Kategori: English

The otter is a cute little creature that is the provincial animal of Småland. It was endangered for a long time. In the 1800s and well into the 1900s, otters were hunted for their fur. Environmental toxins in the water in the 1960s and 1970s also caused the otter population to decline. It has been protected since 1968, which means that it cannot be hunted.

The otter is a skilled swimmer, largely thanks to its streamlined body that glides easily through the water. It has webbed feet that allow it to swim powerfully, and its coveted fur keeps it warm even in ice-cold water. The otter is a predator that mainly eats fish, but it also catches frogs, crayfish and sometimes birds. It usually hunts at night when it is quieter by the water. Through its hunting, it helps maintain the balance in nature. But it also has time to play and have fun. In winter, you can see otters sliding on the ice.

The pike is a predatory fish at the top of the food chain. This means that it doesn’t have many natural enemies. Instead, it is a skilled hunter with good eyesight that can see well even in murky water. Thanks to its flat, evenly thick body, it can quickly reach high speeds and catch its prey, which it bites with its sharp teeth. It eats small fish, frogs, birds, and small mammals.

The pike thrives in both fresh and brackish water, where it hides in the vegetation and waits for its prey. When it lies still, close to the surface, it is also exposed to danger. Birds of prey such as sea eagles and ospreys can spot it and strike!

In Sweden, we don’t eat much pike, but in other countries it is a popular food fish. We have been exporting pike since the Middle Ages. Since it doesn’t have many enemies, it can live to a ripe old age and grow very large. It can reach up to 1.5 meters in length and weigh over 25 kilograms.

Few birds are as easy to recognise as the woodpecker. With its distinctive way of pecking at tree trunks, it can be heard clearly in the forest. A woodpecker can peck up to 20 times per second. To be able to do this without hurting its head, it has a strong neck, an extra thick skull, and a beak that acts as a shock absorber.

It pecks partly to find food and partly to build its nest. The woodpecker looks for insects and larvae that live in trees. Thanks to its long, sticky tongue, it can catch insects deep inside the wood of the tree. But the woodpecker is also a bird of prey that can take other birds’ chicks.  When it pecks a hole in a tree, it is to build a nest, where it lives with its family for a year.  After that, it moves on, and other birds, bats, or squirrels that cannot peck as well move in.

The woodpecker is a smart bird and also likes to eat pine cone seeds. To do this, it pecks a hole in a tree, flies away, fetches a cone, and puts it in the hole like a cork. Then it can peck away at the seeds in peace.

Frogs are interesting animals that can live both in water and on land. They have lungs and can breathe through their skin, but as tadpoles they have gills on the outside of their bodies. These disappear as they develop, just like their little tails as their legs grow. Frogs eat insects and small animals, both on land and in water. Huseby is a good place for frogs. They can lay their eggs in secluded spots in the water. The tadpoles then hatch in April/May. As frogs are sensitive to environmental changes, they can also be used as indicators of how healthy a natural environment is. And even though they are cute, you should not pick them up with your hands.

Snakes are reptiles that have no legs, but their skeletons show that they have remnants of legs and therefore must have had them many, many thousands of years ago. Snakes have a special way of moving and are covered with scales, which are larger on their stomachs. This means they can brace themselves against the ground and quickly slither away.  They are also good swimmers, and some can even climb trees, although not the snakes found in Sweden.  Here we only have grass snakes and vipers. They eat small animals and fish, and they stick out their tongues to smell. Snakes are good at sensing vibrations in the ground and disappear quickly if they notice someone approaching.

Very few people love mosquitoes. These small insects are found almost everywhere in the world.  Everyone knows how itchy it can be when you get bitten, but only the females suck blood – they need it to lay their eggs. The males drink the nectar from flowers. But even though mosquitoes can be annoying, they are important for nature. They are food for birds, bats and frogs. And mosquito larvae are also important because they help purify water.

Swish, swish, swish goes the little kingfisher as it darts across the water’s edge. Its call is like a thin but piercing whistle. Few birds are as colourful as this little charmer, and it is fairly rare, so keep your eyes peeled if you see a bright blue flash with a pointy beak.

Due to its size, the kingfisher can’t cope with strong currents and prefers to hang out near still or gently flowing water. It builds its nest in the surrounding sandbank by digging a small tunnel.

Catching fish is a sport for the kingfisher. It can sit on a branch and watch for ages, and when the right prey appears in the shallow water, it dives straight down and harpoons the fish with its pointy beak. The little bird then beats the fish so that it is stunned or dies, and finally swallows it whole, head first, so that the fish bones don’t get stuck in its throat.