🌍Continental Habitat

Europe Wildlife

Discover the 71+ species native to Europe. Explore complete biological profiles, range maps, conservation status, and fascinating behavioral facts for every creature from this continent.

Europe Species (71 cataloged)

ActinopterygiiLC

Alfonsino

Beryx decadactylus

Diet: Deepwater carnivore
Wild lifespan: Long-lived; age estimates extend for several decades

AvesAnimal group

Alpine Birds

Aves of alpine ecosystems

Diet: Species-specific: plants, seeds, insects, other animals, carrion, or mixed foods
Wild lifespan: No group-wide lifespan; it differs by species

MammaliaLC

Alpine Ibex

Capra ibex

Diet: Herbivore
Wild lifespan: Often 10–15 years in the wild; females may live longer than males

MammaliaLC

Alpine Marmot

Marmota marmota

Diet: Herbivore
Wild lifespan: Often 10–15 years; exceptional individuals live longer

ActinopterygiiAnimal group

Amberjack

Seriola

Diet: Carnivorous
Wild lifespan: Species have separate longevity records; greater amberjack can live to about 17 years

InsectaLC

American Copper

Lycaena phlaeas

Diet: Herbivore as a caterpillar; nectar feeder as an adult
Wild lifespan: Adults generally live a few weeks; the full cycle may span months when dormant overwintering is included

MammaliaCR

Amur Leopard

Panthera pardus orientalis

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Up to about 12 years

MammaliaLC

Arctic Fox

Vulpes lagopus

Diet: Omnivore
Wild lifespan: Often 3–6 years in the wild; exceptional individuals live longer

ReptiliaLC

Asp

Vipera aspis

Diet: Small mammals, lizards, birds and other small vertebrates
Wild lifespan: Not reliably quantified across all populations

MammaliaNE

Bactrian Camel

Camelus bactrianus

Diet: Herbivore
Wild lifespan: Commonly 30–40 years with good care

AvesLC

Barn Owl

Tyto alba

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Often 4–8 years in the wild, with some much older

ArachnidaAnimal group

Black Widow Spider

Latrodectus

Diet: Carnivore; mostly insects and other arthropods
Wild lifespan: No single genus-wide lifespan; females outlive males in studied species

ActinopterygiiVU

Blue Marlin

Makaira nigricans

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Females may live about 20 years and males around 10 years; estimates vary by ocean and method

MammaliaEN

Blue Whale

Balaenoptera musculus

Diet: Baleen-filtering carnivore
Wild lifespan: Often estimated at 70–90 years; some live longer

MammaliaNE

British Shorthair

Felis catus

Diet: Domestic carnivore requiring a complete life-stage diet
Wild lifespan: Not applicable; domestic breed

MammaliaVU

Caribou

Rangifer tarandus

Diet: Herbivore
Wild lifespan: Often 10–15 years in the wild; some may exceed 20

ReptiliaAnimal group

Chameleon

Chamaeleonidae

Diet: Primarily insectivore
Wild lifespan: About one year in extreme seasonal species to more than a decade in some larger chameleons

MammaliaLC

Common Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops truncatus

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Commonly 40–60 years; females often outlive males

ReptiliaLC

Common European Adder

Vipera berus

Diet: Venomous predator of small vertebrates
Wild lifespan: Often 10–15 years; some individuals live longer

MammaliaEN

Dhole

Cuon alpinus

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Estimated about 8–10 years in the wild; up to roughly 15–16 years in managed care

CephalopodaAnimal group

Dumbo Octopus

Grimpoteuthis

Diet: Deep-sea carnivore
Wild lifespan: Unknown for most species

AvesAnimal group

Eagle

Accipitridae

Diet: Carnivore and scavenger; prey differs by species
Wild lifespan: Species-specific; many large eagles can live for decades

MammaliaNT

Eurasian Otter

Lutra lutra

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Often 5–10 years in the wild; potentially longer

MammaliaNT

European Hedgehog

Erinaceus europaeus

Diet: Omnivore with an invertebrate-dominated diet
Wild lifespan: Many die young; survivors may live about 4–7 years or longer

MammaliaEN

European Rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

Diet: Herbivore and hindgut fermenter
Wild lifespan: Many wild rabbits die in the first year; survivors may live several years

MammaliaAnimal group

Field Mouse

Apodemus

Diet: Omnivore with a seed-rich diet
Wild lifespan: Often less than one year in the wild; some survive longer

MammaliaVU

Fin Whale

Balaenoptera physalus

Diet: Carnivore and filter feeder
Wild lifespan: Commonly 80–90 years, with some individuals living longer

MammaliaAnimal group

Flying Squirrel

Pteromyini

Diet: Omnivore
Wild lifespan: Several years in the wild; longer in protected care

ReptiliaAnimal group

Gecko

Gekkota

Diet: Mostly small-animal predators; some species also eat fruit or nectar
Wild lifespan: Species dependent; no reliable group-wide figure

CephalopodaNE

Giant Pacific Octopus

Enteroctopus dofleini

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Usually about 3–5 years

CephalopodaLC

Giant Squid

Architeuthis dux

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Probably around 3–5 years, based on growth studies and comparison with related squids

ReptiliaAnimal group

Glass Lizard

Anguidae (selected limbless genera)

Diet: Small animals including insects, spiders, snails, slugs, earthworms, and occasional small vertebrates
Wild lifespan: No reliable group-wide estimate

