D

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Dýralíf

• Hreiðar Þór Valtýsson

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Dýralíf-DÝR 101

• Námslýsing
• Í áfanganum er fjallað um dýralíf á Íslandi og
  einkenni þess. Farið er í flokka dýraríkisins,
  ástæður tegundafæðar, uppruna og skyldleika dýra.
  Komið er inn á hryggleysingja og hryggdýr í sjó,
  vötnum og á landi með sérstakri áherslu á fugla,
  hvali og nytjafiska á Íslandi. Rakin er saga
  íslensku húsdýranna, uppruni þeirra, nytjar og
  áhrif þeirra á sögu og afkomu landsmanna. Lögð er
  áhersla á sérstöðu íslenska hundsins og hestsins.
  Nemendur eru þjálfaðir í notkun handbóka og
  efnisöflunar af veraldarvefnum. Fuglar eru
  skoðaðir á vettvangi og í vettvangsferðum er lögð
  áhersla á að nemendur kynnist íslensku dýralífi.
• Markmið - Nemandi kunni skil á
• villtum landspendýrum hér á landi
• sjávarspendýrum hér við land
• uppruna íslensku húsdýranna, einkennum þeirra,
  þróun og notagildi
• (fiskum hér við land)
• skordýrum og skeldýrum hér á landi
• einkennum fuglafánunnar og algengustu
  fuglategundum sem hér verpa
• samhenginu í fæðuvali dýra, lifnaðarháttum þeirra
  og gerð vistkerfa á Íslandi
• Nemendur fái þjálfun í notkun handbóka á þessu
  sviði

• 9. sept.
• Vilt spendýr
• 16. sept.
• Húsdýr
• 18. sept.
• Fuglar
• 7. okt.
• Fiskar
• 9. okt.
• Hryggleysingjar
• 15. okt
• Próf

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Wild mammals in Iceland

• Only one native land mammal that has been here
  since before settlement
• Also one of the toughest animal on earth - The
  arctic fox
• Other came here with human help
• Rarely seen, except reindeer in the east
• However, many marine mammals
• Whales and seals

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Arctic fox (Heimsskautarefur - Fjallarefur - tófa
- Vulpes lagopus)

• The only real native land mammal in Iceland
• Distribution Rare in the world, common all over
  Iceland, most common along the seashore
• special subspecies here, increasing in numbers
• Circumpolar in a narrow band,
• further north gt to little food
• further south gt competition with the red fox
• Here for longer than humans, skeleton in a 3400 y
  cave. Over the ice
• Shy and rarely seen, twilight zone animal, sleeps
  during day and night
• Hardy One of the toughest animals on earth
• Brown or white (some change colour in winter)
• Kills lambs and sick sheep, also birds, including
  chicken.
• Pest but attitude is changing, used to be
  bounties for killing foxes
• Mature 1 year old, pair for life
• Fur farming since 1980
• Estimated numbers 10.000 in fall, 6.000 hunted
  annually

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American mink (minkur - Neovison vison)

• Distribution North American musteline
  (marðardýr), related to ferrets and weasels
• Iceland Introduced as fur animal around 1930,
  escaped and spread all over
• Two species, European and American. The Icelandic
  one is an American
• Needs to be close to water (less than 5 km) that
  does not freeze, not in the highlands
• Is a pest here, kills birds and fishes
• Attempts to eradicate him have mostly failed

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Mice (Mýs)

• House mouse (Húsamús, Mus musculus)

• Wood mouse (Hagamús, Apodemus sylvaticus)

• Iceland Much rarer in Iceland than wood mouse
• Distribution Widespread all over the world
• Mainly associated with humans
• Exception Vestmannaeyjar islands only have house
  mouse
• But difficult to identify

• The most common rodent
• Iceland Usually in forests, but not here,
  Icelandic name field mouse
• Iceland is their northernmost place in the world,
  marginal area
• Larger here than usual, good to be larger and
  round in a cold climate
• Accidentally introduced Probably came here with
  the settlers, no rodents before

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Rats (rottur)

• Brown rat (Brúna rottan, Rattus norvegicus)

• Black rat (Svört rotta, Rattus rattus)

• Always associated with humans, does not live in
  the wild
• Very smart animals and the most common rat in
  Iceland
• Latecomer, probably 18th century

