Below you can find a complete list of Macedonian animals. We currently track 221 animals in Macedonia and are adding more every day!
The complexities of Macedonia’s fauna make it a beautiful and welcoming home to over 10,000 different species of animals to just the northern region. More specifically, it is home to 16 unique species of snakes, but only three of these species are dangerous and venomous. Birds account for 300 different species that have been found in the country, though they do not all build nests for long-term stays.
The unique zoological structure has led Macedonia to host many endemic species that can’t be found anywhere else. The lynx, for example, is specific to the mountain region in North Macedonia. With the lion as the national animal of Macedonia, the locals have made it clear how important the many species of birds, snakes, mammals, and invertebrates are to their home.
The Official National Animal of Macedonia
In Macedonia, the official national animal is the Macedonian Lion. The country holds such a high honor for this national animal that it is featured on their coat of arms, holding a crown adopt its head. It is one of the oldest symbols in Europe, though the skin of the animal was once worn by Macedonian kings (including Alexander the Great on the silver tetradrachm of Macedonia).
A lion sculpture was erected centuries ago after the Greeks were defeated by the Macedonians in central Greece. The sculpture of the Macedonian lion matches the one that can be seen in Amphipolis.
Where to Find the Top Wild Animals in Macedonia
Among the forests in Macedonia, wildlife like wild boars, foxes, chamois, bears, and deer run freely. The wildlife in this region is vast and abundant, but there are a few endemic species that only find their home in certain areas. For instance, the lynx is a unique and rare sighting, only typically arising in the mountains in the northwest region of Macedonia. Deer, on the other hand, have many endemic species that prefer to live in Demir Kapija.
Other wild animals include:
- Chamois, which lives in the European mountains.
- Common buzzard, which is found throughout Europe.
- European pine vole, which is a mouse that is widespread across Macedonia.
Ultimately, Macedonia’s habitat is such a welcoming area that it would be more difficult to find a place without wildlife than with it.
The Most Dangerous Animals in Macedonia Today
Even though there are many small animals in Macedonia that pose no threat, it is still home to dangerous wildlife like brown bears, which have attacked over 600 people in the last 15 years. However, the country authorized the legal killing of animals, despite banning wolf hunting. While there have been attacks by predators like the lynx and the wolf, no deaths have been recorded. The thousands of insect species are much more dangerous. Other dangerous animals include the Mediterranean black widow and the sea urchin.
North Macedonia is home to three venomous and highly dangerous snakes, which include the Montpellier snakes and the European cat snakes. Interestingly, the latter is an endemic species to the Mediterranean region and Caucasus region.
Endangered Animals in Macedonia
The biggest threat to wildlife in Macedonia is the impact that humans have had on the environment. Between the marsh draining and the agricultural use of land, an unfortunate number of endemic species are endangered, and a few have become extinct.
Some of the endangered species include:
- Common tortoise, which is also known as Hermann’s tortoise that is commonly exported out of the region.
- Egyptian vulture, which has largely been endangered as the result of poisoning by the chemicals used in agriculture.
- Bechstein’s bat, which tends to live in woodland areas and has been exceedingly difficult to locate for years.
As of 2018, the country has reported 8 extinct nesting species of birds. Though the golden jackal was once considered extinct, it has since been re-established in some areas. Without further protection, there is a major risk of extinction among other endemic species of Macedonia.
Macedonian Animals
Stunningly beautiful wings
First evolved 100 million years ago!
They are so named because they "march" in armies of worms from one crop to another in search of food
Extinct ancestor of all domesticated cattle!
Has a curved, upturned beak!
Can reach speeds of 30 km/h!
The Balkan lynx communicates mostly with its ears
Found everywhere around the world!
Older offspring help care for new hatchlings.
Detects prey using echolocation!
Bed bugs feed for 4-12 minutes.
Rock paintings of bees date back 15,000 years
There are more than 350,000 different species
Not all birds are able to fly!
The biscuit beetle form a symbiotic relationship with yeast
They typically prey on insects!
Females glue egg cases to furniture
A dominant predator in it's environment!
Can live its entire life indoors
The most common species of bee!
There are thought to be up 17,500 species!
The camel crickets that are found in the USA are light brown in color. They also have dark streaks all over their body.
Carpenter ants can lift up to seven times their own weight with their teeth!
May have been domesticated up to 10,000 years ago.
The larvae of a moth or butterfly!
There are nearly 3,000 different species!
There are about 3,000 documented species!
Natively found in the European mountains!
First domesticated more than 10,000 years ago!
Cicadas have one of the longest insect lifespans
Dated to be around 300 million years old!