AvesAnimal group

Goose

Anserini

Diet: Primarily herbivorous waterfowl
Wild lifespan: Species-specific; banding records show some wild geese surviving more than 20 years

ReptiliaLC

Grass Snake

Natrix natrix

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Often estimated at 15–20 years

MammaliaLC

Gray Wolf

Canis lupus

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Often 6–8 years in the wild; some exceed 13 years

ChondrichthyesVU

Great White Shark

Carcharodon carcharias

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: At least 70 years is possible, with major uncertainty among estimates

AvesLC

Greater Flamingo

Phoenicopterus roseus

Diet: Filter-feeding omnivore
Wild lifespan: Often 30–40 years in the wild

ReptiliaEN

Green Sea Turtle

Chelonia mydas

Diet: Adults mainly herbivorous; juveniles more omnivorous
Wild lifespan: Likely 60–80 years or more

InsectaAnimal group

Ground Beetle

Carabidae

Diet: Mostly predatory or omnivorous; many species also destroy weed seeds
Wild lifespan: Adults of some species live 1–4 years; family-wide variation is large

ActinopterygiiLC

Humpback Anglerfish

Melanocetus johnsonii

Diet: Deep-sea carnivore
Wild lifespan: Unknown

MammaliaLC

Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

Diet: Carnivore and filter feeder
Wild lifespan: Commonly estimated at 45–80 years

MalacostracaAnimal group

Isopod

Isopoda

Diet: Detritivores, scavengers, grazers, predators or parasites depending on lineage
Wild lifespan: Depends on the individual species and environment

ReptiliaLC

Japanese Rat Snake

Elaphe climacophora

Diet: Carnivorous constrictor of small vertebrates
Wild lifespan: Often 10–15 years in the wild; managed individuals may exceed 20 years

Multiple medusozoan classesAnimal group

Jellyfish

Medusozoa

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: From weeks to several years, depending on species and life stage

ReptiliaAnimal group

Keelback

Rhabdophis

Diet: Carnivore, often specializing on amphibians
Wild lifespan: Not reliably quantified across the genus

MammaliaDD

Killer Whale

Orcinus orca

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Females may live 50–80 years or more; males often 30–60 years

InsectaAnimal group

Ladybug

Coccinellidae

Diet: Mostly predatory as a family, with fungal-feeding and plant-feeding exceptions
Wild lifespan: From months to more than a year depending on species and climate

MammaliaAnimal group

Lynx

Diet: Obligate carnivore
Wild lifespan: Species-specific; often roughly 7–15 years for surviving adults

MammaliaLC

Moose

Alces alces

Diet: Herbivore and browser
Wild lifespan: Commonly 10–15 years in the wild; some exceed 20

ActinopterygiiAnimal group

Moray Eel

Muraenidae

Diet: Carnivorous family including fish, crustacean and mollusk specialists
Wild lifespan: Species-specific and incompletely documented; some large morays live for decades

MammaliaLC

Narwhal

Monodon monoceros

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: At least 25 years and potentially 50 or more

ReptiliaLC

Nose-Horned Viper

Vipera ammodytes

Diet: Carnivore and sit-and-wait predator
Wild lifespan: Often estimated around 10–15 years in the wild

MammaliaDD

Orca (Killer Whale)

Orcinus orca

Diet: Carnivore and apex marine predator
Wild lifespan: Females often 50–80 years and can reach about 90; males often 30–60 years

AvesLC

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Often 8–15 years in the wild

MammaliaAnimal group

Pibble

Canis lupus familiaris

Diet: Domestic dog diet appropriate to age and health
Wild lifespan: Not applicable to a domestic-dog nickname

MammaliaVU

Polar Bear

Ursus maritimus

Diet: Marine carnivore
Wild lifespan: Often 15–25 years in the wild

MammaliaLC

Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes

Diet: Omnivore
Wild lifespan: Often only a few years in the wild; exceptional wild individuals can live much longer

InsectaAnimal group

Rhinoceros Beetle

Dynastinae

Diet: Species-dependent herbivore, sap feeder or decomposer
Wild lifespan: From months to several years including the larval period, depending on species

MammaliaEN

Sea Otter

Enhydra lutris

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Females may live 15–20 years; males often 10–15 years

ReptiliaAnimal group

Sea Turtle

Chelonioidea

Diet: Species-specific diets range from seagrass and algae to jellyfish, sponges and shellfish
Wild lifespan: Often several decades; reliable maximums differ by species and are difficult to measure

ReptiliaAnimal group

Skink

Scincidae

Diet: Mostly insectivorous or omnivorous; some species are herbivorous
Wild lifespan: Species-specific; no valid family-wide lifespan

ReptiliaAnimal group

Snake

Serpentes

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Often 5–30 years; some large species exceed 30 years

AvesVU

Snowy Owl

Bubo scandiacus

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Often at least 10 years in the wild

MammaliaVU

Sperm Whale

Physeter macrocephalus

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: At least 60 years and possibly longer

ReptiliaAnimal group

Turtle

Testudines

Diet: Herbivore, omnivore or carnivore depending on species
Wild lifespan: Commonly decades; some large tortoises can exceed 100 years

AvesLC

Ural Owl

Strix uralensis

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Wild birds may survive around a decade or longer, but annual survival varies with prey and hazards

CephalopodaNE

Vampire Squid

Vampyroteuthis infernalis

Diet: Detritivore and opportunistic suspension feeder
Wild lifespan: Exact wild lifespan is unknown but appears much longer than the one-to-two-year lives of many shallow-water cephalopods