Rödräv
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Red Fox

Red Fox

(Vulpes vulpes) The red fox is common throughout the country. The population decreased significantly during the 1980s due to sarcoptic mange, but is now increasing again. Otherwise, the red fox has a very extensive distribution throughout the Northern Hemisphere and lives in a variety of habitats. The fox is a predator, but at the same time our country's most versatile "jack-of-all-trades" when it comes to food. A fox eats everything from blueberries and grains, to worms and beetles, to hares, voles, birds and even roe deer. Small rodents are a favorite food. Red foxes can live alone, in pairs or in small groups.

Belongs to: Order Carnivora (carnivores/predators)
Family: Canidae (dogs)
Weight: 6-10 kg (males) and 5-7 kg (females)
Lifespan: Up to 20 years.
Mating season: Occurs during January-March.
Gestation period: Approximately 52-53 days.
Offspring: Born in April-May: usually 3-6 pups, who are born blind.
Rödräv
Fjällräv
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Arctic Fox

Arctic Fox

(Alopex lagopus) In our country, the Arctic fox is limited to the high mountain tundra. It has been protected in Sweden since 1928, but the population is still only around 100 individuals. The Arctic fox has a wide distribution across the Arctic region and can be found on tundra, sea ice, and high mountain plateaus. In a single litter, there may be foxes with both white and dark ("blue") winter fur if the parents carry the genes for both color variations. In our country, approximately 1 in 10 Arctic foxes are blue.

Belongs to: Order Carnivora (carnivores/predators)
Family: Canidae (dogs)
Weight: Between 1.5-4 kg on average.
Lifespan: Up to 14 years
Mating season: In March-June.
Gestation period: About 52 days.
The puppies: are born during May - mid-July and there can be between 1-13 in the same litter.
Fjällräv
Järv
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Wolverine

Wolverine

(Gulo gulo) In our country, the wolverine lives in the mountains and the forests close to the mountains. The wolverine was placed under protection in 1969 when the population was restricted to the mountains of Norrbotten. Today, the population is estimated to be a few hundred individuals. The wolverine has a circumpolar distribution, meaning it lives in mountain and tundra areas as well as in the northern parts of the taiga (boreal forest) in Europe, Asia, and North America. For most of the year, wolverines live alone in large, extensive home ranges. Wolverines dig a den in the snow. The cubs are born blind and have a white fur. They weigh around 100 grams.

Belongs to: Order Carnivora (carnivores/predators)
Family: Weasels (Mustelidae)
Weight: 20-30 kg (male), 10-20 kg (female).
Lifespan: 15-18 years
Mating season: Occurs during the period from April to August, with a peak in June.
Gestation period: Gestation period is 9-11 months from mating, but wolverines have delayed implantation, so the actual fetal development is about 2 months.
Offspring: They are born in the winter (February-March) in a den, and 2 or 3 cubs are the most common.
Järv
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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
Brunbjörn
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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
Gråsäl
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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
Varg
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Wolf

Wolf

(Canis lupus) The wolf was one of the first animals to migrate into Sweden after the Ice Age. 150 years ago, it was widespread throughout the country. Through intensive hunting, the wolf was close to extinction during the 1970s and 80s. In 1966, the wolf was protected in Sweden. Since the mid-1980s, the number of wolves has slowly increased, and in the early 2000s, there were about 100 individuals.

Belongs to: Order Carnivora (carnivores/predators)
Family: Canidae (dogs)
Weight: Males around 45 kg (in Sweden), females around 40 kg (in Sweden)
Lifespan: Up to 16 years, but they usually do not live longer than 10-12 years
Mating season: Occurs during December-April.
Gestation period: About 63 days
Offspring: Normally between 2-8 pups
Varg