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Unusual wildlife


People saw some loads of wildlife along the rivers and canals during last year’s wildlife survey. And this year doesn’t look to be any exception after the famous whale which swam along the Thames in central London in January.

Take a look at some of the more unusual wildlife that has been spotted:

Crocodile
A river or canal is not really the type of place you would expect to find a crocodile, but a small one was spotted last year. People can’t always tell the difference between crocodiles and alligators, but crocodiles live all over the world, whereas alligators are only found in China and America.

Did you know?

  • When a crocodile closes its mouth, you can still see its lower teeth;
    • Male crocs grow bigger than female ones;
    • Crocodiles can either be freshwater or saltwater;
    • Most crocodiles end up between 12 and 15 feet;
    • The longest ever crocodile found was over 33 feet.

Seal

Seals are quite furry creatures, with grey and brown fur over their bodies. They have long noses and you can't see their ears. Their population is quite small – there are only 350,000 seals in the world. Both males and females hiss, snarl, hoot and roar to communicate with each other.

  • Most of the UK’s seals live in Scotland and the two species that live in Britain are the Common and Grey seal;
    • A female seal is called a cow and a male is called a bull;
    • Seals are not the most sociable of creatures and tend to keep their distance from each other;
    • They generally survive on sand eels and cod, although they will eat other fish that crosses their path;
    • If you are in the right place to spot a seal, the best time to keep watch would be when the tide is out.

Whale

Not the most common site on our waterways, but most people will have heard about and seen pictures of the whale in the Thames. They are the largest mammals on Earth, so it’s unlikely you’ll see one swimming along the Grand Union Canal, but in case you do, here are a few facts about them

Did you know?

  • A whale can stay under water for more than one hour;
    • Some species can swim up to 30 miles per hour;
    • To communicate with one another, whales moan, groan, squeak and sigh;
    • The rhino is the nearest land relative to the whale;
    • Blue whales are the largest species.

Last updated: 22/10/2008