Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - I. Physical Geography. Introd. by [G. Sundbärg] Gunnar Andersson - 6. Fauna. By [T. Tullberg] N. von Hofsten
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FAUNA.
79
of G-ötaland. Here chiefly is the habitat of the common fox. To the
same tract belong- the badger (Meles meles) and the common hedgehog
(Erinaceus europaeus); while the roedeer or roebuck (■Capreolus capreolus)
is found in the southern parts of this district, as far as Västergötland and
Östergötland. As belonging principally to the level country, we may
mention amongst the birds: the common partridge (Perdix perdix), the
kestrel (Cerchneis tinnunculus), the hobby (Falco subbuteo), the
long-eared owl (Asia otus), the tawny or brown owl (Syrnium aluco), the green
woodpecker (Ficus viridis), the skylark (Alauda arvcnsis), the nut-hatch
(Sitta europaea), the jackdaw (Coloeus inonedula), the goldfinch (Cardueiis
carduelis), the linnet (A can this cannabina), the whinchat (Pralincola
ru-betra), together with the stock-dove (Columba ornäs) and the ring-dove
(Columba palumbus), both of which latter, however, are met with pretty
far in the forests, the ring-dove being found even up in Jämtland. The
landrail or corn-crake (Crex crex) is also chiefly distributed within this
region, and the same is the case with several ducks, especially the wild
duck. Together with this last bird, we find in the lakes of this district
the coot (Fulica atra) and the great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus).
In the most southern tracts of what has here been called the level
country, viz. in Skåne and the neighbouring provinces, there occur, besides the
majority of the species above enumerated, a number of other species which,
on their way to the north, have been compelled by climatic conditions to
remain in these tracts. This is the case with the common stag or red deer
(Cervus elaphus) and the fallow deer (Cervus dama) — which, however,
was not originally found wild in Sweden — the polecat (Putorius putorius),
the common molé (Talpa europaea), a number of bats; and among the birds,
the common stork (Ciconia ciconia), the common heron (Arclea finerea),
the rook (Corvus frugilegus), the crested lark (Galerida crislata), the
common bunting (Emberiza calandra), and the nightingale (Aedon luscinia).
The mute swan (Cygnus olor), too, has its chief habitat in the
southernmost parts of the country, but is also found fairly
numerously in Uppland. As we have previously mentioned, the greater
number of the batrachians of Sweden also belong to the most southern part of
the country.
The animal life of Skåne, however, was widely different in former days
from what it is now. Thus, in the peat-mosses there have been foiind the
bones of the wild reindeer as well as of the elk and the beaver, both of
which long ago wandered further north, and the latter of which now is
quite exterminated in Sweden. In the same districts there have also
been found bones of the wild boar and of two great species of wild bulls:
the aurochs (Bos taurus prirnigenius) and the bison (Bison bonasus). The
aurochs has long been extinct, but the bison still lives in Lithuania and
on the slopes of the Caucasus. In the peat-mosses of Skåne, bones of the
fresh-water tortoise (Emys orbicularis) have been met with; but this
animal is no longer to be found there.
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