Iberian brown bear (Ursus arctos pyrenaicus) • This is the biggest animal on the Península Ibérica. It has a strong body, thick brown fur, blackish paws and a short tail. • Its diet is mainly vegetarian and consists of fruits, tubers and shoots. • The huge bear needs a large habitat with sheltered places for hibernation. It is mainly found in the deciduous forests of the Cordillera Cantábrica and the Pirineos. Iberian wild goat (Capra pyrenaica) • The wild goat has a strong body with greyish-brown fur. This changes colour with the seasons. The males have large curved horns on their heads. • It is a herbivore and its diet includes leaves, fruits, grass, roots and bark. • This goat is found in the forests and on the steep slopesof mountainous areas across the peninsula. It mainly lives in the Sierra de Gredos, Sierra de Madrid, Sierra Nevada and Cazorla. It can easily climb across almost vertical areas to escape predators. Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) • The wolf is a very intelligent canine with a strong jaw. • It mainly hunts mammals, but also eats wild fruits when there is little prey. • In recent years its numbers have increased as a result of protective measures. It lives in groups called packs in the northwest of the peninsula. In Spain there are around 100 species of mammals, 460 bird species, 83 reptile species, 28 amphibian species and 70 inland-water fish species. There are also more than 50 000 species of invertebrates. Many of these species are endemic. This means they only live in certain areas of Spain and are not found in other parts of the world . The giant lizard of El Hierro, the western capercaillie and the Balearic midwife toad are some examples. Many species are in danger of extinction , such as the black stork, the imperial eagle and the Iberian lynx. Fox ( Vulpes vulpes) • The fox is a small canine with thick brown, white and red fur. It has a long nose and a long, thick tail with a white tip. • Its diet is very varied and includes shoots, fruits and animals such as mice, insects and molluscs. • Foxes are found in lowland forests and mountainous areas across the peninsula. They are also often seen in rural areas, searching for food waste in rubbish bins. Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) • The Iberian lynx is a feline with a muscular body, greyish-brown fur and black spots. It has a black tip on its tail and stiff black hairs on its ears. • It is carnivorous and mainly eats rabbits. • This endangered species is only found on the Península Ibérica. It lives in isolated areas in Mediterranean forests, such as the Parque Nacional de Doñana, the Sierra Morena and the Montes de Toledo. Animals in Spain 208
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