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Lynx

Lynx

(Lynx lynx) The lynx has been present in Sweden since the Ice Age. Today, there are probably over 1000 lynx living in Sweden. Lynx can also be found over large parts of the northern hemisphere, distributed among four species: the Iberian lynx (Spain, Portugal), the Canadian lynx (North America), the Eurasian lynx (Europe and Asia), and the bobcat (North America). The tail - with a black tip - and the head - with white ear tufts and a white ruff around the eyes - are distinctive "signal features" on the lynx's body. In addition, the lynx has scent glands on its cheeks and paws, which complement urine marking as a source of scent. An adult lynx eats around 1 kg of meat per day. In our country, hare and roe deer are the most important prey animals, especially during winter.

Belongs to: Order Carnivora (carnivores/predators)
Family: Felines (Felidae)
Weight: 20-35 kg (males), 15-25 kg (females).
Lifespan: Up to 20 years.
Mating season: Occurs during the period from March to April.
Gestation period: 68-70 days
Offspring: They are born in the den in May-June; usually 2, sometimes 3, blind cubs weighing about 0.3 kg at birth.
Lodjur
Utter
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Otter

Otter

(Lutra lutra) The otter has declined catastrophically in our country since the 1950s when it was common throughout the country. Today, the otter still exists widely in northern Sweden, as well as in small scattered groups in southern Sweden. The male and female may be together in early spring, otherwise they live alone. The cubs are usually born in May in our country. They weigh about 130 g at birth and are blind for the first two weeks. They are usually 2 in number and nurse for 2 months but stay with the mother for a whole year.

Belongs to: Order Carnivora (carnivores/predators)
Family: Weasels (Mustelidae)
Weight: 8 - 12 kg (male), 6 - 8 kg (female).
Lifespan: 18 - 20 years
Mating season: There are probably two mating seasons - in March-April and also possibly during the summer.
Gestation period: 60 - 63 days. Possibly also delayed fetal development.
Offspring: There are usually 2 kits but can vary between 1 - 5, and they become sexually mature at 2 - 3 years of age.
Utter
Kronhjort
CategoriesUngulates, OUR ANIMALS by

Red Deer

Red Deer

(Cervus elaphus) The red deer has been present in Sweden since the Ice Age. During the 18th and 19th centuries, it was close to extinction in our country. Today, the population is slowly increasing. They mainly live in Skåne. Otherwise, the red deer can be found in southern and central Sweden and occasionally even in the coastal areas of northern Sweden. The adult deer has antlers that normally have three forward-facing points. The top points form a "crown", which has given the red deer its name.

Belongs to: Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
Family: Deer family (Cervidae)
Weight: About 250 kg (male), about 120 kg (female).
Lifespan: 30 years
Mating season: September - October
Gestation period: Approximately 235 days
Calves: They are born in May-June, usually only 1 calf but in rare cases 2 calves.
Kronhjort
Myskoxe
CategoriesUngulates, OUR ANIMALS by

Musk Ox

Musk Ox

(Ovibos moschatus) The musk ox is the last of the great prehistoric animals. They lived alongside mammoths and woolly rhinoceroses during the last ice age - even in our country. The mammoths and rhinoceroses have been extinct for a long time, but the musk oxen continue to survive in the harsh and cold tundra areas. The musk oxen died out in Scandinavia 3000 years ago. In the summer of 1971, a handful of musk oxen migrated to Härjedalen from Norway. By the mid-1980s, the number of animals was about 34. The musk oxen's only natural enemy is the wolf. The adult musk oxen form a tight ring (with their horns outward) around the calves as a defense against wolf attacks. The wolves have a very difficult time getting past the "living wall" and taking the calves.

Belongs to: Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
Family: Hollow-horned animals (Bovidae)
Weight: Between 225-400 kg. Bulls are significantly heavier than cows.
Lifespan: Around 20 years.
Mating season: July - August
Gestation period: 7 - 9 months
Calves: They are born in April-June the year after mating.
Myskoxe
Ren
CategoriesUngulates, OUR ANIMALS by

Reindeer

Reindeer

(Rangifer tarandus) The reindeer is the only deer species where both the male and female have antlers. The wild reindeer was extinct in our country during the 1800s. "Swedish reindeer" nowadays refer to domesticated reindeer kept by the Sami people. The reindeer is one of the most useful domesticated animals. The Sami name for the male reindeer is "sarv" and for the female "vaja". A castrated male reindeer is called a "härk" and is used as a draft animal. As a living animal, the reindeer is used as a draft and pack animal (pack reindeer) and the females can also be milked. After slaughter, virtually all parts of the reindeer are used. Lichens of various kinds are the reindeer's most important food. Reindeer are specially adapted to digest and utilize the sparse diet. During the summer, their diet is supplemented with grass, herbs, leaves, and mushrooms. In winter, reindeer use their hooves to dig through the snow to find ground lichens. They also eat hanging lichens from trees. Wild reindeer can be found throughout the tundra areas of the northern hemisphere. In North America, they are called Caribou.