• The brown and the black rat hate each other, in
  Iceland the brown rat dominates
• Sometimes arrives with ships, exception the only
  rat species in Vestmannaeyjar islands
• Brought the black death to Europe but was then
  not in Iceland

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Reindeer, caribou (hreindýr, Rangifer tarandus)

• The only large wild animal in Iceland (polar
  bears excluded)
• Distribution Circumpolar, called Caribou in
  North America
• Deer family Both sexes have antlers unlike other
  deer
• Iceland introduced 1771-1787 during a
  difficult time (fjárkláðinn)
• Now only in eastern Iceland
• From northern Norway
• Domestic reindeer fit well into Icelandic
  agriculture cold period
• Released in several places, only successful in
  eastern Iceland
• Adapted superbly to cold climates, thick fur,
  hooves good in snow. Well suited for the
  Icelandic climate

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Polar bear (ísbjörn, Ursus maritimus)

• The largest carnivore on earth
• Frequent guest in Iceland with the sea ice (last
  in spring 2011) usually shot
• Ca. 1 every 2 years, perhaps more
• Considered dangerous if isolated here but no
  human fatalities in 20th and 19th century

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Other land mammals

• Natusiuss pipistrelle (trítilblaka, Pipistrellus
  nathusii) 3 animals, European
• Little brown bat (ljósfæla, Myotis lucifugus) 2
  animals, American
• Hoary bat (hrímblaka, Lasiurus cinerus) 4
  animals, American
• Rabbit (kanína, Oryctolagus cuniculus) -
  Introduced recently, now wild
• Brown hare (gráhéri, Lepus europeanus)
  introduced in 1784, disappeared soon
• Mountain hare (snæhéri, Lepus timidus) intr. in
  1861 and later, disappeared
• Coypu (bjórrotta, Myocastor coypus) fur farming
  in 1932, died
• Red fox (rauðrefur, Vulpes vulpes)- intr. fur
  animals in 1929, escaped, died, hybrids known
• Ferret (fretta, Mustela furo) introduced fur
  animals 1910, not continued
• Raccoon (þvottabjörn, Procyon lotar) Intr. Fur
  animals 1932, not continued
• Muskoxen (sauðnaut, Ovibos moschatus)
  introduced 1929, released and died
• Unknown deer species prehistoric, 3 million
  year old fossils

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Tölfræði landspendýr
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Seals (selir)

• Seals fairly common in Icelandic waters.
• Further north in the high Arctic they are even
  more abundant.
• The only species that breed in Icelandic waters
  are the common (15.000) and the grey seals
  (6.000)
• The Greenland or harp seal and the bearded seal,
  ringed seal and hooded seals are vagrants, but
  frequently seen
• The walrus is rare
• They are in fact a group within carnivores (meat
  eaters)
• The feet have evolved into flippers
• Good swimmers but have to come ashore to have
  pups
• Are most common in the colder parts of the world
• Have a thick layer of fat (blubber) to protect
  themselves from the cold

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Seals (selir)
Teikningar Jón Baldur Hlíðberg www.fauna.is
Norrænir Suðrænir
Ringed seal - hringanóri
Harp seal - vöðuselur
Bearded seal - kampselur
Walrus - rostungur
Hooded seal - blöðruselur
Grey seal - útselur
Harbor seal - landselur
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Seals (selir)
Photos Rúnar Þór, Skafti Hallgrímsson, Hlynur
Ármansson, Hreiðar Þór Valtýsson, Esko Pettay
Bearded seal - kampselur
Walrus - rostungur
Grey seal - útselur
Hooded seal pup - blöðruselskópur
Ringed seal - hringanóri
Harp seal - vöðuselur
Harbor seal - landselur
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Harbour seal (landselur)

• The most common seal her, about 15.000 animals
• All around Iceland, rarest in NE part
• Often close to land, among skerries and islands
• Rather southern species, not associated with the
  Ice, both in the N. Atlantic and N. Pacific.
• Sexually mature 4 year old, pup (kæpir) in the
  fifth
• Pups in spring
• Takes care of the pup for one month, then it is
  goodbye
• Adults molt (skipta um feld) and mate after that
• Eats and rest for the rest of the year
• The make larger as in al seals polygamy
  (fjölkvæni)
• Can reach up to 100 kg

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Grey seal (útselur)

