrow. Their strong stomach acid enables them to digest smaller bones completely.

The common name of bearded vulture is due to the feathers of the throat which make the bird look as if it is sporting an impressive beard. There are believed to be around two hundred pairs in Spain, Andorra and France according to a June 2023 article in 'The Guardian' newspaper.

Answer: North west

There are around 2,000 to 3,000 Iberian wolves living in the north west of Spain and parts of northern Portugal in the first quarter of the twenty-first century. They are a subspecies of the grey wolf and are considered vulnerable. They feed on wild boar, which has the bonus of helping the local capercaillie population which is vulnerable to boar attacks. Other prey includes rabbits, deer and ibexes.

Although hunting is banned in Portugal, parts of northern Spain still allows this, although only by permit. Around 350 packs are believed to exist across the peninsula and some deaths are due to the fights over territory which is part of the wolf's natural instincts.