Discover the Fascinating World of Fauna

Study Notes

Fauna: A Set of Animal Species in any Particular Region and Time

Fauna refers to all the animal life present in a particular region or time.
The word fauna comes from the Roman goddess of earth and fertility, Fauna, and it was first used by Carl Linnaeus from Sweden in the title of his 1745 work Fauna Suecica.
Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess Shale fauna".
There are several subdivisions of fauna based on the region, including Cryofauna, Cryptofauna, Epifauna, Infauna, Limnofauna, Macrofauna, Megafauna, Meiofauna, Mesofauna, and Microfauna.
Cryofauna refers to animals that live in cold areas, while Cryptofauna exists in protected or concealed microhabitats.
Epifauna are aquatic animals that live on the bottom substratum as opposed to within it, and Infauna are benthic organisms that live within the bottom substratum of a water body.
Limnofauna refers to the animals that live in fresh water, and Macrofauna are benthic or soil organisms.
Megafauna are large animals of any particular region or time, and Meiofauna are small benthic invertebrates that live in both marine and freshwater environments.
Microfauna are microscopic or very small animals, while Stygofauna and Troglofauna are subterranean fauna associated with water and caves, respectively.
Xenofauna, theoretically, are alien organisms that can be described as animal analogues.
Other terms include avifauna, which means "bird fauna" and piscifauna (or ichthyofauna), which means "fish fauna".
Fauna is studied by zoologists and paleontologists, who are interested in the collection of animals found in a specific time or place.

Description

Test your knowledge of animal life with our Fauna quiz! Discover fascinating facts about the various subdivisions of fauna, including Cryofauna, Limnofauna, and Microfauna. Learn about the history of the word "fauna" and its connection to the Roman goddess of earth and fertility. Test your understanding of the different types of fauna and their habitats, from Epifauna to Megafauna. Take our Fauna quiz and explore the world of animal life with us!