Celebrating
Cornwall's Mammals
from dormice to dolphins!
Mammal Recording packs
The packs and forms are free to download
from this web site.
Deer recording pack
This seventh identification pack looks at the Deer species
Cornwall, there are no
Deer on the Isles of Scilly. The pack provides information
on how to identify the
animals themselves and the tracks and signs they leave behind,
the sorts of habitats
you may find them in, the food they eat and lots more!
The pack contains:
- An introduction to the identification of Deer
- An identification guide to the
Deer
of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
- Did you know........
Squirrel recording pack
There are two species of Squirrel currently found in the
UK: the Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and
the Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris). Only one of
these, the Red Squirrel, characterised by its distinctive
russet fur, tufted ears and twitching tail, is native to the
British Isles. The Grey Squirrel was introduced in the late
1800’s from North America and has since colonised much
of the UK.
The Grey Squirrel is more robust and adaptable than the native
Red Squirrel and can out-compete it for food. Consequently
the Red Squirrel population in the country has dropped dramatically
since the introduction of the Grey Squirrel. As a result,
the once common Red Squirrel is now extinct in Cornwall and
much of the rest of England and is largely confined to Scotland,
north Wales, Northern Ireland and some parts of northern England.
The pack contains:
- ID sheets that explain the differences between the Red
and Grey Squirrel, and their tracks and signs.
- Fact sheet
Hedgehog and Mole recording pack
The Western Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) and the
Common Mole (Talpa europaea) are found throughout
the British Isles, however, unlike the Hedgehog the Mole is
absent from Ireland and the Isles of Scilly. Both species
are insectivores (insect-eating) and belong to the family
Talpidae.
Although both hedgehogs and moles are relatively common
it is still essential to record them as both species have
been found absent in suitable habitat and present in habitat
previously considered unsuitable.
The pack contains:
- ID sheets that explain the differences between hedgehogs
and moles, and their tracks and signs.
- How to attract hedgehogs to your garden
- How to deter moles from your garden
Identification Guide to the carnivores of Cornwall and the
Isles of Scilly
Apart from being adored by many for their cute and fluffy
appearance and immence character, carnivores occupy the top
of the food chain and therefore play an important role in
controlling other populations lower down the food chain. Carnivores
can also be indicators of good habitat and are part of our
natural heritage.
There are six species of Carnivore found in
Cornwall; these are:
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes, Badger Meles meles,
Stoat Mustela erminea, Weasel Mustela nivalis,
American Mink Mustela vison and Otter Lutra lutra.
None of the Carnivore species are found on the Isles of Scilly.
Marine Mammal recording pack
The coast of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is a particularly
good place to spot marine mammals from due to it’s abundance
of headlands which are good vantage points and because it
is surrounded on three sides by the sea.
Marine mammals of Cornwall
and the Isles of Scilly
There are around nine species of marine mammal you are more
likely to see around the coast of Cornwall and the Isles of
Scilly. These include:
Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis
Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus
Risso’s Dolphin Grampus griseus
Harbour Porpoise Phocoena phocoena
Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus
Long-finned Pilot Whale Globicephala melas
Orca (Killer Whale) Orcinus orca
Minke Whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata
Fin Whale Balaenoptera physalus
The pack contains:
- ID guide to these marine mammal species.
- Marine Mammal strandings and sightings recording forms.
Small Mammal recording pack
There are thought to be 10 species of small mammal found
in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Small mammals are those
mammals whose head and body length do not exceed 130mm. These
include
Mice
Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus
House Mouse Mus musculus
Harvest Mouse Micromys minutus
Hazel Dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius
Yellow-necked Mouse Apodemus flavicollis (very
unlikely to be seen in Cornwall)
Voles
Bank Vole Clethrionomys glareolus
Field Vole Microtus agrestis
Shrews
Common Shrew Sorex araneus
Pygmy Shrew Sorex minutus
Water Shrew Neomys fodiens
Lesser White-toothed Shrew Crocidura suaveolens
(Found on the Isles of Scilly, not in Cornwall)
Although these mammals are very small and elusive, there
are several ways of telling if they are in an area by looking
at their tracks and signs. These include nests, runs, droppings
and feeding remains such as gnawed hazel nuts.
The pack contains:
- ID guide to the small mammals of Cornwall and the Isles
of Scilly and the tracks and signs they leave behind.
- recording form
Rabbit and Hare recording pack
It is safe to presume that Rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus
occur pretty much everywhere in Cornwall; however despite
this they are desperately under recorded. Whether you see
one alive, hopping about, or squashed on the road, or signs
of them for example droppings, fur or holes we need to know!
Brown Hares Lepus capensis are not particularly
common in Cornwall; where there are records they tend to be
clustered in the middle and the east of the County.
The pack contains:
- ID sheet that explains the differences between Rabbits
and Brown Hares, and their tracks and signs.
Bat Pack
There are though to be 13 species of Bat found in Cornwall
and the Isles of Scilly:
Common and Soprano Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus
Nathusius Pipistrelle Pipistrellus nathusii
Greater horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
Lesser horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus hipposideros
Brown Long-eared Bat Plecotus auritus
Natterer’s Bat Myotis nattereri
Whiskered Bat Myotis mystacinus
Daubenton’s Bat Myotis daubentonii
Noctule Nyctalus nocyula
Brandt’s Bat Myotis brandtii
Barbastelle Barbastella barbastella
Serotine Eptesicus serotinus
Two of these species are endangered, six are threatened.
Although Bats and their roost sites are protected by law we
desperately need to find out more about our bat species and
where they roost in order to conserve and protect them.
The pack contains:
- An introduction to the pack
- ‘What is a Bat’ fact sheet
- Dispelling the myths about Bats fact sheet
- Foraging habitats fact sheet
- Feeding fact sheet
- Have I got a Bat roost? fact sheet
- What to look out for fact sheet
- A Bat roost fact sheet
- Bats and the Law fact sheet
Information on Bat boxes, how to garden for Bats and what
to do if you find an injured Bat can be obtained form ERCCIS.
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