• Larger than harbor seal, longer face
• Found along the S, V and NV coast, warm loving
• More shy than the harbor seal, usually further
  away from human settlements
• Around 6000 animals, shrinking
• Pups in September (haustselur), later than harbor
  seal
• Polygamous, male much larger than female
• Sexually mature at 5, can be 40 year old
• Mortality (afföll) high for pups, few things can
  kill an adult
• Food similar as land seals, mostly fishes such as
  cod, sculpin (marhnútur), lumpsuckers
  (hrognkelsi), wolffishes (steinbítur)
• Eats 4 its own weight per day
• Sometimes blamed for eating fish stuck in nets

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Whales (hvalir)

• The largest group of marine mammals
• Nearly perfectly adapted to marine life
• Never go on land
• Body streamlined similar to fishes
• Have a pair of flippers
• No rear legs
• Have flippers
• Often with dorsal fin
• Thick layer of fat, blubber, to insulate from the
  cold
• Almost no hair left
• Need to come to the surface to breathe, noses
  usually on top of the head
• Most species in the sea, a few in large rivers

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Baleen whales (skíðishvalir)

• Baleen whales, 11 species
• Have two blowing holes
• Great migrations from the tropics in winter to
  the colder waters in summer
• All large, the blue whale the largest animal on
  earth, probably ever
• Have baleen (called skis in Icelandic) instead of
  teeth. Made from the same material as hair
• Filter zooplankton from the ocean with the baleen

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Toothed whales (tannhvalir)

• Toothed whales, about 80 species
• More diverse than the baleen whales in size and
  looks, most species much smaller
• Size from porpoises (the size of a large fish) to
  sperm whale (size of sei whale)
• Toothed whales the top of the food chain in the
  ocean, eat fish, squid and sometimes other marine
  mammals
• The killer whale is the most ferocious predator
  in the ocean
• Some species can dive down to great depths to get
  food
• Have one blowing hole
• Have teeth to grab slippery food, swallow the
  food whole
• Find food by echolocation, emit sound waves and
  hear the echo from other animals
• Large brain and smart, especially the bottlenose
  dolphin, a species common in aquariums

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Whales (hvalir)

• Whales very common around Iceland hot spot
• Important players in the ecosystem
• The species are (northern N. Atlantic)
• 5 species baleen whales that are regularly seen
• 2 species baleen whales that are rare guests now
• 1 species that is extinct
• 7 species toothed whales that are regularly seen
• 8 species toothed whales that are rare guests

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Blue whale (Steipireyður eða bláhvalur)
Balaenoptera musculus

• The largest animal now and probably ever, 30 m
  and 180 t
• In all oceans, but few animals left due to
  overexploitation in the past, recovering very
  slowly
• In cold waters in summer and warmer waters in
  winter
• Feeds mainly on planktonic crustaceans
• Hunted until 1959
• Numbers around Iceland estimated 1.000 , 6.000 to
  14.000 in the whole world.
• Mostly oceanic

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Blue whale (Steipireyður eða bláhvalur)
Balaenoptera musculus
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Fin whale (Langreyður) Balaenoptera physalus

• The second largest animal on earth, 27 m and 100
  t
• In all oceans, overexploited in the past,
  recovered in the North Atlantic
• In cold waters in summer and warmer waters in
  winter
• Feeds mainly on planktonic crustaceans, pelagic
  fish in some areas
• Hunted in Iceland from 1952 to 1989 and from 2008
  to 2011
• Numbers around Iceland estimated 24.000, 120.000
  to 150.000 in the world.
• Common enough in the N. Atlantic to sustain
  annual catches of 200 animals (MRI)
• Only oceanic

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Sei whale (Sandreyður) Balaenoptera borealis

• A big animal, 19 m and 30 t, Similar in many
  respects as the fin whale
• Global, primarily found in the warmer waters
  south and west of Iceland.
• Arrives later, leaves earlier
• Hunted in Iceland from 1952 to 1989
• Numbers around Iceland estimated 10.500 animals,
  50.000 to 70.000 in the world.
• Common enough in the N. Atlantic to sustain
  annual catches of 100 animals (MRI)
• Only oceanic

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Common minke whale (Hrefna) Balaenoptera
acutorostrata

