Europe's Beautiful But Endangered Species

Europe, otherwise known as Old World, is one of most visited continents in the world. But sad to say, many of its

beautiful and unique animals are endangered. These species were once abundant in continental Europe but now

are facing extinction.

1. Rosalia Longicorn (Rosalia alpina)

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Rosalia Long Horn is a beetle used to be hunted because of its beauty. It is now rare. The Rosalia longicorn is a large

longicorn that is distinguished by its distinctive markings. The Rosalia longicorn is 15 to 38 mm long. The antennae can

be up to twice as long as the rest of the body in males, and the same length in females.

2. The Olm (Proteus anguinus)of Yugoslavia

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The Olm is a blind, cave-dwelling salamander endemic to the subterranean waters of caves of the Dinaric karst of

southern Europe. The olm is the only species in its genus Proteus, the only European species of the family Proteidae,

and the only European exclusively cave-dwelling chordate.

3. Pond Bat (Myotis dasycneme) of Netherlands

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The bat is medium sized, with a noticeably short tragus for a species in the Myotis genus. Fur is thick and black-brown

at the base, with brownish or yellowish-grey fur on the dorsal side and white-grey or yellow-grey fur on the ventral side.

4. White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) of Austria

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The White-tailed Eagle, also known as the Sea Eagle, Erne (sometimes Ern), or White-tailed Sea-eagle is considered

a close cousin of the Bald Eagle and occupies the same ecological niche in Eurasia.

5. Pyrenean Desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) of France

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The Pyrenean Desman is a small semi-aquatic mammal that lives in the Pyrenees to the Iberian Peninsula. The P

yrenean Desman is the only species within the genus Galemys. The Pyrenean Desman lives in the wetlands and

temperate areas.

6. Tufted-eared Pardel Lynx (Felis lynx pardina)of Spain

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This animal lives in the mountains of Spain and Portugal. The Iberian lynx looks like a smaller version of the Eurasian

lynx, being only about half its size, with adult males weighing an average of 12.8 kg and females 9.3 kg. Iberian lynxes

have a distinctly spotted coat.

7. Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)of Italy

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The gray wolf, also known as the timber wolf, is an ice age survivor originating during the Late Pleistocene around

300,000 years ago. DNA sequencing and genetic drift studies indicate that the gray wolf shares a common ancestry

with the domestic dog and might be its ancestor.

8. Copper Butterfly (Lycaena phleas)of Belgium

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A copper butterfly's typical coloration ranges from orange-red to brown, usually with a copper tinge and dark markings.

Copper larvae feed on clover, dock, or sorrel.

9. Hermann's Tortoise (Testudo hermanni) of Greece

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This beautiful creature named Hermann's Tortoise is one of 5 tortoise species and is endangered and is now protected.

It can be found throughout southern Europe. The western population is found in eastern Spain, southern France, the

Baleares islands, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, south and central Italy (Tuscany). The eastern population is found in Kosovo,

Macedonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, and Greece. The hercegovinensis populates the coasts of Bosnia and

Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro.

10. Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) of Romania

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This is the largest of the pelicans and is also endangered. It breeds from southeastern Europe through Asia to China

in swamps and shallow lakes. The nest is a crude heap of vegetation. On average, it's the world's heaviest flying species.

11. Wolverine (Gulo gulo) of Sweden

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The wolverine is another endangered species. It is the largest land-dwelling species of the Mustelidae or weasel

family (the Giant Otter is largest overall) in the genus Gulo (meaning "glutton"). It is also called the Glutton or Carcajou.

Most of these endangered species are now protected by local and international laws to avoid extinction.

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