This could potentially have some spoilers...

Flora and Fauna (not the ones from Switched) are the key parts that make up any story, they are the basis for the entire layout. The canvas on which the story is written on, if you will. Yet a wide array of authors (Of which, Erin Hunter is sadly included in) totally disregard, or rather, don't truly respect, the aspect of flora and fauna. It is commonplace among many writers for the authors to pick and choose what parts of these categories they like and add them to their world, like poorly chosen perfume. The careful balance of nature is built upon species co-existing in the same habitat, symbiotic relationships (Which are, in case you do not know, a special type of interaction between species, sometimes beneficial, sometimes harmful, that are essential to many organisms and ecosystems [Simple Science]) overlapping territories, and the interlacing structure that is life.

However, in the Warriors books, this structure is tipped off its balance. (And before I go any further, I would like to point out that though warriors is indeed fantasy, wildlife and plantlife are extremely important parts of the book, at least indirectly, and make for a more realistic and submerged story. And if you dare voice how unnecessary this chapter is, you will suffer my wrath.) The first, and most notable, is that of the red squirrels. Into the Wild was first published in 2003 [Erin Hunter.com] with the basic outline written by Victoria Holmes, with Kate Cary being brought on to do the writing. [Wikipedia] Now, this is important as Victoria is an English woman who grew up in an estate in Berkshire in the 1980s. [Wikipedia] While Kate Cary, on the other hand, was raised in Birmingham. [Wikipedia] Two english women, it would be logical for them to base the book in England.

Now back onto the red squirrels. As any decently educated and reasonably intelligent person surely knows, red squirrels are on the decline, due to the vicious American grey squirrels. The grey squirrels are bigger and stronger, and carry a disease known as squirrel parapox virus, which wipes out red squirrels but has no effect on grey squirrels, the grey squirrels eat all of the green nuts (the only nuts they can digest) before red squirrels can get to them, and put reds under pressure so they have difficulty breeding. Grey squirrels also easily overpower red squirrels, and often kill or drive them off land. [Save the Red Squirrels]

Over the last centuries, Red Squirrels have almost been wiped out, surviving only in scotland and Northern Ireland. If nothing happens, there will be no more red squirrels in England by 2030. In 2003, when the book was published, Reds had been pushed back into the remoteness of Scotland. However, why do Red Squirrels still plague the books, mentioned many times and admired by cats everywhere - like they are by Britain. The red squirrel has become a symbol of Britain, the bright red bushy tail, beady black eyes, tufted ears. The streak of flame across a velvet green path as a squirrel races for a nut. All characteristics that trap out attention and make them easily marketable. That, and based on the fact that red squirrels would have been far more widespread when both of the original two were writing the first book, and would probably have been part of their childhood glory, made red squirrels marketable nostalgia perfect for the book. The heavy, bulky, lesser loved grey squirrels would have made the book duller, less likeable. If the grey squirrels had replaced the reds, Squirrelflight would probably have been graystripe's daughter, a bulky grey she-cat with a fluffy tail- not the bright ginger fluffiness she is.

Now, you may ask what the exact point I'm getting too is. This is natural to assume. But my next point diverts to badgers. "badgers are clumsy and bad-tempered black-and-white animals," that's Graystripe's description of the animal. And quite distinct, but apparently not so to the authors and illustrators. Midnight the badger plays a major part in the New Prophecy series and further series, too. Now, by the time the New Prophecy was written, Cherith Baldry (Brit) and Tui.T Sutherland joined the team. Sutherland is a Venezuelan-American - and she is, I believe the reason why the badger problem ensued. As these authors were writing the books, each was writing badgers on what they knew and understood both, so that, in the ultimate guide, Midnight the Badger is portrayed as an American Badger, but on the wiki page she is portrayed as being Meles Meles. If not for this slight, the first series could have been based in England, or Scotland.

Now, you might ask, why on Earth this is relevant. The Eurasian Badger, Meles Meles, is the most social Badger species, forming clans of up to six adults (though larger groups of up to 23 have been recorded). They live in large burrows, with communal latrines, and have a hierarchal social system, with large boars (male badgers) being the most dominant. The European Badgers are largely nocturnal, and also being active around Dawn and dusk. These Badgers are also extremely vocal, and are less aggressive than their American relatives, only fighting over territory or mating, or too protect their young. European Badgers are also among the least carnivorous of all Badgers, eating mostly earthworms, beetles and carrion. They can also eat small birds and small mammals, and hibernate during winter. [Wikipedia]

Now, though I am educating you on Badger, this information is important. Because let's take a peek at the American Badger, widespread throughout the USA, Mexico and Canada, Taxidea Taxus. They are similar in appearance, both having the same distinct white stripe and greyish pelt, however American Badgers are far more solitary, more aggressive, and don't hibernate. American Badgers are also far more carnivorous, eating rodents and other small mammals. [Wikipedia]

Now, if we look at badger appearances in the books, their description could pass for either species - but it is their behaviour that is key. In Yellowfang's Secret, we see a solitary mother with Cubs, as would befit a female American badger. Willowpelt is killed by a solitary badger in Firestar's secret. Halftail's tail was bitten off by a badger. Solitary Badgers attack cats often in the books- the key word here being solitary. In Twilight, several solitary Badgers are driven off Clan territory. This solitary lifestyle and aggressiveness portrays the Badgers as American. However, in several instances the Badgers appear very British.

They are described as eating worms and grubs - the favoured food of European badgers - in a SkyClan manga, a horde of Badgers attacks the clans in thunderclan (the ones Midnight calls her kin, and groups of European Badgers are often family based), and in Bramblestar's storm ShadowClan and ThunderClan fight off a large group of Badgers that live together - very clearly Europeans traits.

