Most of our larger animals can be found throughout the Shannon system, since they are not restricted to any one habitat. Big animals are mainly found at night, when all is quiet to hunt, or even in the early morning. However, the insects prefer warm sunny days in spring or summer. Bees and wasps sleep the winter away like the hedgehog, toads, frogs and snakes, but come out again in the spring and summer. Badgers, bats and foxes come out at night. These are known as nocturnal animals. Hedgehogs prefer long grass and ditches. These mammals are common throughout the Shannon system. They are well protected with their spines on their back for defence. The rabbit, hare, squirrels, otters, stoats, rats and deer are common too but sometimes easier heard than seen. All the animals near the Shannon may be rare or widespread, but each with their own personalities to fend in the wild. The otters and stoats are water mammals and very quick swimmers; they have long sleek bodies and padded webby feet to enable them to swim quickly. Fallow deer are seen in L.Key Forest Park in Boyle. Even there, they are quite rare, but are protected in the park. Squirrels are very shy, with a big bushy tail and feet with claws, that enable them to clutch nuts and pine cones. They are mostly found in deciduous forest, but if you are lucky, many evergreen forests may have red squirrels. However, the grey squirrels drive them out of their home and the grey squirrel is very demanding and cheeky. Grey squirrels have more power over their shy cousins. Foxes and badgers are not loved by farmers, since they kill poultry and other animals around the farm. The fox is very sly and has a good sense of smell. Our smallest mammal, the pygmy shrew, die within a few months, if they don't keep eating, and the winter months get too cold. Also, our insects are plentiful everywhere- butterflies, dragonflies, mayflies, snails, mussels and leeches, the list is endless.