Mixed UK Animals Trivia Quiz

Answer: European otter

"Tarka the Otter" was published in 1927 and was a tale of a river otter, born the River Torridge in North Devon.

The book "Ring of Bright Water", although about an otter and it's owner, was a short-haired otter that was brought back from Iraq by the book's author, Gavin Maxwell.

Although the European otter (Lutra lutra) that are found UK were under threat from hunting and pollution, their numbers are climbing once more and they are beginning to spread back through the rivers systems in many areas. In Scotland, a large number of otters can be found in the Shetland Islands.

Answer: European badger

In June of 2013, two pilot schemes began to cull badgers in an attempt to stop the spread of bovine tuberculosis, drawing much opposition from animal welfare groups. The controversial plan has sparked much debate as to its effectiveness since other animals such as dogs, cats, horses and goats can spread the disease amongst cattle.

The common European badger (Meles meles meles) found in the UK is a wide spread across Europe up to the Arctic Circle, and is the UK's largest carnivore, although it will eat vegetation such as root tubers.

Badgers live in communal underground burrows they sometimes share with the likes of foxes and rabbits, and are mainly nocturnal animals. Badgers are also very fussy about the cleanliness of their burrows, often bringing in fresh bedding and defecating in special latrines dotted around their territory.

Answer: Hazel dormouse

Not to be confused with the edible dormouse (Glis Glis), the hazel, or common dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) is a separate subspecies and is restricted mainly to southern England and the whole of Wales, as well as a small enclave in the northwest of England. It is more wide spread throughout Europe from France in the west, through to Germany, central Europe and northern Turkey.

An arboreal mammal, the hazel dormouse eats mainly fruits and nuts found in woodland and tall hedges. The food is used to fatten up before going into hibernation over the winter and early spring.

Even though the hazel dormouse is relatively secure in Europe as a species, it has protected status in the UK where it under threat because of the disappearance and pruning of hedgerows from farms, and the loss of habitat such as woodlands.

Answer: bats

There are 18 species of bats that live and breed in the UK. These include the rare Bechstein's bat, and the common pipistrelle. The greater mouse-eared bat, which although facing extinction, is sometimes found in isolation. This suggests some are migrating from Europe or a colony still survives in the UK.

Due to the rarity of some species of bats, they are a protected species in the UK, given special status making it a criminal offence to harm them. In addition, given that bats frequently roost in man-made building and structures, certain planning rules are in place to protect these bat roosts.

Answer: Red deer

Along with the roe deer, the red deer (Cervus elaphus) is a native deer species that has survived in the UK since the last Ice Age. The largest of the deer family residing in the UK, the red deer is quite common in Scotland where due to lack of predation, it is on the verge of becoming a pest.

Both the Romans and the Normans introduced fallow deer into the UK.
Sika deer are a species of deer from east Asia that have established themselves in isolated colonies having escaped from private collections.
Reeve's Muntjac deer also having escaped from private collections - or have been released - are spreading rapidly though the southern half of the UK.

Answer: Scotland

Now only found living in the wild in Scotland, the Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia) is a subspecies of the also critically endangered European wildcat species.

A fearless and resourceful animal the Scottish wildcat is bigger than a normal house cat and look similar to a domestic tabby cat in colouration.

Restricted to the Scottish Highlands, the Scottish wildcat has evolved into taking advantage of wide range of hunting habitats, from woodland to open farmland, where it has come into conflict with farmers breeding sheep.

Another threat to the Scottish wildcat comes from interbreeding with domestic cats, thus creating a feral hybrid of the two species. As such, conservation plans are in place to breed captive Scottish wildcats for release into the wild, as well as the trapping and neutering of feral cats.

Answer: Red squirrel

Now mainly confined to Scotland, the Isle of Wight and Brownsea Island, the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) went into decline with the introduction of the larger grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) from North America.

Facing competition for food, disease spread by the grey squirrel and loss of habitat, the red squirrel populations have declined. There are attempts to reintroduce, as well as maintain populations of the red squirrel by eradicating the grey squirrel in such places as the Isle of Anglesey in north Wales.


The red squirrel -and its subspecies - are found throughout Europe and northern Asia.

Chipmunks - although not a native species - have been found in a couple of locations in the UK, having escaped from homes.

The black squirrel is a genetic mutation of the grey squirrel.

Answer: American mink

Initial brought in for commercial fur farms, the American mink (Neovison vison) it has invaded parts of Devon and other parts of the UK and Ireland, either through escape or release - sometimes by animal activists unaware of the devastation mink can cause.

Since their release into the wild, mink have had a large impact on native aquatic species, including water voles, ground nesting birds and fish. As such, there is an estimated population of around 100,000 mink in the UK.

Mink however are themselves are possibly coming under threat due to the return of the European otter to many of the UK's waterways, competing for the same food as mink.

Answer: Common (or harbour) seal

The common seal or harbour seal (Phoca vitulina vitulina) is mainly found the coast of the UK and Western Europe, inhabiting both rocky and sandy coastline around the UK, as well as being spotted in some large rivers.

The grey seal (Halichoerus grypus grypus) is a North Atlantic seal also seen around the coast of the UK - with the exception of the south of England - and is larger than the common seal.

Answer: The Eurasian beaver

Although receiving mixed reception, attempts are being made to re-introduce Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber) into the wild in the UK as a way to manage wetlands. Expansion of these schemes is also possible in the future.

At one time, beavers were quite common in the UK, but a combination of hunting for food, fur and medicinal purposes saw their extinction in the 16th century.