Pupae are able to undergo diapause to survive poor fruit yield years and winter.
The most common raptor in the UK!
European adders are the only snake that lives above the Arctic Circle.
Found throughout the European continent!
The common furniture beetle feeds exclusively on wood
House spiders have the ability to eat most insects in a home.
Also known as the Great Northern Diver
A group of ravens is called an unkindness or a conspiracy.
Most active in wet weather!
They can fly 35 mph and dive 150 feet below water.
There are nearly 1.5 billion worldwide!
There are 93 different crab groups
Crab Spiders can mimic ants or bird droppings
Many are critically endangered species!
Male crickets can produce sounds by rubbing their wings together
A group of these birds is called a Murder.
There are around 40 different species!
The Devil’s coach horse beetle can emit a noxious substance to deter predators
First domesticated in South-East Asia!
Dog ticks feed on dogs and other mammals
First domesticated 5,000 years ago!
Found in Europe, Africa and Asia!
It's larvae are carnivorous!
Rows of tiny plates line their teeth!
The dung beetle can push objects many times its own weight
Has exceptional eyesight!
They are hermaphrodites, which means they have male and female organs
There are nearly 2,000 different species!
Are known to guard the muddy banks!
Eels can be a mere few inches long to 13 feet!
They steal large ostrich eggs and use rocks and pebbles to crack the shells.
The shy eurasian bullfinch prefers to forage very close to cover.
The Eurasian jay has the ability to mimic other sounds
They can eat up to 250 bees per day!
They are frequent visitors to backyard feeders, especially those containing niger seeds.
Male robins are so aggressive and territorial that they will attack their own reflections.
The fastest creatures on the planet!
The fallow deer has more variation in its coat colors than most other deer.
False spiders actually prey on black widow spiders and other hazardous spiders
Ferrets can be trained to do tricks like dogs!
Found across mainland Europe and Asia!
Its name comes from the fact that people once believed it was born in fire
The firefly produces some of the most efficient light in the world
Adult fleas can jump up to 7 inches in the air
There are more than 240,000 different species!
Can glide up to 90 meters!
Only 12 species are considered "true foxes"
There are around 7,000 different species!
Fruit flies are among the most common research animals in the world
They make many sounds when trying to attract a mate.
The most common type of urban roach
Found inhabiting dense woodland and caves!
Males form large mating swarms at dusk
Most closely related to the Sheep!
Migrates between Europe and Asia!
There are 29 different species!
There are 11,000 known species!
One of the most invasive species in the world
Able to run as quickly backwards as forwards!
Can reach speeds of over 50 mph!
Many hawk moth caterpillars eat toxins from plants, but don’t sequester them the way milkweed butterflies do. Most toxins are excreted.
Thought to be one of the oldest mammals on Earth!
Inhabits wetlands around the world!
Natively found in the Scottish Highlands!
There are only 8 recognized species!
Honey buzzards are medium-sized raptors that earned their names by raiding the nests of bees and wasps.
Stunning bird with a stinky way to deter predators!
Has evolved over 50 million years!
Horseflies have been seen performing Immelmann turns, much like fighter jets.
Thought to have orignated 200,000 years ago!
Some huntsman spiders have an interesting way of moving around. Some cartwheel while others do handsprings or backflips.
There are an estimated 30 million species!
Can maintain speeds of 16 km/h!
The jackdaw tends to mate for life with a single partner
Some can jump 50 times the length of their bodies
Inhabits wetlands and woodlands worldwide!
There are more than 5,000 species worldwide!
Lazarus Lizards can communicate through chemical and visual signals.
Does not hibernate during the bitter Arctic winter!
While linnets are monogamous during mating season, they do not mate for life. While breeding pairs are together, the males are highly territorial and will defend the nesting site and the surrounding area.
There are around 5,000 different species!
Each locust can eat its weight in plants each day.
Ear tufts make it look bigger!
Often hangs upside down while feeding!
They are found across Europe, Asia and Africa!
There are 2,500 known species worldwide!
They have a symbiotic relationship with ants.
Some species have a poisonous bite!
Primarily hunts and feeds on Earthworms!
Adult Mole crickets may fly as far as 5 miles during mating season and are active most of the year.
Has characteristics of two or more breeds!
Feeds on aquatic insects and water-spiders!
Only the female mosquito actually sucks blood
There are 250,000 different species!
Found on every continent on Earth!
The offspring of a horse and donkey parents!
Roamed Asia and Europe for around 100,000 years!
Nematodes range in size from 1/10 of an inch to 28 feet long
Able to regrow lost or damaged limbs!
Named more than 1,000 years ago!