Belongs to: Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
Family: Deer family (Cervidae)
Weight: 70 - 150 kg (male), 40 - 100 kg (female).
Lifespan: Around 20 years.
Mating season: September - October
Gestation period: 8 months
Calves: They are born in May-June.
Ren
Brunbjörn
CategoriesPredators, OUR ANIMALS by

Brown Bear

Brown Bear

(Ursus arctos) The brown bear is a forest-dwelling animal, living in the boreal forest areas of northern Europe, Asia, and North America, where it is called the grizzly bear in some areas. The Swedish bear population of a few thousand animals is slowly increasing despite a general hunting of the species. The bear is a plantigrade, meaning that it walks on the whole sole of the foot, just like humans do.

Belongs to: Order Carnivora (carnivores/predators)
Family: Bears (Ursidae).
Weight: Up to 350 kg (males in Sweden), up to 160 kg (females in Sweden).
Lifespan: 20 - 30 years
Mating season: Mating season typically occurs in May-June.
Gestation period: The gestation period for bears is around 7-8 months, but the actual fetal development is only 2-3 months, due to a phenomenon called delayed implantation.
Cubs: 1-3 cubs (sometimes 4 or 5) are usually born in January during the winter hibernation.
Brunbjörn
Gutefår
CategoriesPets, OUR ANIMALS by

Får

Får

(Ovis aries) Gutefår - Gotländska utegångsfår tillhör våra oförädlade svenska lantraser. Båda könen bär horn, det har smala förhållandevis långa ben. Gutefåret var medeltidens leverantör av ull till vadmal (kläder) som omnämns i skrifter från år 1292.

Fjällnäsfår - Fjällnäsfår är vita, eller vita med inslag av grått eller brunt. Ullen är av ryatyp i varierad längd och lockighet, dock med mer bottenull samt kortare täckull än ryafåret.

Belongs to: Order Artiodactyla, also known as even-toed ungulates or partungulates.
Family: Hollow-horned animals (Bovidae)
Weight: Gutefår - bagge 60-80 kg, tacka 40-55 kg. Fjällnäsfår - bagge 30-50 kg, tacka 30-40 kg.
Lifespan: 10 - 15 år
Gestation period: ca: 5 months
Gives birth to: 1-2 lambs
Gutefår
Vildsvin
CategoriesUngulates, OUR ANIMALS by

Wild Boar

Wild Boar

(Sus scrofa) The wild boar is now a quite common animal in southern and central Sweden. It primarily eats plant parts such as roots and tubers, but also includes small rodents, insects, worms, and carrion in its diet. It has a robust build with a large head and short legs. Its fur is dark gray-brown and shaggy. The winter coat is thick and long-haired, while the summer coat resembles "a week-old beard." The boar's tusks continue to grow throughout its life and form dangerous upward-pointing fangs. It can run up to 50 km/h.

Belongs to: Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
Family: Pigs (Suidae)
Weight: Suggor upptill 150 kg galt något tyngre upp till 175 kg
Lifespan: Usually lives up to 8 years (up to 20 years).
Mating season: September - November
Gestation period: 4 months (115 days)
Offspring: Sows give birth to 3-8 piglets that are lighter brown with longitudinal dark stripes. They follow the sow until she gives birth again.
Vildsvin
Skogsvildren
CategoriesUngulates, OUR ANIMALS by

Forest Reindeer

Forest Reindeer

(Rangifer tarandus fennicus) Translation: The reindeer is the only deer species where both the female and male have antlers. The forest reindeer is a subspecies of the tundra reindeer and is adapted to living in the large forests. It has considerably longer legs, broader hooves and a narrower antler crown compared to the tundra reindeer. The wild reindeer became extinct in Sweden in the 1860s, and it was protected 50 years later in 1915. They live in small herds. Nowadays, the "Swedish reindeer" are domesticated reindeer, which are kept by the Sami people.

Belongs to: Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
Family: Deer family (Cervidae)
Weight: 180-200 kg (males), 120-140 kg (females).
Lifespan: ca 15 years
Mating season: July - August
Gestation period: 9-10 months, but with a delayed fetal development - the fetus begins to develop about 5 months before birth.
Calves: They are born in May-June.
Skogsvildren
Gråsäl
CategoriesPredators, OUR ANIMALS by

Gray Seal

Gray Seal

(Halichoerus grypus) The grey seals in the Baltic Sea differ from those in the Atlantic Ocean. Grey seals in the Baltic Sea give birth to their young on the ice during the winter, while Atlantic seals give birth to their young on sandy beaches in the autumn. An adult grey seal can dive down to 100 meters deep to catch fish.

Belongs to: Ordningen Säldjur (Pinnipedia)
Family: Earless seals (Phocidae)
Weight: Between 200-315 kg (the male is larger).
Lifespan: Up to 46 years.
Mating season: Occurs in April-May.
Gestation period: ca 350 days
Offspring: Born on the ice in February-March the following year. The female gives birth to one calf which she nurses for 3-4 weeks, during which it gains 2 kg per day.
Gråsäl