Examine individual changes

'{{Refimprove|date=September 2007}} [[Image:Sturnus vulgaris faroensis.jpg|thumb|The Faroese [[starling]]]] [[Image:Faroe stamp 276 the north atlantic raven (corvus corax varius).jpg|thumb|The white-speckled raven, a colour variation of the Faroese sub-species (''Corvus corax varius''), was unique to the Faroe Islands. The last one was seen in 1949.]] The '''fauna of the Faroe Islands''' is characterized by [[Faroe Islands|the islands']] remote location in the [[North Atlantic Ocean]]. There are few terrestrial species, but relatively many breeding seabirds and marine animals. Some sub-species and breeds are [[Endemism|endemic]]. All land mammals were introduced by humans. ==Birds== {{See also|Birds of the Faroe Islands}} The bird fauna of the Faroes is dominated by [[seabirds]] and birds attracted to open land like [[Calluna|heather]], probably due to the lack of woodland and other suited habitats. There are special Faroese races of [[eider]], [[starling]], [[wren]], [[guillemot]], and [[black guillemot]].<ref>[http://www.mundofree.com/islasferoe/thefaroesefauna.html] The Faroese Fauna.</ref> [[Puffin]]s (''Fratercula arctica''), [[razorbill]]s (''Alca torda''), and [[guillemot]]s (''Uria aalge''), are very common seabirds in Faroe. [[Gannet]]s (''Sula sula'') are common around the islands, but only breed on [[Mykines]]. [[Black guillemot]]s (''Cepphus grylle''), [[eider]]s (''Somateria mollissima'') and [[European shag|shag]] (''Phalacrocorax aristotelis'') are common around the coast and the [[fulmar]]s (''Fulmarus glacialis'') which immigrated to the islands in the 19th century have a steadily growing population. There are six species of [[seagull]]s (''Larus'') and the [[storm petrel]] (''Hydrobates pelagicus'') colony on [[Nólsoy]] is the largest in the world. Inland birds are fewer in numbers. [[Oyster catcher]] (''Haematopus ostralegus'') (the national bird), [[curlew]] (''Numenius''), [[common snipe]] (''Capella gallinago'') and [[tern]] (''Sterna'') are common on the [[Calluna|heather]] hills. The Faroese [[starling]] (sub-species ''Sturnus vulgaris faroeensis'') is the biggest starling in the world, and is very common in and around human habitation together with the [[sparrow]] (''Passer''). In later years they have been joined by [[common blackbird|blackbird]]s (''Turdus merula'') which are growing very fast in numbers. [[Crow]]s (''Corvus cornix'') and the Faroese-Icelandic subspecies of [[raven]] (''Corvus corax varius'') are also very common around human habitation. Until the 19th century a special coloured raven, the [[pied raven]] was common on the islands. This was not a special race, but a colour variation of the Faroese-Icelandic sub-species. In the same nest, three youngsters could be black while one could be white-speckled. This colour variation was unique to the Faroe Islands, and maybe because of this, the demand from foreign collectors was big for these ravens. This might be a reason why it became extinct; the last white-speckled raven was seen on [[Nólsoy]] in 1949. ==Land mammals== [[Image:Faroe stamp 518 the faroese hare.jpg|thumb|left|Faroese mountain hare (''[[Lepus timidus]]'')]] The land mammals of Faroe have all been introduced, accidentally or deliberately by people. Although nine species of wild land mammal have been reported on the Faroe Islands, only three have survived and are thriving on the islands today: [[mountain hare]] (''Lepus timidus''), [[brown rat]] (''Rattus norvegicus'') and the [[house mouse]] (''Mus domesticus''). [[Mountain hare]]s were introduced from [[Kragerø]] in [[Norway]] in 1854. The first years, some of the hares developed a white coat in winter, like their ancestors from Norway, but after a few decades, due to the oceanic climate with its lack of snow cover, the Faroese hares had adopted common traits with the Irish hares (''Lepus timidus hibernicus'') staying brown all year. The Faroese house mouse was probably introduced accidentally from [[Great Britain|Britain]] by the [[Irish monks]] as early as the 6th century. It is the Western European house mouse (''Mus domesticus'') but has earlier been labelled as ''[[Mus musculus]]''. This naming has also been used to name the sub-species which has evolved in the isolated island populations. The [[Nólsoy]] house mouse is a sub-species called (''Mus musculus faroeensis'') and the [[Mykines]] house mouse is also a sub-species called (''Mus musculus mykinessiensis''). However, a recent study,<ref name="Jones_etal_2011">Jones EP, Jensen JK, Magnussen E, Gregersen N, Hansen HS, Searle JB (2011): A molecular characterization of the charismatic Faroe house mouse. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 102:471-482.