What plant or animal is most characteristic and typical or representative of where you live?

Question

This is a repeat question as I liked the answers!

Or other organism (excluding humans) or even a fossil.

I was thinking of what organism you would put on a sign, symbol, flag, stamp, coaster etc. to represent the wildlife of your region.

Specify where you live, of course.

Answer 1

Cornwall UK , the chuff (bird) is the local symbol (official) , I'd think about putting the Beast of Bodmin on a stamp though or maybe sea pinks for plants.

My favourite would be a blenny , I can't resist their little goggly eyes.

Answer 2

London. I live near a small area of scrubbery so we have a lot of foxes around. They're not afraid of humans really, so I see them almost every day in the evenings.

It's nice to think that a reasonably large carnivore can survive in the middle of the city. Other than foxes, the only other mammals I see are squirrels - which also brighten my brick and concrete day.

Answer 3

I live in an area where there is high unemployment, the local wildlife hangs around on street corners drinking cans of beer and smoking cheap cigarettes and hand rolled tobacco, they spit swear and fart a lot and every now and then they get into a fight.
The animal that I am referring to is of course the "dolewoller" commonly known as the "sponger".

Answer 4

Oak Tree
Coyotes
Western Scrub Jays

Out here in Los Angeles, CA

Answer 5

The bear. We have a lot of black bear out here. North WA
Funny story: My b/f had an Akita and she was almost black. One day I was visiting him and out by his male box was his dog. (mail box is about 1/2 mile from the house) I got out of my car and opened the passenger door for her to get in. As I'm calling her I feel something big behind me. I jump back into the car and close all the doors. Oops it was a baby bear cub I was trying to get in my car, and mom was not happy with me.

Answer 6

nice question, made me think
Well I live in the county of Bedfordshire in the UK.Our county flag has 3 scallop-like shells on it.The reason is twofold.This particular kind of shell in medieval times was a symbol of pilgrimage, and John Bunyan, of the village of Elstow, near Bedford wrote the book "Pilgrim's Progress".Also a kind of bivalve called the freshwater cockle was farmed here in days gone by.The village of Haynes in mid-Bedfordshire still has a road called "cocklepond lane".Certain introduced species, and indeed re-introduced species could represent our county, inluding the grey squirrel, the muntjac deer, the american mink and the european wild boar.One could look to the "safari Park" at Woburn in Bedfordshire, whre the Pere-David's deer of China was intruduced and saved from extinction by a breeding program (in fact large numbers, bred at Woburn have been sent to China to re-populate the species.)Ner Whipsnade zoo in southern Bedfordshire, there is a large lion cut in the chalk hills that can be seen from miles away.Gorgeous blue butterflies are also natives of the chalk hills.On the river in Bedford it'self are large numbers of Mute swans.As for fossils, in the Jurrasic era Bedfordshire-and most of southern England-was a shallow sae, the fossils of many marine reptiles and dinosaurs have been found, Pliosaurs ans icthyiosaurs for example.In the village I grew up in there was a large herd of dairy cattle-fresians- next to my house.Hares are abundant and can be seen "boxing" in the spring near a disused WWII airfield.In recent years with cleaner rivers , otters have made a comeback.Badgers can be found in the woods, pheasants and partridges can be seen in the fields.Local breweries release ales and brew lagers under liscence from abroad named after animals..(albeit some of them mythological) "Ki-rin","Eagle","Black dragon" to name just 3.Once rare raptors such as red kites and ospreys have been seen in the county, the charitable organisation the "Royal Society fot the Protection of Birds" (RSPB) has it's HQ in the county, and has the Avocet, a wading bird as it's symbol.In the town centre of Bedford one can see grimy urban pigeons, and at night urban foxes.Hedgehogs visit my garden on summer evenings.Rare Naterjack toads, a nocturnal bird called a nightjar (goatsucker in North America) and a species of very rare wasp can be found here.
The choice is overwhelming.
But for me, to represent the County of Bedfordshire..I would choose the short-necked Pliosaur, once swimming over this very county was a real sea-dragon.

Answer 7

Mice, Rats and Seventh Day Evangelists - Tottenham, London

Answer 8

I live in Newcastle Under Lyme and there seem to be an inordinate number of magpies round here.

Answer 9

Squirrel and Poison Ive

Answer 10

Leicestershire (UK) - county emblem is the fox, due to the hunting history of the county (still have a major pack in the region - the Quorn Hunt)

Or my uni address - Liverpool (UK) - a beetle (Beatle) - sorry, couldn't resist....