Cornish Mammals
There are 63 species of mammal on mainland Cornwall, including
20 marine mammals. Only five of these species are found on
the Isles of Scilly, along with the rarer Lesser White-toothed
Shrew Crocidura suaveolens, also known locally as
the Scilly Shrew.
European otter
Photograph taken by Jayne Herbert
Over 20% of the world list of cetacea have been recorded
from Cornwall as live sightings or as dead stranded animals.
Until recently local species lists were derived from strandings
while identification of live dolphins at sea to species level
was viewed with scepticism, but with experience and favourable
circumstances live sightings can give species identifications,
and even individual animal identifications, and they are now
a much larger part of our data resource than strandings (Dr
Nick Tregenza).
There are only 21 species of bat on the British List and
15 have been recorded in Cornwall. Of these, 10 have known
breeding colonies within the County. Cornwall holds significant
populations of the Greater and Lesser Horseshoe Bats, both
of which are considered to be Nationally Rare. It may also
be important for some other species which are presently understudied
(Daniel Eva, Cornwall Bat Group).
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Click here for the
checklist of mammal species for Cornwall and the Isles
of Scilly. |
In June 2003 ERCCIS embarked on a four-year project to record
the mammals found in the County - Celebrating Cornwall’s
Mammals – from Dormice to Dolphins! This includes marine
mammals such as the Bottlenose Dolphin and the Atlantic Grey
Seal, terrestrial mammals such as the Hedgehog and the Roe
Deer, as well as flying mammals, such as the Greater Horseshoe
Bat.
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Click here to find
out more about the Celebrating Cornwall’s Mammals
– from Dormice to Dolphins! Project |
Hedgehog
Photograph taken by CA Perry
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