vertebrates Field Id Signs Flashcards
7 things to note about droppings
Location, number of droppings, size, colour, shape, contents, smell
What droppings do insectivores have?
Pellet/ sausage shaped, tendency to crumble as made up of insect remains, dry
What droppings do herbivores have?
Spherical or pellet shaped, uniform in consistency, dropped in clusters
What droppings do carnivores have
Large singular droppings sausage shaped smelly contain fur and bones
What is otter poo like
Smells of jasmine, will contain fish and crustacean shells, left under bridges or at junctions, called sprints
What are badger droppings like
Left in dung pits called latrines, can smell fouls, can be large and sloppy or shapeless, bits of fur or bone in, if eating blackberries will turn reddish and have seeds in it
What do bank vole hazel nuts look like
Chiselled tooth marks on inner edge, no marks on she’ll
What do wood mice tooth marks look like
Tooth marks on surface of edge AND inner edge of hole
What do dormouse hazel nuts look like
Inner edge is smooth, pattern of marks on surface at edge of opening
What do squirrel hazel nuts look like
Split apart through the nut
What do squirrel pine cones look like
Stripped to the core like sweet corn on the cob, flakes scattered over the ground
What to note about animal tracks 4 things
Location and habitat
Size
Number of toes
Webbing and claws
How many toes do insectivores have
Shrews etc, 5 toes front and rear
How many toes do rodents have
Mice rats voles, 4 toes on the front, 5 on the rear
How many toes do foxes dogs and cats have
4 toes front and rear, fox track is narrower and dogs track is broader
How many toes do mustelids have
5 toes front and rear
What are ungulates
Deer, hoofed mammals
How do you define deer tracks
Hooves are actually toes, most species show two slots and roe deer may also show dew claws
Why do mammals dig small holes?
To bury food or find food e.g. Squirrels, badgers, foxes
What lives in a drey
Squirrels
What lives in a scrape or form
Hare
What lives in a hoot, couch, hover
Otter
What lives in. Fortress
Mole
What is some indirect evidence of rabbits
Droppings, will use badger and fox sets,
Indirect evidence of a hole being a badger set?
Hay or bedding around entrance, multiple holes usually, much earth, usually woodland, prints or hair found nearby and well worn paths leading to feeding grounds or latrines
How big are harvest mouse nests
Tennis ball sized, found in stiff long grass, made of shredded grass and leaves
How to survey for mammals?
Transacts of a minimum of 10 to 20 traps spaced 10-20m apart, provides evidence of which species are present in a habitat.
What are small mammals surveys good for?
Establishing presence of a species, studying movement along a linear feature such as a hedgerow
Not good for establishing population densities or knowing for certain if an animal lives in the area or is just passing through
What are trap grid small mammal surveys good for
Population range and movement studies,
What is the recommended time period for small mammal trapping
Minimum of 3 days and nights are used in each trapping period.
Trap sessions in spring summer or Autumn can be used to demonstrate population variance throughout the year
How do you work out trapping intensity
Traps x nights
What do you put in traps to feed shrews
Casters
What is the minimum temperature for long worth trapping
5 c
5 examples of indirect field signs
Droppings/latrines/scent marking
Feeding signs or food remains
Tracks and trails
Diggings
Homes/nests/burrows
