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Djur (Subject) / Hares and insect eaters (Lesson)
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- Distinction between hares and rodents? Hares • two frontal teeth in ea part of the upper jaw (second teeth slightly smaller than first) • no enamel on frontal teeth Rodents • only one frontal tooth in ea part of upper jaw • yellow enamel on surface of tooth
- What is refection? Food passes digestive system two times, producing a special type of faeces they eat again. Especially during resting periods.
- Characteristics of hare teeth? • double front teeth • grows the entire life (no roots)
- Distinction of mountain hare? • smaller than European hare • more rounded profile and shorter ears • no black top of tail • white pelage in winter, brown in summer (controlled by daylight hours, hormones)
- Characteristics of mountain hare? Food? Litters? • winter browser and summer grazer • 2 to 3 litters, 2 to 5 young + mother is nursing once a day
- Distinction of European hare? • long ears, black top of the tail and ears
- Characteristics of mountain hare? Food? Litters? • abundant in SWE south of Norrland • herbs, grasses and crops in summer AND bark from fruit trees in winter • First litter in February, another 2-3 litters until end of summer, 2-3 young
- Distinction of European rabbit? • resembles a small European hare or mountain hare in summer pelage • shorter ears, ears without black tips • requires soft ground like sand • runs close to ground, short limbs
- Characteristics of European rabbit? • long winters limit distribution • night active • lives in colonies (10 to 20 adults) • southern SWE
- Characteristics of hedgehog? Litters? • southern SWE and coast of Norrland • hibernating • prefered food is invertebrates • 1 litter, size of 5
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- Predators to hedgehogs? badgers, foxes, pine martens
- Characteristics of shrews? • red tips of teeth • solitary • long cycles (10y. between peaks) • nocturnal --> not preferred by mammalian carnivores. Birds thou!
- Shrew teeth? Common shrew? Laxmann? Pygmy? European? • Common shrew, two similar large and two similar small canines in upper jaw (most common) • Laxmann, gradually descending in size front to back • Pygmy, three similiar large canines followed by a smaller one • European lesser shrew, dark coloration and very pointed (no triangular shape as others) --> water shrew compareably bigger!
- Characteristics of common shrew? Food? Litters? Distribution? • eats invertebrates, especially earthworms • 1 to 2 litters, 3 to 10 young • tri-colored with distinct light-brown flanks • distribution all over SWE • often less hairy tail than pygmy and laxmann AND also bigger
- Characteristics of pygmy shrew? Food? Litters? Distribution? • similar to common shrew but smaller (4 to 6cm) • mainly insects! • low population density BUT distributed all over SWE • 2 litters with 4 to 8 young (April to August), might reproduce first summer • prefer moist environments, good swimmer • tail long and bushy, thin at the root!
- Characteristic of Eurasian least shrew? Distinction? Food? Litters? • smallest mammal in SWE • short tail compared to pygmy shrew! • distributed in northern SWE but not in the mountains • dry environments • small insects and insect larvae • 2 litters, 3 to 6 offspring (May and June) • clear cut between back-color and flanks (≠common and pygmy)
- Characteristic of Laxmann's shrew? Food? Distribution? Litters? • clear cut between back-color and flanks, bushy tuft on tail tip • moist spruce forests in NORTHERN SWE • 4 litters, 7 to 8 offspring. low densities thou • insect, spiders and earthworms
- Taiga shrew? • underside dark • larger than others • sporadic disribution in SWE
- Water shrew? • big and black, white on underside • breeding April to September, 2 litters with 3 to 15 • venom in saliva
- European mole? Litters? Food? Distribution? • up to Stockholm • insects to birds • 1 litter born in May to June, 3 to 4 young
- Q 1-3 ??