[http://setur.fo/uploads/tx_userpubrep/A_molecular_characterization_of_the_charismatic_Faroe_house_mouse.pdf]</ref> based on DNA-analyses, has shown that mice on the most remote islands (Hesti, Fugloy, Mykines and Nólsoy) are characterized as ''M. m. domesticus'', whereas the mice on the better connected islands (Sandoy and in Torshavn) are mixed and have both ''M. m. musculus'' and ''M. m. domesticus'' genetic elements. Furthermore, the investigation indicated that the majority of the mice have their origins in south-western Norway, in agreement with human historical data, while the mice on the island of Sandoy may have arrived from the British Isles or from Denmark. The ''M. m. musculus'' genetic component appears to derive from recent immigrant mice from Denmark. The [[wood mouse]] or [[Apodemus|field mouse]] (''Apodemus sylvaticus'') was recorded on the Faroe Islands in the 17th century, but has not been recorded since. These recordings might have been mistaken. The [[brown rat]] (''Rattus norvegicus'') is common in and around human habitations as well as in the outfield, doing big damage in bird colonies. It reached the Faroe Islands on a shipwreck which drifted from [[Shetland]] to Faroe in the 18th century. The brown rat replaced the former [[black rat]] (''Rattus rattus'') which was common in human habitation in Faroe before. [[Rabbits]] (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'') were introduced to [[Suðuroy]] in the beginning of the 20th century. They soon spread throughout the island, but after a few years, they were exterminated. Rabbits also established colonies in the extreme south of [[Eysturoy]] ([[Nes, Eysturoy|Eystnes]]) in the 1960s and 1970s, but they were also exterminated. In 2006 there were reports of rabbits establishing colonies on [[Streymoy]]. [[American mink]] (''Mustela vison'') have escaped from farms on several occasions, but were caught or shot most of the time, and never managed to establish a stock in the wild. [[Arctic fox]]es (''Alopex lagopus'') also escaped from farms now and then in the first half of the 20th century. These were individuals who survived for months in the wild until they were found and shot. Without mates they were unable to multiply. In the beginning of the 20th century, a few [[European hedgehog|hedgehog]]s (''Erinaceus europaeus'') were introduced to [[Tórshavn]], but too few in numbers to establish a population. [[Bat]]s are infrequent guests to Faroe, and usually die soon after arrival. Apart from the local domestic sheep breed called [[Faroes (sheep)|Faroes]], the [[Lítla Dímun sheep]], a variety of [[feral sheep]] survived on [[Little Dímun]] until the mid-19th century.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Ryder | first1 = M. L. | title = A survey of European primitive breeds of sheep | doi = 10.1186/1297-9686-13-4-381 | journal = Genetics Selection Evolution | volume = 13 | issue = 4 | pages = 381 | year = 1981 | pmid = | pmc = }}</ref> There is also a local breed of horse, the [[Faroe pony]]. ==Marine mammals== {{See also|Whaling in the Faroe Islands}} [[Image:Young seal at beach in the faroe islands (behind rocks).JPG|thumb|300px|A grey seal (''[[Halichoerus grypus]]''), on the beach in Sandvík 2004.]] [[Grey seal]]s (''Halichoerus grypus'') are very common around the Faroese shores. [[Harbor seal]]<nowiki/>s were breeding in the Faroes til sometimes mid 1800's, they are now an infrequent visitor, with the occasional pup or young seal spotted, eliciting hopes that it might start to breed again on the islands. Several species of [[whale]]s live in the waters around the Faroe Islands. Best known are the [[long-finned pilot whale]]s (''Globicephala melas''), but the more exotic [[killer whale]]s (''Orcinus orca'') sometimes visit the Faroese fjords, and this can lead to a somewhat dangerous encounter if you are in a small boat. [[Harbour porpoise|Harbor porpoise]]<nowiki/>s are the most frequently sighted [[cetacea]], and it stays around the islands year round, though it seems to be in larger numbers around the northern islands than the rest of the country. ==Amphibians== Naturally, there were no [[amphibian]]s in the Faroe Islands. But recently [[frogs]] (''[[Rana temporaria]]'') have been introduced to Faroe, and are breeding successfully on [[Nólsoy]]. A young [[toad]] (''[[Bufo bufo]]'') hibernating on [[Eysturoy]] was recorded in 2006; most likely a lost pet. ==Insects and other invertebrates == [[File:Faroe stamp 247 Perizoma albulata.jpg|thumb|right|Faroese grass rivulet (''[[Perizoma albulata]]'')]] [[fly|Flies]], [[moth]]s, [[spider]]s, [[beetle]]s, [[slugs]], [[snail]]s, [[earthworm]]s and other small [[invertebrate]]s are part of the indigenous fauna of the Faroe Islands. More recent introductions are the [[New Zealand flatworm]], the [[Spanish slug]], and the [[Vespula vulgaris|common wasp]] which all have become part of the natural fauna. [[Cockroach]]es, [[black garden ant]]s, [[pharaoh ant]]s and [[Helix pomatia|burgundy snail]]s have also been found, but it is not clear if they have become part of the established fauna. ==References== {{reflist}} ==Further reading== {{refbegin}} * {{cite journal | last1 = Klitgaard | first1 = A. B. | year = 1995 | title = The Fauna Associated with Outer Shelf and Upper Slope Sponges (Porifera, Demospongiae) at the Faroe Islands, Northeastern Atlantic | url = | journal = Sarsia | volume = 80 | issue = 1| page = 1 }} {{refend}} ==External links== * [http://www.faroenature.net Faroenature.net] (in Faroese) * [http://www.ngs.fo NGS.fo] (Faroe Islands Natural History Museum) {{Fauna of Europe}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Fauna Of The Faroe Islands}} [[Category:Fauna of the Faroe Islands| ]]'