Irish Animals

		Deer by Alan Deer are mammals that chew the cud. What marks them out from antelope and others is the fact that they have antlers - a pair of solid and usually branching horns which fall off every year and then they are regrown. You can tell how old a deer is by the number of horns on his antlers. In kinds that have antlers, these grow out every year from small bony knobs on their head. At first they are covered with a soft hairy skin called velvet.

	The Owl by Andrew The animal I am going to write about is a barn owl. The owl is a night bird and it flys around looking for prey like mice. It also likes other small animals. They sleep during the day but are wide awake during the night. There are many kinds of owls -there are screech owls, there are red owls, there are brown owls but my favourite is the barn owl.

	Deer by Eoin	Deer live mostly in the woods. Most deer have short tails and long legs. Deer can run very fast. They have hooves on their feet and are part of the big group called "Hoofed Mammals". There are lots of different kinds of deer. Deer live mostly all over the World except for Africa, Australia and the Antarctica. Deer come in lots of sizes. The male deer usually grows antlers on its head. It uses them to fight for a female mate. Certain small deer however, do not have any antlers, they have tusks instead. The female deer usually can only bear one or two young at a time. Most kind of young are called "Fawns".

Hare by Jane You can tell a hare from a rabbit in two ways. First, the hare has bigger ears and bigger feet. Second, after the hare is born it starts hopping, but the rabbit is helpless. Hares have very good eyesight, keen noses and good hearing and so they are quick to become aware of danger. Hares can run fast and far with the help of their long hind legs. Hares like to eat vegetables and grain.

	Fox by Janine

The fox is one of the cleverest animals and hundreds of stories have been told about his cunning. Their homes are generally burrows in the ground, called "earths" which they leave at night to hunt birds, rabbits, mice, poultry and frogs. The red fox is found in parts of Europe, Asia and in North America. It is about three feet long from its about three feet long from its nose to the tip of its tail, the tail itself being 12 to 16 inches long. Its back is a reddish brown and its face white and his body underneath is white also. The American red fox is a bit larger and has longer hair.

	Hawk and Falcon by John and James

Hawks and Falcons have very strong feet with sharp claws and strong hooked beaks with which they tear up their food. The females are usually larger than the males. Falcons have long pointed wings while those of the hawks are shorter and more rounded and though both are rapid flyers, the falcons are the swifter. Falcons have dark eyes, whereas the eyes of hawks are light coloured. There are great numbers of falcons in various parts of the world.

	Rabbits by Ian and Daniel

Small animals often tunnel under the ground to make burrows. Rabbits live in large groups. They join their tunnels to make a warren. The rabbits all share the main tunnels. The mothers breed their young in the side tunnels, which are dead ends. The warren is a network of tunnels and homes. Several hundred rabbits may live in one warren.

	Mouse by Conor

Mice have been used in satellite experiments by space scientists. The long tailed field mouse is sometimes said to be the commonest mammal in Ireland. It is yellow-brown above and whitish below with white feet. Its body and tail is between 7 to 10cm long. Long tailed field mice eat all kinds of plant food, particularly seed and fruit, and sometimes harm growing crops. On the farms cats kill field mice, and other wild animals such as weasels and kestrels. Owls also help the cat.

	Mole by Brian

The mole is a strong animal. Moles have long sharp claws to dig holes. When the mole sees danger it digs a hole. When a baby mole is born it cannot see but it can hear. Moles are nice and fluffy.

	Deer by Derek

The fallow Deer is a little shorter than the red deer. And in summer its bright reddish brown coat has white spots. The red deer is our largest and most majestic wild animal. Today red deer are found only in the upland mountains of Donegal, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Wicklow and Kerry.

	Goat by Elizabeth

Goats may have been the first hoofed animals that man ever tamed. People raise goats in many places through the world. The different kinds of goats live in the wild. Like cows, goats are kept for their milk. They are also kept for their meat, hair and hide. Many tame goats have been used to pull carts. The earliest goats were animals of steep hills and mountains.

	Fox by Michelle

One of the cleverest animals is the fox. Hundreds of stories have been told of his cunning. When pursued by hounds he will wade brooks or leap on the back of running sheep to break the trail of scent, which the dogs are following. Sometimes he will pretend to be dead even allowing himself to be handled in the hope of escape later. His bright eyes, sharp muzzle, pointed ears and bushy tail all make him look watchful and lively. Foxes belong to the dog family and they are much the same to look at except in colour and have similar habits. Their homes are generally burrows called an earth.

	Mole by Caoimhe

One mole can dig as much as twenty metres of tunnel in one day. Their front legs are well shaped to dig the soil and shovel it aside. As they dig, worms fall down from the roofs of the tunnels. Moles feed on worms and other small animals. The European mole is fifteen centimetres long, with a tail of two centimetres.

	Fox by Craig

A fox has a long, bushy tail, big pointed ears and a small nose. Its eyes are bright and watchful. It looks like a dog and is part of the dog family. There are many stories about how smart a fox can be when it is being chased by hounds. It may swim down a river or run along the top of a wall to throw the hounds off the scent. It may zigzag or double back on its own path. The fox may even run in a big circle and come up behind the hounds.