• A somewhat large animal, 10 m and 10 t
• Global distribution, quite common, often in more
  shallow waters than the larger baleen whales
• Hunted in Iceland from 1945 to 1989 and from 2008
  to 2012. Hunted from small boats but not the
  large specialized boats used to hunt the larger
  whales. About 100 animals hunted this year
• Numbers around Iceland estimated 44.000 animals,
  1.000.000 in the whole world. The stock could be
  larger now than ever (less competition from the
  larger cousins)
• Common enough in Icelandic waters to sustain
  annual catches of 400 animals (MRI)
• Coastal and oceanic

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Common minke whale (Hrefna) Balaenoptera
acutorostrata

• Much more opportunistic, feed on plankton as well
  as fish

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Humpback whale (Hnúfubakur)Megaptera novaeangliae

• Big and heavy, 16 m and 50 t
• Chubbier than the other baleen whales, more
  playful, a good singer
• Global distribution, but rare in most parts of
  the world due to overexploitation inn the past
• Has not been hunted in Icelandic grounds since
  1910
• Has been very slow to recover until lately that
  it has become quite common around Iceland, both
  inshore (to the pleasure of the whale watching
  companies) and offshore (to the horror of the
  pelagic fishermen)
• Opportunistic, feed on plankton as well as fish
• Numbers around Iceland estimated at around 14.000
  animals, increasing rapidly
• Coastal and oceanic

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Rare baleen whales

• Bowhead whale (Grænlandssléttbakur) rare guest
  from the north, last seen 1879
• Northern right whale (Íslandssléttbakur) rare
  guest from the south
• Both the primary prey for the first whalers
• Both species are still at risk of extinction and
  have not recovered after intensive hunting in the
  past
• Grey whale (gráhvalur eða sandlægja) used to be
  in the North Atlantic, including Iceland until it
  went extinct in the 17th or 18th century,

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Sperm whale (Búrhvalur)Physeter macrocephalus

• Largest of the toothed whales, 18 m in length and
  34 t
• Global, all around Iceland, but most common above
  steep slopes, oceanic
• Deep water species dive down to 2000 m depth, and
  possibly more.
• The main food is squid but also eat fishes such
  as redfishes and lumpsuckers
• Catch 100 animals annually between 1948 and 1985.
• Estimated numbers in Icelandic and Faroese waters
  are about 11,000 animals.
• Males can be more than three times heavier than
  females.
• All sperm whales in Icelandic waters are males
  females rarely into colder waters.

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Northern bottlenose whale (Andanefja) Hyperoodon
ampullatus

• Large for a toothed whale. males 9 m and 4.5 t,
  the females are smaller.
• North Atlantic but a close relative in the
  southern hemisphere.
• Deep water, rarely seen close to land
• All around Iceland, most common over the shelf
  break east and west of the country. When close to
  shore they can be in trouble since strandings are
  common.
• The primary food is squid but fishes have also
  been found in its stomach.
• Not actively hunted by Icelanders, hunted by
  Norwegians
• A rough estimate in the entire North Atlantic is
  50,000 to 100,000 animals.

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Long- finned pilot whale (Grindhvalur, marsvín)
Globicephala melas

• Average size of males, which are larger, is 5.5 m
  and 1.7 t
• are members of the dolphin family
• Common in the N. Atlantic, population size ca
  780,000 in the NE Atlantic.
• Hunted in the Faroe Islands where pods are driven
  ashore and slaughtered.
• The annual catch has for centuries been from 800
  to 2,000 animals
• Mass stranding of pilot whales is not uncommon in
  Iceland, hunting rare in Iceland.
• Found offshore all around Iceland
• Squid is the main food

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Harbour or common porpoise (Hnýsa) Phocoena
phocoena

• Smallest whale, not related to dolphins,
• Maximum size 2 m long and 90 kg, males smaller
• Common in Icelandic waters, coastal, migratory
• Mainly feeds on small fishes such as capelin,
  sandeels or redfishes
• The number 27,000 individuals,
• The porpoise grows quite fast and becomes mature
  2 or 3 years old

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Killer whales (háhyrningur)Orcinus orca

• The largest dolphin in the world (10 m and 6 t).
• Found all around the world. The most widely
  distributed animal in the world
• Top predator of the ocean, very clever hunter.
• Common all around Icelandic waters, feeds
  largely on herring here.
• Estimated numbers around Iceland about 5.000
  animals.
• Norwegian boats caught about 300 in Icelandic
  waters from 1955 to 1972.
• Hunted alive for aquariums (Free Willy). Most
  aquarium killer whales from Iceland

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Dolphins (höfrungar)