There are more than 5,000 species.
Northern pintails migrate at night with speeds reaching 48 miles per hour!
The fangs of a nose-horned viper can be as long as half an inch!
Females are about four times the size of males
The tradition of hiding your face with a napkin or towel while eating this bird was begun by a priest who was a friend of the great French gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin.
They reuse nesting sites for 70 years!
There are 13 different species worldwide
The owl can rotate its head some 270 degrees
Females lay between 8 and 12 eggs per clutch!
Thought to have been domesticated in 9,000 BC!
They can find their way back to their nests from up to 1300 miles away.
Found in mountainous regions and rocky areas
A pine marten can jump from tree to tree similar to a squirrel.
There are 500 different species!
The rarest amphibian in the UK!
There are 30 different species worldwide!
The mantis can turn its head 180 degrees.
Inhabits deciduous forests!
Caterpillars squirt formic acid!
Inhabits woodland and forest areas worldwide!
There are more than 300 different species!
Known to wash their food before eating it!
The only hibernating canine!
Omnivores that eat anything!
Rat snakes are constrictors from the Colubridae family of snakes.
They build their nests off the ground in tree holes, cavities, stone walls, and roofs
Inhabits freshwater habitats around the world!
There are more than 45 species in Australia alone!
The capybara, the world’s largest rodent, likes to be in and around bodies of water. Because of this, the Catholic Church in South America decided that it was a fish, and people were allowed to eat it during Lent and First Fridays.
The roe is one of the most popular game animals in Europe
Will mate with the entire flock!
Its scientific name, lagopus, is Ancient Greek for “hare” and “foot,” referring to its feathered feet and toes.
Ferrets were used during the Revolutionary War to keep down the rat population.
There are more than 700 different species!
Males turn green in spring!
There are around 2,000 known species!
The sea eagle tends to mate for life with a single partner
Males give birth to up to 1,000 offspring!
The short-eared owl is one of the most widespread owl species in the world, covering five continents.
The spinal column of the shrew Scutisorex somereni is so strong and reinforced that it can support the weight of an adult human.
There are 2,000 different species worldwide!
Some skinks lay eggs in some habitats while giving birth to skinklets in other habitats.
Found widely throughout British gardens!
They glide around on one foot, which is aided by the slime they produce
Has up to 45 eggs per egg case
There are nearly 1,000 different species!
There are around 4,000 known species worldwide
One of the largest owl species in the world!
A male song thrush can have over 100 phrases in his repertoire of songs and can imitate pet birds, telephones and other man-made objects.
They spend most of their time underground!
There are 140 different species!
They prey on spiders to feed their larvae or they parasitize other spider wasps.
Small rodents found in woodlands worldwide!
There are more than 3,000 different species!
Average adults weigh about 200 grams!
They can’t sing like other birds.
Populations have been affected by pollution!
The most widespread owl in Europe!
Their mounds can be up to 9 meters tall!
The American robin is called the robin because its red breast reminded European settlers of the robin back in the old country.
They inject hosts with a chemical that stops them from feeling the pain of the bite
The adult tiger beetle is one of the fastest land insects in the world
The bright colors of this moth are a signal to predators that it has a terrible taste.
Found in warmer jungles and forests!
Some species of aquatic turtles can get up to 70 percent of their oxygen through their butt.
Vipers are one of the most widespread groups of snakes and inhabit most
There are 30 different species worldwide!
There are around 75,000 recognised species!
Has been domesticated for thousands of years!
The largest Vole species in the UK!
The Wax Moth larvae are more dangerous than the adult.
The smallest carnivorous mammal in the world!
There are two different types of white ferrets!
Males have a top tusk to sharpen the bottom one!
Thought to date back more than 300,000 years!
Carnivorous arachnid that hunts its prey.
This animal can roll up into a ball
Unlike most spiders, woodlouse spiders don’t build a web.
There are 200 different species!
They feign death by making their bodies limp and closing their eyes.
It interbreeds with the pine bunting
Macedonian Animals List
Animals in Macedonia FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is the national animal of Macedonia?
The national animal of Macedonia is the Macedonian lion. It has been featured on the country’s coat of arms for centuries.
Are there wolves in Macedonia?
Yes. The majority of wolves in Macedonia prefer to live in high mountain areas and forests. By the estimations of researchers, upwards of 800 wolves currently live in this small country.
Are there scorpions in Macedonia?
Yes. One such scorpion features a yellow and brown exoskeleton, potentially reaching 75 mm in its full length. Along with the sightings in Macedonia, this scorpion has also been found in many of the Greek islands, Albania, Bulgaria, and other eastern countries of Europe.