The fauna of Scotland is generally typical of the north-west European part of the Palearctic ecozone, although several of the country's larger mammals were hunted to extinction in historic times and human activity has also led to various species of wildlife being introduced. Scotland's diverse temperate environments support 62 species of wild mammals, including a population of Wild Cats, important numbers of Grey and Harbour Seals and the most northerly colony of Bottlenose Dolphins in the world. Many populations of moorland birds, including Blackcock and the Red Grouse, live here, and the country has internationally significant nesting grounds for seabirds such as the Northern Gannet. The Golden Eagle has become a national icon, and White-tailed Eagles and Ospreys have recently re-colonised the land. The Scottish Crossbill is the only endemic vertebrate species in the British Isles. Scotland's seas are among the most biologically productive in the world; it is estimated that the total number of Scottish marine species exceeds 40,000. An estimated 14,000 species of insect, including rare bees and butterflies protected by conservation action plans, inhabit Scotland. Conservation agencies in the UK are concerned that climate change, especially its potential effects on mountain plateaus and marine life, threaten much of the fauna of Scotland.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fauna_of_Scotland

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1415:

The Council of Constance executed Jan Hus , founder of the Christian Hussite reform movement, for committing heresy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussite

1887:

King Kalākaua of Hawai'i was forced to sign the Bayonet Constitution, stripping the Hawaiian monarchy of much of its authority as well as disfranchising all Asians, most native Hawaiians, and the poor. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1887_Constitution_of_the_Kingdom_of_Hawaii

1957:

At a concert by The Quarrymen at the St. Peter's Church Woolton Garden fête, band member John Lennon met Paul McCartney, triggering a series of events that led to the forming of The Beatles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Quarrymen

1966:

Hastings Banda became the first president of Malawi, exactly two years after the country was granted independence from the United Kingdom. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hastings_Banda

2006:

Nathu La, a mountain pass in the Himalayas connecting between India and China, sealed during the Sino-Indian War, re-opened for trade after more than 40 years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathu_La

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

gurgle (v): 1. To flow with a bubbling sound.

2. To make such a sound http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gurgle

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way. --John Paul Jones http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Paul_Jones