A British animal is any animal that lives in Great Britain. They mostly live in forest and woodland habitats, but some have adapted to urban areas too. Britain has a diverse range of animal species on the land, coast and in the sea.
The British coat of arms depicts a unicorn and a lion flanking a shield. The lion is the national animal of England, and the unicorn represents Scotland; both of which are part of the British empire. It's said the lion is the unicorn's arch nemesis.
1. Dogs. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the UK's favourite pet is the dog. More than a quarter of us (26%) own a dog, with an estimated 9 million dogs living in the UK.
The Tasmanian Devil is a marsupial that only lives - the name says it all - on the island of Tasmania. It is one of Australia's most unique and endangered species.
But what five animals make up this iconic group that every safari goer want to see? The Big 5 consists of lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino.
The British Isles are home to around 90 species of mammal in the land, air and sea.
The British Shorthair, while originally coming from the farms and streets of Britain, is also considered to be the first cat of the cat fancy. The "father" of this breed is Harrison Wier, who is thought of as the first professional cat breeder.
Corgi. Perhaps one of the most British dog breeds of all time, the Corgi is world renowned for being the Queen's favoured canine companion. Yet, despite their royal reputation and small size, they were actually originally bred to herd cattle, sheep and even horses!
Though England doesn't have a national dog per se, the British Bulldog is thought to embody the values of the island. This is partly because the breed is so old. It dates back to the 13th century and was owned by one of the country's most famous statesmen: Winston Churchill.
The reason is that the lion was thought to be the animal that best personify qualities of 'Britishness' .... Strength, courage, dignity, pride etc.
America has the bald eagle, France has the Gallic rooster, and now Britain has the robin. A nationwide ballot saw more than 200,000 people elect the robin as Britain's national bird, after it swooped away with 34 per cent of the vote.
Britain doesn't have a national bird. Now, one avid birder is looking to change that. In the U.S., the Bald Eagle is a big deal.
ACCORDING TO THE IUCN Red List of endangered species, Australia has 86 animal species that are considered Critically Endangered.
The rarest animal in the world is the vaquita (Phocoena sinus). It is a kind of critically endangered porpoise that only lives in the furthest north-western corner of the Gulf of California in Mexico. There are only 18 left in the world.
Wildlife in England is clearly not as boring as you might have thought, from very cute seals hedgehogs, to very majestic red deer and basking sharks. These are but a few of the many animals native to the United Kingdom. Perhaps you'll have your eyes slightly more peeled next time you make it around to England.
More than 80% of our plants, mammals, reptiles and frogs are unique to Australia and are found nowhere else in the world. Some of our Australian animals are very well known like kangaroos, dingos, wallabies and wombats and of course the koala, platypus and echidna.
The Happiest Animal
The quokka, a close cousin of the kangaroo, rocketed to internet fame when tourists began taking selfies with the animal, which is unafraid of humans and appears to smile for pictures.