British Mammals

Question 1

What are the three size categories for British mammals

Answer 1

Small - shrews to hedgehog size: insectivores, rodents, some carnivores (weasels, polecats)
Medium - fox, badger, otter, wild cats, marsupials, rabbits and hares
Large - only 4 indigenous, common and grey seal, red and doe deer. 4 introduced deer and other feral species as well as marine mammals like whales and dolphins

Question 2

Define British Eulipotyphia

Answer 2

Hedgehogs (Erinaceous europaeus)
Moles (Talpa europaea)
Shrews (Soricidae)
- Red toothed shrews (Sorex araneus and minutus)
Common and Pygmy shrews
- white toothed shrew (Neomys fodiens) Eurasian water shrew
- 2 other white toothed shrews found only on channel islands

Question 3

Describe British Chiroptera

Answer 3

Generally small, all insectivores
Hibernate during winter
Long lived 4-5 years some up to 20
Use echolocation
Most common species pipistrelle bat as well as being the smallest (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)
Important in pest control specifically midges

Question 4

Describe British Lagomorphs

Answer 4

Similar to rodents except for 2nd pair of tiny incisor teeth immediately behind the gnawing pair
3 species, rabbit, brown hare and mountain hare
Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) ~40m in Britain
Brown hare (Lepus capensis)
Mountain hare (Lepus timidis)

Question 5

Describe British rodents

Answer 5

Generally small to medium sized
15 species in Britain
Skull is characterised by a long gap between incisors and molars
Beavers, squirrels, Voles, mice and rats

Question 6

Name some British rodent species

Answer 6

Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber)
Red and grey squirrels (Scuirus vulgaris & carolinensis)
Bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus)
Field vole ( Microtus agrestris)
Water vole (Arvicola terrestris)
Yellow necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollus)
Wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus)
Field mouse (Micromys minutus)
House mouse (Mus domesticus)
Black and brown rats (Rattus rattus and norvegicus)

Question 7

Name some British carnivores

Answer 7

Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Pine Martin (Martes martes)
Weasel (Mustela nivalis)
Stoat (Mustela erminea) 
Polecat (Mustela putorius) 
American mink (Mustela vison)
Badger (Meles meles) 
Otter (Lutra lutra)

Question 8

Main points about British mammals

Answer 8

Of the 5400 spp. Of mammals known only 98 species are found in Britain
Usually nocturnal, living in undergrowth
Half are small
Some have been introduced from the family Macropodidae (kangaroos and wallabies)