1. Hungary
   United Kingdom
2. Belarus
   Poland

This shaggy European bison is the national animal of Belarus. An Eastern European country that was in the USSR, Belarus has been independent since 1990.

1. Lithuania
   Estonia
2. Latvia
   Denmark

The White Wagtail is the symbol of Latvia. It is a passerine bird, meaning that it has feet adapted for perching. It's also a migrating bird, spending winters in warmer climes.

1. Ireland
   Iceland
2. Norway
   United Kingdom

The bulldog is the symbol of Britain. This is because, like the British, it's admittedly lazy, it loves a nice biscuit, and if you mess with it, you will be shocked how strong its bite turns out to be for its size.

1. Estonia
   Latvia
2. Sweden
   Lithuania

The white stork is an elegant bird with red legs. Happily, its population is actually going up in the wild at the moment, and it is rated not at all endangered.

1. Serbia
   Macedonia
2. Italy
   Cyprus

The lion is not native to most of Europe, but a lot of European nations do love it! Macedonia is that rare thing, a European nation that actually does have native lions, which is why it can claim it for a national animal without it being a little odd.

1. Romania
   Poland
2. Spain
   Greece

The lynx is very endangered because of its amazing fur, which makes a wonderful coat. If you are lucky enough to inherit a really old one (that doesn't involve killing a new lynx), good for you, but whatever you do, don't buy a new one!

1. Spain
   Greece
2. Italy
   Norway

The running of the bulls in Pamplona is an annual spectale in which at least a few people get gored. It's very controversial, and animal rights activists are doing their best to put an end to it. In the meantime, the goring videos tend to be popular.

1. Russia
   Finland
2. Denmark
   Norway

The fjord horse is a fine animal indeed! It is the symbol of Norway, where its stocky frame is ideal for going up and down steep slopes.

1. Kosovo
   Bosnia
2. Serbia
   Croatia

The wolf is one of the several symbols of Serbia. Serbia is the biggest Yugoslavian country and used to dominate its neighbors.

1. Greece
   Moldova
2. Malta
   Cyprus

Moldova is a small eastern country represented by the aurochs. A kind of bison, the aurochs is a fierce creature and not to be trifled with no matter what.

1. Iceland
   Turkey
2. Norway
   Switzerland

The grey wolf is the symbol of Turkey. It has been co-opted by far-right nationalists, which is a fate that befalls national animals in a number of countries.

1. Belgium
   Netherlands
2. Denmark
   Luxembourg

Holland has a lot of coasts, making the Black-Tailed Godwit a fine choice. It's a shorebird that loves marshes and plenty of wetland.

1. Czech Republic
   Hungary
2. Austria
   Switzerland

The turul never existed, but it is still Hungary's symbol. It is a giant mythical falcon, similar to a roc.

1. Iceland
   Finland
2. Denmark
   Kosovo

You can't get to Iceland without flying or swimming, so this is a fitting choice. The Gyrfalcon is the biggest falcon species and loves tundra, making Iceland's icy expanses perfect for it.

1. Italy
   Greece
2. Spain
   Portugal

The dolphin is a fine fit for Greece's beautiful islands and lovely weather. It's also friendly and sociable, much like the Greeks!

1. Finland
   Denmark
2. Estonia
   Latvia

The brown bear is a symbol of Russia, you say? Finland says fine, but if Russia can take their provinces, then Finland gets to take Russia's symbols!

1. Iceland
   Faroe Islands
2. Malta
   Cyprus

The Faroe Islands are part of Denmark but have their own symbol. This bird is pretty cute with its orange beak and legs. It's also the bearer of a remarkably specific name: the Eurasian Oystercatcher. That is because (and we must offer a spoiler alert here) it is from Eurasia, and it catches oysters.

1. Greece
   Cyprus
2. Vatican City
   Moldova

This sheep is called the Cypriot mouflon. It is a wild sheep that is believed to be the common ancestor for all domestic sheep breeds.

1. Spain
   Switzerland
2. France
   Austria

The Gallic rooster is the ultimate French symbol. It's beautiful, it knows how to strut, and you can cook it about 1,200 ways in garlic and butter.

