List of mammals of Great Britain
This is a list of mammals of Great Britain. The Great Britain 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 Great 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 Great Britain.
Great Britain holds 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 Great Britain, three possible definitions of this time constraint are:
- a species that colonised the islands during the glacial retreat at the end of the last ice age (c.9500 years ago);
- a species that was present when the English Channel was created (c.8000 years ago);
- or, a species that was present in prehistory.
This list includes mammals from the small islands around Great Britain and the Channel Islands. There are no endemic mammal species in Great Britain, although four distinct subspecies of rodents have arisen on small islands.
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the IUCN:
EX | Extinct | No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. |
EW | Extinct in the wild | Known only to survive in captivity or as a naturalised population well outside its previous range. |
CR | Critically endangered | The species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild. |
EN | Endangered | The species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. |
VU | Vulnerable | The species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. |
NT | Near threatened | The species does not meet any of the criteria that would categorise it as risking extinction but it is likely to in the future. |
LC | Least concern | There are no current identifiable risks to the species. |
DD | Data deficient | There is inadequate information to make an assessment of the risks to this species. |
Wallabies
Superorder: Australidelphia Order: Diprotodontia
Though most marsupials make up a great part of the fauna in the Australian region, the red-necked wallaby has been introduced and a feral population is currently breeding on the island of Inchconnachan, and at Loch Lomond in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. A smaller group is present on the Isle of Man, and the species is locally extinct in the Peak District, in Cumbria, and at Ashdown Forest in East Sussex.
Family: Macropodidae (kangaroos, wallabies, and kin)
- Red-necked wallaby Macropus rufogriseus VU introduced
Rodents
Superorder: Euarchontoglires Order: Rodentia
Family: Castoridae (beavers)
- Eurasian beaver Castor fiber EN reintroduced, recognised as native in 2016[1]
Family: Cricetidae (voles)
- Bank vole Myodes glareolus LC
- Field vole Microtus agrestis LC
- Orkney vole Microtus arvalis orcadensis VU introduced
- Water vole Arvicola amphibius EN
Family: Muridae (rats, mice and relatives)
- Harvest mouse Micromys minutus LC
- Wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus LC
- Brown rat Rattus norvegicus LC introduced
- Yellow-necked mouse Apodemus flavicollis LC
- House mouse Mus musculus LC
- Black rat Rattus rattus CR introduced
Family: Gliridae (dormice)
- Hazel dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius VU
- Edible dormouse Glis glis LC introduced
Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)
- Red squirrel Sciurus vulgaris EN
- Grey squirrel Sciurus carolinensis LC introduced
Rabbits and hares
Superorder: Euarchontoglires Order: Lagomorpha
The lagomorphs comprise two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). Though they can resemble rodents, and were classified as a superfamily in that order until the early 20th century, they have since been considered a separate order. They differ from rodents in a number of physical characteristics, such as having four incisors in the upper jaw rather than two.
Family: Leporidae (hares and rabbits)
- Mountain hare Lepus timidus LC
- European hare Lepus europaeus LC introduced
- European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus NT introduced
Moles, shrews and hedgehogs
Superorder: Laurasiatheria Order: Eulipotyphla
The order Eulipotyphla contains insectivorous mammals. The hedgehogs are easily recognised by their spines while gymnures look more like large rats. Shrews and solenodons closely resemble mice while the moles are stout-bodied burrowers.
Family: Talpidae (moles)
- European mole Talpa europaea LC
Family: Soricidae (shrews)
- Common shrew Sorex araneus LC
- Pygmy shrew Sorex minutus LC
- Water shrew Neomys fodiens LC
- Greater white-toothed shrew Crocidura russula LC
- Lesser white-toothed shrew Crocidura suaveolens LC
Family: Erinaceidae (hedgehogs and gymnures)
- European hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus VU
Bats
Superorder: Laurasiatheria Order: Chiroptera
The bats' most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals in the world naturally capable of flight. Bat species account for about 20% of all mammals.
- Greater horseshoe bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum NT
- Lesser horseshoe bat Rhinolophus hipposideros NT
- Greater mouse-eared bat Myotis myotis CR
- Whiskered bat Myotis mystacinus LC
- Brandt's bat Myotis brandti LC
- Natterer's bat Myotis nattereri LC
- Bechstein's bat Myotis bechsteini VU
- Daubenton's bat Myotis daubentoni LC
- Geoffroy's bat Myotis emarginatus LC[2]
- Alcathoe bat Myotis alcathoe DD[3]
- Parti-coloured bat Vespertilio murinus LC
- Serotine Eptesicus serotinus VU
- Northern bat Eptesicus nilssoni LC vagrant
- Common noctule Nyctalus noctula LC
- Leisler's bat Nyctalus leisleri LC
- Hoary bat Lasiurus cinereus LC vagrant
- Common pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus LC
- Soprano pipistrelle Pipistrellus pygmaeus LC
- Nathusius pipistrelle Pipistrellus nathusii LC
- Kuhl's pipistrelle Pipistrellus kuhlii LC vagrant
- Barbastelle Barbastella barbastellus VU
- Brown long-eared bat Plecotus auritus LC
- Grey long-eared bat Plecotus austriacus EN
Carnivorans
Superorder: Laurasiatheria Order: Carnivora
There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.