• White beaked dolphin (hnýðingur - Lagenorhynchus
  albirostris)
• Most common dolphin around Iceland, all around,
  offshore and inshore,
• Numbers in Icelandic waters a few tens of
  thousands
• Feeding habits diverse capelin, herring and
  codfishes
• Dolphin hunting has never been conducted in
  Icelandic waters on an industrial scale. However,
  they were hunted when the opportunity came.
• White sided dolphin (leiftur - Lagenorhynchus
  acutus)
• Similar to the white beaked dolphin but smaller
  and slimmer
• Exclusively an open ocean animal and therefore
  almost never seen close to land.
• Mostly found south of Iceland.
• A few hundred thousand animals are thought to be
  in the North Atlantic.
• Never been hunted in Icelandic waters, rarely
  drown in nets.
• Other dolphins rare guest from the south
• Striped dolphin (rákaskoppari)
• Bootlenose dolphin (stökkull)
• Common dolphin (léttir)

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Other toothed whales

• Rare toothed whales
• Belugas and narwhals are rare guests from the
  high Arctic.
• Three species of beaked whales are also known.
  They are however deep sea whales and very little
  is known about them

Narwal (náhvalur)
Blainvilles beaked whale (gáshnallur)
Cuviers beaked whale (norðsnjáldri)
Sowebys beaked whale (króksnjáldri)
Beluga (mjaldur)
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Whale diet
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Whales
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Whaling

• Whaling has been conducted in Icelandic waters
  throughout the centuries
• Small scale whaling since settlement
• Spears did not have a line attached to them
• But the whale would eventually die and be
  beached.
• Strict rules applied to stranded whales
• Natural whale strandings also important. whale
  stranding good luck.
• Industrial whaling by Basques (later others) in
  the 16th century Right whales
• Norwegian explosive harpoon used on motor
  boats, 1880, Other baleen whales
• Whaling stations in Iceland, whales
  overexploitation
• 1883 1916 Norwegian hunting of baleen whales
  in Iceland
• 1912 whaling banned
• 1929 1934 Norwegian factory whalers did hunt
  in Icelandic grounds
• 1935 1939 Small scale hunting of fin and sei
  whales in Tálknafjörður
• 1948 1985 Hvalfjörður, 200 fin, 70 sei, 80
  sperm whales per year
• 1986 1989 Scientific whaling
• 1990 2003 no whaling
• 2003 Commercial whaling re-established

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Whaling

• Extinct stocks
• Grey whales in the Atlantic Right whale stocks
  ??
• Stocks that have not recovered
• Blue whale, Right whale
• Stock that have or are recovering, some slowly
• Fin, sei, humpback, grey (in the pacific), sperm
  whales
• Stocks that were never harvested to low numbers
• Minke, brydes whales

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Whaling - current

• Whaling is now conducted by many nations, the
  largest are USA, Russia, Japan, Norway, Iceland
  and Greenland.
• No international laws on total moratorium on
  whaling Common misunderstanding there is
• Nations that have signed the CITES act
  (Convention on International Trade in Endangered
  Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) cannot trade in
  whale products as all large whales are listed
  there as endangered (which many of them are not).
  Iceland signed with reservations for whales
• Most scientists agree that many whale stocks are
  in good conditions or have recovered from
  previous whaling

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Whaling in Iceland
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Whale watching

• Whale watching began in 1995, late but fast
  growing, 1998 the whale museum
• Húsavík now the whale watching capital of Iceland
• Often seen are Humpback, minkes, white sided
  dolphin, porpoise
• Research
• Sightings surveys
• Population structure and behaviour with
  photo-identification, satellite telemetry and
  skin biopsy sampling
• Feeding ecology and multi-species modelling.
• Monitoring and research of stranded and
  by-caught cetaceans

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Marine mammal statistics
46
Reptiles (skriðdýr)

• There are no wild reptiles in Iceland
• Isnt this correct?
• No lizards (eðlur)
• No snakes (snákar)
• No crocodiles (krókódílar)
• No turtles (skjaldbökur)

RANGT
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Reptiles (skriðdýr)

• Worlds largest sea turtle has been seen here
• Leatherback turtle (Leðurbaks-skjaldbakan -
  Dermochelys coriacea)
• Dead leatherback was found in Steingrímsfjörður
  1963
• Also seen from a whale watching boat in 2007
  south of Iceland.
• Unlike other reptiles it is has warm blood