List of British mammals
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of British mammals. The British mammal fauna is somewhat impoverished compared to that of continental Europe due to the short period of time between the last ice age and the flooding of the land bridge between Britain and the rest of Europe. Only those land species which crossed before the creation of the English Channel and those introduced by humans exist in Britain.
Britain holds a population of European Wildcats, important populations of Grey Seals, and rare bat species.
Native (usually synonymous with "indigenous") species are considered to be species which are today present in the region in question, and have been continuously present in that region since a certain period of time. When applied to Britain, three possible definitions of this time constraint are:
- a species that colonised these islands during the retreat of ice at the end of the last ice age;
- a species that was present in these islands when the English Channel was created;
- or, a species that was present in these islands in prehistory.
There are no endemic mammal species in Britain, although three distinct subspecies of rodents arose on small islands.
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[edit] Rodentia
- European Beaver Castor fiber – Original stock extinct 16th century, reintroduced 2005.
- Red Squirrel Sciurus vulgaris
- Eastern Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis – Introduced c.1876.
- Hazel Dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius
- Edible Dormouse Glis glis – Introduced 1902
- Harvest Mouse Micromys minutus – Possible introduction.
- Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus
- St. Kilda Field Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus hirtensis – An endemic mouse subspecies of Scotland's St. Kilda islands.
- Yellow-necked Mouse Apodemus flavicollis
- House Mouse Mus musculus – Very early introduction.
- Black Rat Rattus rattus – Roman introduction.
- Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus – Early introduction.
- Bank Vole Myodes glareolus
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- Skomer Vole Myodes glareolus skomerensis - A subspecies found exclusively on the Welsh island of Skomer in Pembrokeshire.
- Field Vole Microtus agrestis
- Common Vole Microtus arvalis – Possible introduction.
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- Orkney Vole or Cuttick Microtus arvalis orcadensis – An endemic subspecies twice the size of the Common Vole (from which it was derived); possibly introduced to the Orkney Islands c.4000 BC.
- Water Vole Arvicola terrestris
[edit] Lagomorpha
- Mountain Hare Lepus timidus
- European Hare Lepus europaeus – Possible early introduction.
- European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus – Roman and/or Norman introduction.
[edit] Primates
- Human Homo sapiens - See "Cheddar Man".
[edit] Erinaceomorpha
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- West European Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus
[edit] Soricomorpha
- European Mole Talpa europaea
- Common Shrew Sorex araneus
- Eurasian Pygmy Shrew Sorex minutus
- Eurasian Water Shrew Neomys fodiens
- Greater White-toothed Shrew Crocidura russula – Likely introduced, Channel Islands only.
- Lesser White-toothed Shrew Crocidura suaveolens – Likely introduced, Isles of Scilly and Channel Islands only.
[edit] Chiroptera
- Greater Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
- Lesser Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus hipposideros
- Greater Mouse-eared Bat Myotis myotis – Vagrant.
- Whiskered Bat Myotis mystacinus
- Brandt's Bat Myotis brandti
- Natterer's Bat Myotis nattereri
- Bechstein's Bat Myotis bechsteini
- Daubenton's Bat Myotis daubentoni
- Parti-coloured Bat Vespertilio murinus – Vagrant.
- Serotine Eptesicus serotinus
- Northern Bat Eptesicus nilssoni – Vagrant.
- Common Noctule Nyctalus noctula
- Leisler's Bat or Lesser Noctule Nyctalus leisleri
- Hoary bat Lasiurus cinereus – Vagrant.
- Common Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus
- Soprano Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pygmaeus
- Nathusius Pipistrelle Pipistrellus nathusii
- Barbastelle Barbastella barbastellus
- Brown Long-eared Bat Plecotus auritus
- Grey Long-eared Bat Plecotus austriacus
[edit] Artiodactyla
- Wild Boar Sus scrofa – Original stock extinct c.1500, accidentally reintroduced 1970.
- Wild Goat Capra aegagrus – Went feral from domestic stock in the 18th century.
- Sheep Ovis aries - Soay sheep
- Cattle Bos taurus - Chillingham wild cattle
- Red Deer Cervus elaphus
- Sika Deer Cervus nippon – Introduced c.1860.
- Fallow Deer Dama dama – Norman or Roman introduction for sport.
- Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus
- Reindeer Rangifer tarandus – Wild stock extinct c.6000 BC, reintroduced 1952.
- Reeves's Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi – Introduced c.1894.
- Water Deer Hydropotes inermis – Introduced c.1896.
[edit] Perissodactyla
- Feral horse Equus caballus - New Forest pony
[edit] Carnivora
- Red Fox Vulpes vulpes
- Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus
- Common Seal Phoca vitulina
- Ringed Seal Phoca hispida – Vagrant.
- Bearded Seal Erignathus barbatus – Vagrant.
- Hooded Seal Cystophora cristatus – Vagrant.
- Walrus Odobenus rosmarus – Vagrant.
- Pine Marten Martes martes
- Stoat Mustela erminea
- Weasel Mustela nivalis
- European Polecat Mustela putorius
- American Mink Mustela vison – Introduced c.1950, escaped/released from fur farms.
- European Otter Lutra lutra
- Eurasian Badger Meles meles
- European Wildcat Felis sylvestris silvestris
[edit] Marsupialia
- Red-necked Wallaby Macropus rufogriseus – Introduction c.1900.
[edit] See also
- List of regional mammals lists
- List of European mammals
- Fauna of Scotland
- List of British birds
- List of British butterflies
- List of British reptiles
- List of British Amphibians
- List of extinct animals of the British Isles
- List of British fish
- Lists of insects recorded in Britain
- List of British Trees
- English Lowlands beech forests
- Biota of the Isle of Man
[edit] External links
- A Review of British Mammals, 1995 (PDF format)
- Discuss UK wildlife
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