European Animals Germany and Greece

Wildlife of Germany

The European country of Germany is known for its forests, the Alps, and the two major rivers, the Danube and the Rhine. On the north, it is bordered by Denmark, on the south by Switzerland and Austria, on the east by Poland and the Czech Republic, on the southwest by France, and on the west with Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

Official National Animal

It is an emblematic eagle known as the German Imperial Eagle. It is on the German Coat of Arms.

Native Animals

Eurasian lynx are among the rarest animals in Germany. They make their homes in mountain ranges.

Red squirrels are a species of tree squirrels that are native to Europe and Asia.

Alpine marmots are a large species of ground-dwelling squirrel living in the mountains of Central and South Europe.

European badgers are a species of badgers native to Europe.

European pine martens are also known as sweet martens and are a species of mustelid native to North Europe. They make their homes in dense forests.

Chamoises are native to the mountains of Europe like the Alps, Apennines, and the Cantabrian Mountains.

Red foxes are the largest species of true foxes in the world.

Alpine ibexes are a species of wild goats native to the Alps.

Red deer are the most common animals in Germany. 

European wildcats are a small species of wildcats native to Europe, Turkey, the Caucasus, and Scotland.

Wild boars are also referred to as wild pigs and are a species of mammals native to most of Eurasia and North Africa. 

Birds

White-tailed eagles are a very large species of sea eagles native to Eurasia.

Great bustards are a species of birds native to Central and South Europe, Morocco, and Eastern Asia.

Boreal owls are a species of small owls native to Europe and North America. 

Carrion crows are a species of passerine birds native to Western Europe.

Wildlife of Greece

The southern European country of Greece has a mixed topography. The country includes snow mountains, subtropical forests, rocky and sandy coasts, wetlands, and grassland. Greece has its mainland and over 3,000 islands.

Official National Animal

Common dolphin

The national bird is not quite official but is considered to be the little owl. This bird has been used throughout the history of Greece on coins, in art, and in literature. The little owl symbolizes wisdom and knowledge. A Greek coin that dates from 500 BC has a little owl and an olive branch etched on it.

Places to See Wild Animals

Dadia Forest is home to many bird species.

Among them are peregrine falcons and hoopoes.

The Nestos Delta is home to deer, bears, wolves, and otters. Both flamingos and cormorants nest here.

Lake Kerkini is a great place for bird-watching. This is a wetlands sanctuary where over 300 bird species can be found. It is also a watering spot for lizards, wild bison, and other animals.

Pindos National Park in northern Greece is home to bears.

On the island of Crete, the Agia Marina Donkey Rescue looks after orphaned and abandoned donkeys.

Native Animals

Golden jackals are a species of wolf-like canid that are native to east Europe.

Kri-kri are also called Cretan Ibex and are a species of feral goats native to the eastern Mediterranean.

Marbled polecats are a species of small mammals native to southeastern Europe.

Balkan lynxes are a subspecies of the Eurasian lynx. They’re native to southern and southeastern Europe and Russia.

European wildcats are a species of small wildcats native to continental Europe, Turkey, the Caucasus, and Scotland.

European fallow deer are a species of ruminant mammals native to the Balkan Peninsula, the island of Rhodes, Italy, and Turkey.

Native Birds

Greece is home to 455 bird species.

Lavos Island is surrounded by blue waters and covered by pine and hardwood forests. It is a refuge for about 330 bird species. Here you can spot cinereous bunting, Kruper’s nuthatch, gull-billed tern, glossy ibis, Ruppell’s warbler, and re-footed falcons migrating to the island in spring and autumn.

Gialova Lagoon is a protected area where you can bird watch and walk trails. Among birds here are flamingos, imperial eagles, osprey, and peregrine falcons.

Greater flamingos are the largest and most widespread of flamingos.

Mute swans are a species of swans native to most of Euro Siberia.

Demoiselle cranes are a graceful species of cranes native to central Euro Siberia.

White storks are a species of large birds native to Europe and western Asia.

Marine Animals

Mediterranean monk seals are a species of monk seals native to several areas of the Mediterranean Sea.

American minks are a species of semi-aquatic mustelids native to North America and introduced to the Old World.

Eurasian otters are a common otter species of semi-aquatic mammals native to much of Eurasia.

Stripped dolphins are a species of dolphins native to temperate and tropical waters of the world.

Beluga whales are a species of cetaceans native to the Arctic and subarctic regions of the world. Introduced into Greek waters.

Endangered Animals

Mediterranean monk seal

Loggerhead turtles

Basking sharks

Wild cats of Crete