1. Denmark
   Holland
2. Belgium
   Estonia

The barn swallow is the most common kind of swallow. One way to see them up close is to walk through a wildflower meadow around sunset; your feet will stir up insects they like to eat, and the swallows will dart in circles around you as you go, looking for the food you have so kindly made available for them!

1. Albania
   Croatia
2. Serbia
   Kosovo

Some nations go for lions, bears, falcons, or other aggressive and predatory species. Croatia went for this utterly adorable little fellow, the pine marten - which says many nice things about their culture and also explains why Serbia (lion) has been able to successfully invade them so often.

1. Austria
   Denmark
2. Czech Republic
   Hungary

The mute swan is a very Danish bird indeed. It is elegant, understated, and beautiful - with an awful lot of very hard work and excellent design going on under the surface.

1. Denmark
   Belgium
2. France
   Spain

The heraldic lion is not a real lion, but that doesn't stop it being a national symbol. It is depicted in the Belgian national colors and has been the national symbol since 1837.

1. Hungary
   Austria
2. Czech Republic
   Switzerland

Here we have another heraldic lion, this time from the Czech Republic. It harks back to the royal coat of arms of the kingdom of Bohemia.

1. Malta
   Cyprus
2. Iceland
   Ireland

This bird is known as the blue rock thrush. It's native to a vast swath of the world from the Mediterranean all the way to China, but Malta named it their special animal.

1. Italy
   Sweden
2. Luxembourg
   United Kingdom

The goldcrest is known as "king of the birds" in European folklore. This is because of its distinctive golden crown.

1. Poland
   Bulgaria
2. Romania
   Moldova

The white-tailed sea eagle is the national animal of Poland. It's a massive eagle which has a wingspan of eight feet!

1. Finland
   Sweden
2. Norway
   Denmark

The Eurasian blackbird is a type of thrush. Though the birds themselves are typically dark with a brownish sheen in the sunlight, their eggs are green.

1. Cyprus
   Ireland
2. Iceland
   Malta

The red deer is the symbol of Ireland. There are four main kinds of wild deer in Ireland these days, but this is the only one that is native to the country.

1. Czech Republican and Hungary
   Germany and Austria
2. Albania and Kosovo
   Italy and Switzerland

Germany and Austria share many cultural signifiers and this is one of them. It is a black eagle and its wingspan reaches as large as 7.5ft.

1. San Marino
   Vatican City
2. Monaco
   Andorra

Monaco is small and likes to break certain rules - most of their economy is based around legal gambling, being a tax haven, and, to be frank, international money laundering. That's why a cheeky animal like the rabbit is a great symbol!

1. Slovenia
   Slovakia
2. Hungary
   Romania

The olm is a strange animal and a very interesting one. It is an exclusively cave-dwelling salamander that is blind and very pale. Slovenia is doing a lot to protect its precious olms, including making them a national symbol.

1. Ukraine
   Bulgaria
2. Poland
   East Germany

The brown bear is a symbol common to several countries, like the lion. Ukraine has adopted it as a symbol of renewal, as it wakes from hibernating every spring.

1. Albania
   Kosovo
2. Macedonia
   Serbia

The golden eagle is the most famous eagle species. It can live in many places and is thus not considered endangered.

1. Portugal
   Germany
2. Greece
   Italy

You might think this is a Gallic rooster, but it is not. It is a Portuguese rooster. That means it clucks in Portuguese, not French, and is the symbol of Portugal.

1. France
   Austria
2. Slovakia
   Andorra

Cattle is the symbol of Andorra, a small and often overlooked nation between France and Spain. There are plenty of kinds of cow all over the world, but not everyone appreciates them like the Andorrans do.

1. Montenegro
   Switzerland
2. Slovakia
   Czech Republic

The two-headed eagle is the heraldic symbol of Montenegro. This little Yugoslavian nation does not have a real animal symbol.

1. Wales
   Scotland
2. England
   Isle of Man

The Welsh dragon is a fine creature that appears on the Welsh flag. It's the battle standard of Celtic leaders and supposedly of King Arthur.

1. Kosovo
   Vatican
2. San Marino
   All of the above

These are all very little countries, so perhaps they do not think they are big enough for a national animal. We suggest that they could certainly have a nice little one!

1. England
   Northern Ireland
2. Scotland
   Outer Hebrides

Scotland's unicorn goes all the way back to William I in the 12th century. It appears on the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom, united with the English lion.