Animals

The wild boar, Sus scrofa, is omnivorous and is mainly active at dusk and at night. During the day it may shelter in dense scrub. Plataforma Lobo-ibérico documents a wild boar killed by wolves in Serra da Cabreira, in Cabeceiras, without giving the record’s date. Its long snout and thick coat distinguish it from the domestic pig. Despite being omnivorous, the source describes a mainly plant-based diet. This flexibility helps explain its adaptation to different landscapes.

The platform also uses the Portuguese name porco-bravo and describes marked differences between the sexes. It discusses the species’ expansion in Portugal, including areas near urban centres. That national context cannot tell us how many wild boar live in Cabeceiras.

The Cabreira record and the description of habits answer different questions: one documents an encounter between predator and prey; the other helps explain the species’ life. This single reference cannot establish how often predation occurs or the size of local populations.

Fluviário de Mora describes the breeding migration of the Iberian barbel, Luciobarbus bocagei, to shallow, well-oxygenated water over sand, gravel or pebbles. It is a freshwater journey. The fish feeds on small bottom-dwelling animals, plant matter and detritus. Barbel were recorded in Cavez during the 2016–2017 survey; the behaviour described is general biology, not a migration observed at that point.

The journey does not contradict its preference for slower currents and moderate temperatures. The place used for living and feeding can differ from the one chosen for reproduction. The Fluviário profile places breeding between May and June as a general description of the species.

The barbel is omnivorous: besides bottom-dwelling invertebrates and plant matter, it may occasionally eat small fish. The same source notes that it can reach about one metre. This is a possible size for the species, not a measurement of the Cavez specimens.

Not every insect that looks like a bee or wasp belongs to those groups. Hoverflies are true flies, and many mimic those insects’ appearance, a resemblance that can deter predators. Colours alone cannot identify a flower visitor.

In explanations published by the Gulbenkian, entomologists Renata Santos and Albano Soares highlight their pollen and nectar diet and role in pollination. Flowers receive visitors from several insect groups: watching who arrives and how they move can open new questions. The source describes general biology, not a species recorded in the municipality.

Comparing them with bees means considering both appearance and way of life. Outward resemblance relates to defence against predators; visiting flowers relates to food and can contribute to pollen transport. These are different relationships in the same animal. Looking only at coloured bands does not reveal the whole story.

Parque Biológico de Gaia describes Gobio lozanoi as a freshwater river fish that eats small invertebrates and usually measures about 12 centimetres. That is a typical size given in the profile, not the size of every individual or a measurement taken in Cabeceiras.

In the Cavez survey from 2016–2017, the gudgeon is among the six species recorded. Bringing that evidence together with its diet description invites a question about the river: which small animals sustain the fish? The profile does not identify the prey eaten at that point or demonstrate a relationship with every insect presented on this website.