Land mammals live in most diverse habitats: in open grassy regions, rocky areas, deserts, dense undergrowth, tree canopies, underground burrows, in temporary shelters in the ground, etc. 

The Slovenian Museum of Natural History is a direct descendant of the Carniolan Provincial Museum, founded in 1821, where Henrik Freyer was employed as its first curator (in the 1832-1853 period). He was the first who systematically collected vertebrates in our territory. His collection served as a basis for his Fauna of Carniolan mammals, birds, reptiles and fishes (Ljubljana 1842), which is a fundamental work for our vertebrate species knowledge. He listed 50 species of mammals (“sucking animals”), for some of them providing information on their habitats or even concrete locations. Freyer mounted the animals intended for display. From Freyer’s mammal collection, only two mounts of the autochthonous lynx have survived to this day, although with no appropriate  documentation. Apart from mammal exhibition collections,  mammal study collections began to appear in the world during the second half of the 19th century. Of each individual specimen in these collections, mainly the skull and skin are held. They are intended for the scientific study of the material and are irreplaceable reference sources. In those times, the founding of study collections did not materialize in our country, and the sphere of mammal collecting and studying stagnated for a long time. In the period between the two world wars, mammals were collected predominantly by foreign naturalists in our country, while our rare naturalists dispatched the material to museums abroad. In its study collection of mammals, the Slovenian Museum of Natural History holds some wild game animal skulls collected by S. Bevk at that time. In the post-war period, mammals were temporarily dealt with in the Museum by S. Brelih and J. Gregori (summed up from: The Mammals of Slovenia, B. Kryštufek, 1991). In 1978, B. Kryštufek embarked on intensive mammal field collecting. The fruit of his collecting and collaboration of museum colleagues and zoologists from Slovenia and countries in the territory of the former Yugoslavia is a rich mammal study collection. The collection also includes material collected prior to 1978, with the oldest specimens dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. On the basis of the study and work in the collection, B. Kryštufek’s book The Mammals of Slovenia (1991) was published, while partially on the basis of the study collection, the Key to classification of vertebrates of Slovenia, Kryštufek & Janžekovič, 1999) was created. This demonstrates the collection’s significance for the basic natural science research in the Slovenian territory. With the aid of material from the study collection of the mammals housed in the Museum, numerous BSc and MSc theses, publications in domestic and foreign professional journals were realized, with collection material also used in the project to establish Natura 2000 networks. In the last few years, the collection has been intensely (re)arranged according to the species taxonomic affiliation and geographical areas. It is digitally catalogued as well, and the Museum is acquiring material for the collection also owing to the adopted legislation on endangered animal species.

Mammal vocalization

In its physical appearance, the Beaver is resembled by two other rodent species, the Nutria and the Muskrat, which are also well adapted to the aquatic environment. They are often confused with beavers, particularly when swimming. At first glance, however, they differ from the Beaver by size and tail. The muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) is with its weight of 1,5 kilograms and body and head length of up to 350 mm much smaller and lighter than the Beaver. It has no web on the toes of its hind legs and its feet are fringed with partially webbed bristles. The Nutria (Myocastor coypus) weighs up to 10 kilograms and measures up to 635 mm in length. Unlike the Beaver, which has the web spread between all five toes of its hind feet, the Nutria lacks it between the toe and forefinger. It has an oval-shaped tail, whereas in the Muskrat it is laterally and in the Beaver dorsally- ventrally flattened. 

While the Nutria originates from South America, the Muskrat comes from North America. Both species, however, were introduced to Europe by humans owing to their high-quality fur. In our country, the Nutria was one also bred on farms, and this in few colour varieties, including albino. The nutrias that escaped from captivity have established free-living populations in some places.

• In historical times, the Beaver was widespread in Slovenia. 
• In the 17th-18th centuries, it was exterminated by man. 
• In 1992, M. Jež (Institute for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage, Maribor) launched an initiative to reintroduce the Beaver to Slovenia. 
• The initiative, however, did not materialize owing to lack of funds. In the 1996-1998 period, the Faculty of Forestry of the University of Zagreb introduced to the Posavina region 85 beavers caught in Bavaria.
• As a consequence of its introduction to Croatia, the Beaver naturally settled in Slovenia in 1998. 

• It first occurred here on the Krka and Radulja Rivers and has been constantly present in this area since 1998. In 2002, it found its home in the Dobličica as well. 

• In the winter of 2003/2004, it settled In Bela Krajina and on the Upper Krka River. In recent years, it also reached the Mura and Sotla (2005), and the Drava (2006). In Slovenia, the Beaver is in the initial phase of colonization. The beavers living in Slovenia represent the periphery of the Croatian population.

The Habitat Directive, which is binding for Slovenia, lists the Beaver is in Appendices II and IV. Our Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning is liable to provide the species with favourable conditions for its long-term existence via the establishment of Natura 2000 areas. The basic biological and ecological requirements of the Beaver in terms of its habitat are:

• Water bodies should be present all year round, at least 0.5 m deep and preferably wider than 2 m and with a constant water level. Favourable habitats are stagnant water bodies (lakes, ponds) with varied topography (small islands, bays, swampy branches). This enables the Beaver a better nutrient base as well as the development of the system of several small territories.
• Woody or herbaceous vegetation must be present all year round. Food should be made available close to the bank (up to 6 m) and less than 400 m from the lodge. The most important trees are willows and aspen. Poplar, birch, hazel, cherry and oak are also suitable. Beavers do not feed on elder.
• The habitat should be linked  with other suitable habitats by waterways, which enables the migration of young beavers and the relocation of the colony in the event of the nutrient base being used up.
• The habitat should preferably be in a protected area. The inceptions of the beaver strategy for the long-term conservation in Slovenia are the following: The Beaver is a key species in the ecosystem where it maintains as well as regulates the water system and wetlands through its activities. Its presence and activities increase the ecosystem and species diversity. In Slovenia, the beaver is in the initial phase of colonization, hence no rapid population increase can be expected. The recolonization of Slovenia will be a slow process. At this stage, each family should be allowed to settle down and implement its reproductive potential.
  

As a proverbially cunning animal, the Fox appears in many world and Slovenian tales, fables, fairy tales and songs. Despite its popularity, humans do not spare it. It has been persecuted and hunted for centuries, in times past mainly for its fur and being a “pest”, and in the last few decades also as a rabies carrier. It is all too often forgotten, however, that it is also a very useful animal, considering that it regulates the rodent population and “cleans up” carrion and sick animals.