- Red fox Vulpes vulpes LC
- Grey wolf Canis lupus EX
- Brown bear Ursus arctos EX
- Grey seal Halichoerus grypus LC
- Common seal Phoca vitulina LC
- Ringed seal Pusa hispida LC vagrant
- Bearded seal Erignathus barbatus LC vagrant
- Hooded seal Cystophora cristatus VU
- Harp seal Pagophilus groenlandicus LC vagrant[4]
- Walrus Odobenus rosmarus VU vagrant
- Pine marten Martes martes CR
- Stoat Mustela erminea LC
- Least weasel Mustela nivalis LC
- European polecat Mustela putorius NT
- European otter Lutra lutra NT
- European badger Meles meles LC
- Scottish wildcat Felis sylvestris grampia CR
- Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx EX
- American mink Neovison vison LC introduced
- South American coati Nasua nasua LC introduced[5]
Whales and dolphins
Superorder: Laurasiatheria Order: Artiodactyla Infraorder: Cetacea
The infraorder Cetacea includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. They are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life with a spindle-shaped nearly hairless body, protected by a thick layer of blubber, and forelimbs and tail modified to provide propulsion underwater.
- Suborder: Mysticeti
- Family: Balaenidae
- Genus: Eubalaena
- North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis CR (functionally extinct in eastern north Atlantic[6])
- Genus: Balaena
- Bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus EN vagrant [7]
- Family: Eschrichtiidae
- Genus: Eschrichtius
- Grey whale Eschrichtius robustus EX (a proposal to reintroduce the species by airlifting 50 animals from the eastern Pacific group to Irish Sea was suggested in 2005[8])
- Family: Balaenopteridae
- Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
- Genus: Balaenoptera
- Fin whale Balaenoptera physalus NT
- Common minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata LC
- Sei whale Balaenoptera borealis EN
- Blue whale Balaenoptera musculus EN [9]
- Genus: Megaptera
- Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae LC
- Suborder: Odontoceti
- Superfamily: Platanistoidea
- Family: Monodontidae
- Genus: Delphinapterus
- Beluga Delphinapterus leucas LC vagrant
- Family: Phocoenidae
- Genus: Phocoena
- Harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena VU
- Family: Physeteridae
- Genus: Physeter
- Sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus VU
- Family: Kogiidae
- Genus: Kogia
- Pygmy sperm whale Kogia breviceps DD
- Family: Ziphidae
- Genus: Ziphius
- Cuvier's beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris DD
- Subfamily: Hyperoodontinae
- Genus: Hyperoodon
- Northern bottlenose whale Hyperoodon ampullatus DD
- Genus: Mesoplodon
- Sowerby's beaked whale Mesoplodon bidens DD
- Gervais' beaked whale Mesoplodon europaeus DD
- True's beaked whale Mesoplodon mirus DD
- Genus: Pseudorca
- False killer whale Pseudorca crassidens DD
- Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
- Genus: Delphinus
- Short-beaked common dolphin Delphinus delphis DD
- Genus: Tursiops
- Common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus DD
- Genus: Stenella
- Striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba DD
- Genus: Lagenorhynchus
- Atlantic white-sided dolphin Lagenorhynchus acutus LC
- White-beaked dolphin Lagenorhynchus albirostris LC
- Genus: Grampus
- Risso's dolphin Grampus griseus DD
- Genus: Orcinus
- Orca Orcinus orca DD
Even-toed ungulates
Superorder: Laurasiatheria Order: Artiodactyla
The even-toed ungulates are ungulates whose weight is borne about equally by the third and fourth toes, rather than mostly or entirely by the third as in perissodactyls. There are about 220 artiodactyl species, including many that are of great economic importance to humans.
- European bison Bison bonasus EX
- Moose Alces alces LC reintroduced
- Wild boar Sus scrofa LC reintroduced
- Red deer Cervus elaphus LC
- Sika deer Cervus nippon LC introduced
- Fallow deer Dama dama LC introduced
- Roe deer Capreolus capreolus LC
- Reindeer Rangifer tarandus LC reintroduced
- Eurasian elk Alces alces LC reintroduced[10]
- Reeves's muntjac Muntiacus reevesi LC introduced
- Chinese water deer Hydropotes inermis VU introduced
See also
References
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/nov/24/beavers-native-protected-species-status-reintroduction-scotland
- ↑ "Geoffroy's bat discovered in UK for first time". BBC News. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
- ↑ "Bat species discovered for the first time in UK". University of Leeds. 20 April 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- ↑ Corbet, G. B., & Harris, S., eds. (1991). The Handbook of British Mammals. 3rd ed. Blackwell, Oxford.
- ↑ http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/8244839.Coati_numbers_on_the_increase_in_South_Lakeland/
- ↑ http://us.whales.org/species-guide/north-atlantic-right-whale
- ↑ "Rare whale-A first for Britain!". Sea Watch Foundation. 2015. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
- ↑ Hoare P. (2013). "First grey whale spotted south of the equator". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
- ↑ "Blue Whale – Balaenoptera musculus". ORCA. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
- ↑ "Moose return to the Highlands after several thousand years". The Guardian. April 14, 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2018.