So, you ask, what are these confusing Badgers - Brits, or Americans? Well, I'll get back to you.

Let's put a pin in it.

The next point I'm going to make concerns Mountains. Mountains, Sharptooth, and Eagles.

Now, the only mountain ranges of merit in England are located in the far north, in Scotland, and certainly none of them contain Pumas. (Cougars, Mountain Lions, There are many names, but I'm using puma.) Puma Concolor ranges throughout the Americas, but nowhere in England, and may it be noted, they eat mostly deer. You ask why this is important? Well, let's put a pin in it. Eagles, Hawks, and Falcons are also often hunted in the mountains and on the moors. Golden eagles, white tailed eagles, and of those, Golden eagles are found in mountains. And if we assume the Eagles mentioned are golden eagles and not some unidentifiable American species, we have a mostly Scottish mountain range with some odd stragglers.

You are clamouring about beaver, aren't you? Well, there's something of note that Woody mentions: the twolegs bought the beavers with them. They were introduced to the wild, meaning that the beavers aren't native to this area, so even though beavers are unruly Americans, they are introduced so this has nothing of consequence.

Now, I have almost reached the hair-raising climax. But there is something else to be regarded- the missing animals. There are several cats with the prefixes otter-, Lynx-, stag-, deer-, doe-, wolf-, typical British wildlife, even though these animals are never mentioned except as names, and never appear. Isn't that odd? But there are missing American wildlife, that would appear if the books were set in America, such as raccoons, opossums, moose, bears, that don't appear, aren't mentioned, and aren't used in names.

Well, I think I've puzzled your foolish brains enough. I believe there is a perfectly logical explanation that works scientifically. (Now being half the writers British and half American, the probably explanation is that both added animals familiar to them and their countries, giving no regard for keeping thing consistent, hence the very confusing Badgers and squirrels that will irk me till the day I die) but my explanation is much more fun.

Now, according to the Erin Hunter website, the first series is based in the New Forest, In Hampshire (that's where Hazel is.. HI Hazel) - there is the same road layout (highstones is non-existent, however). However, the New Prophecy is based off completely made up Mumbo jumbo. But not today it isn't. You see, I believe that warriors is based in the future. (I hear anger about technology, well, we don't actually see much technology, and hey, maybe the world was wrecked by Trump and society had to rebuild itself without much time for technological advancement. No flying cars, boohoo.)

I hear your senseless accusations. Well, how do we get to a place inhabited by Badgers parts American parts European, pumas, red squirrels, a wide array of British birds, but a total lack of wolves, lynx, deer and otters clearly known by the clans but never appearing?

Simple. Plate Tectonics. tectonic plates are slow-moving rock in the lithosphere that move via convection currents of molten magma. If you imagine earth as a jigsaw puzzle, tectonic plates are the pieces that make up the puzzle.

Britain first broke away from continental Europe some 8,000 years ago when a tsunami flooded the land link between Britain and Europe. (That, my friends, was the original Brexit). However, I believe that instead of this tsunami, a great earthquake completely disconnected from Europe (and the Eurasian plate), causing large amounts of flooding. And ever-so slowly drifted towards America & Canada, connected with the American coast, and for a while stayed their- causing large amount of conflict and for said species to connect onto this moving Britain Plate. Now, said Britain Plate is teeming with wildlife. There are plenty of grey wolves, Lynx, otters, pine martens, a great many types of deer, purely red squirrels, Scottish wild cats, it was a haven. But Pumas, Grey Squirrels, Raccoons, American Badgers - all these Native American species seized on the chance to explore this new territory, and this is when things really got going.

Pumas aren't apex predators, (That would belong to the Grey wolves) but the abundance of deer in this notable new territory would have attracted them. American Badgers are far more aggressive than the native Brits, so over time would drive them out and take their sets as their own. Raccoons, Possums, these animals natural predators are wolves and Lynx, yes, but Canadian Lynx would have been rare in America and so these animals fell as easy prey to Eurasian Lynx, but some would probably have taken root in the south and far reaches of the north. The deer populations would have diminished, but would still have been a large presence, and that is the reason for them not appearing but being known of. The Neolithic era humans would probably have waged war against each other (Brits vs Americans), which would probably have made it difficult for animals to migrate.

Eventually, with a new balance to nature established, the plate would slowly have moved back into the ocean, becoming an island once more. In this new island, (and if you imagine this process would have taken quite a bit longer than 8,000 years, hence, the future), American Badgers are more common than the Brits, being common throughout the country, but British Badgers still live in small pockets up north (and one of these small pockets are the Badgers from the gorge and the ones in Bramblestar's storm. Midnight's kin are American Badgers, but that's a story for another time). Deer are still common across the country, but notably rarer, as are wolves and Lynx (not to mention human hunting- and Pumas, described as being rare, are eventually outed by the apex predators that are wolves and confined to the north, in mountains and such). And Pumas would be new animals with fancy coats, certainly enticing for the Netholic man. Beavers were probably at least partly present in the south, co-existing with otters, that I believe are present in RiverClan in the Old territories, but aren't viewed as prey, and aren't really interesting to other clans.

So, only one issue remains. Those pesky red squirrels. The grey squirrels, like in our world, would probably have driven red squirrels off at first, though I imagine Netholic man would have quite liked killing off new interesting grey squirrels. However, I think conservation effort and the grey squirrel facing off against strange Eurasian Lynx would have meant hat the grey squirrel is confined to south-west Britain and the red squirrel maintains a mainly Scottish-based environment, but with pockets in places like the New Forest.

So, there you have it. Warrior Cats has such strange wildlife because of tectonic plates, and is also, probably, based in the future.

There you have it.

By Mysterious Anonymous Essay Writer

(it's olivia btw - rio)