Mammals UK Autumn 2011

mammalsuk

AUTUMN 2011

400 and counting... the few scottish wildcats surviving in the wild are incredibly difficult to find. new techniques are helping to record, and ultimately conserve, the remaining population. wild thing... p10

inside n secrets of the whispering bat n isle of wight red squirrels n our new interns n scottish mink work n state of britain’s mammals report 2011 n plus all our regular features...

n watch this space Seal pupping beaches

Watch this space...

Seal pupping beaches

Just as the focus of most UK mammals switches to winter survival strategies, our hardy grey seals are preoccupied with sex. The fluffy white-coated pups arrive between September and early December, and have just a few precious weeks to fatten up on milk before being abandoned to face the winter as independent juveniles. Females come into breeding condition almost immediately after giving birth, and leave the pupping beaches to mate with dominant bulls in the water.

Amy-Jane Beer

CONTACT US: MAMMALS UK Magazine, 15 Cloisters House, 8 Battersea Park Road, London SW8 4BG Tel: 020 7498 4533 Fax: 020 7498 4459 website: www.ptes.org editor: Dr Amy-Jane Beer (amy-Jane.BEER@ptes.org) Editorial team: jill nelson, Nida al fulaij, emily jones Design: wildstory.co.uk cover image: scottish wildcat, laurie campbell Print: 4 PRINT; Printed on environmentally friendly paper.

The opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of People’s trust for endangered species.

2 mammalsuk | Autumn 2011

dave bevan

PICTURED: GREY SEAL PUP, HAPPISBURGH, NORFOLK

n contents Welcome

Contents

Inside this issue of mammals uk

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WATCH THIS SPACE A visit to some of our windswept coasts this autumn can yield intimate sightings of one of the UK’s mammal specialities. Our beaches are the birthplace of about half of the global population of grey seals.

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LIFE & TIMES With a majority of the world population, including eight out of ten Britons, now living in towns, it’s not surprising wild animals also move in to take advantage of the shelter and food man-made habitats can provide. David Wembridge considers urban mammals.

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WHAT’S ON Our programme of events this year is almost sold out! Order a copy of next year’s brochure now and be among the first to book for a 2012 Wildlife Encounter.

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NEWS IN BRIEF Some exciting fossil finds and a controversial means of controlling deer populations are among the stories in this season’s round up of mammal research stories from around the world.

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2011 PTES INTERNSHIPS Four new internship grants were awarded this summer by the PTES trustees. Meet the recipients and read about the projects they will be undertaking on behalf of mammal conservation.

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TEAM EFFORT PAYS Eradicating the problematic introduced American mink from the UK is often regarded as a pipe dream. But Xavier Lambin of the University of Aberdeen and his collaborators have been showing what is possible with a concerted community effort.

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WILD THING... I THINK I LOVE YOU British mammals don’t come any wilder, or more difficult to study, than the Scottish wildcat, our only native felid.

Kerry Kilshaw and David Macdonald have been using remote camera technology to observe this most elusive and threatened of native species.

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SECRETS OF THE WHISPERING BAT Some moths have excellent hearing, so how do barbastelles manage to sneak up on them when their hunting technique relies on making a noise? Matt Zeale has been employing some sophisticated techniques to listen in on the aerial drama.

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WHEN IS HELPING YOURSELF NOT HELPING YOUR REPUTATION? Otters are making a welcome return to much of their former range, but not everyone will be pleased to see them back. Dan Forman of Swansea University has been investigating perceptions of otter predation by the Welsh fisheries industry.

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WEBSTER’S CORNER As evenings draw in, there are still a few more weeks to enjoy the antics of bats as they feed up and prepare for hibernation. By Halloween they’ll almost all be tucked away for the winter, so why is this time of year so widely associated with our flitting, fly-by-night friends?

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DOING ALL WIGHT? Richard Grogan has been coordinating a PTES-funded survey of red squirrel habitats on the Isle of Wight. And, for once, it’s good news – the species is doing well in its southern British outpost.

Welcome In September we proudly celebrated awarding £1million for mammal conservation since we established Mammals Trust UK, our special fund for mammals, in 2001. That’s £1million pounds raised in ten years. Thank you to all our supporters who have helped us to do this and remain so loyal. It’s a real achievement.

At the time of writing we have had more than 15 000 requests for Hedgehog Street packs. Also something of an achievement!

Thank you. If all those requests translate into action for hedgehogs in our gardens then we will make a real impact. Hedgehogs are struggling to thrive in some rural areas so keeping our urban environment hedgehogfriendly is vital while we find out exactly what is causing their decline across the country. To do something for hedgehogs in your street go to www.hedgehogstreet.org for advice.

A big thank you to everyone who took part in our Living with Mammals and Mammals on Roads surveys this year. We are busy looking at all the data and preparing the analysis.

With best wishes

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BOOKSHELF PTES launches a landmark 10th edition of our annual report The State of Britain’s Mammals and thanks supporters for raising £1million for UK mammal conservation over the last 10 years.

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PTES ALUMNI Former PTES intern Dorothea Pio explains why she so values the experience of studying pipistrelle bats at the University of Aberdeen, which launched her conservation career.

We welcome letters and pictures from readers If there’s something you’d like to see featured in a future issue of Mammals UK, we will be only too happy to consider your ideas.

Jill Nelson Chief Executive

people’s trust for

endangered species

People’s Trust for Endangered Species. Registered Charity No. 274206

Autumn 2011 | mammalsuk 3

n LIFE & Times Mammals in towns and cities

Life & times

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the human population of Britain is predominantly urban, and much of our native wildlife is increasingly at home in city habitats. david wembridge examines the implications of urban expansion for the fortunes of wild mammals.

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or most of our history, humans have been – but typically, there must be more than a certain nomads – moving through the changing number of inhabitants or the presence of features landscape, hunting and gathering as we such as water and electricity supplies, or local did so. But ten thousand years ago, we took up a government. All settlements, however, produce more sedentary lifestyle, supported by agriculture waste and warmth, and provide food and nest or and the domestication of crops and livestock; and roost sites for species that aren’t troubled by our once we had, it was in the comparative blink of an definitions of what is or isn’t a town or city. In 2010, eye that large settlements grew up.

Jennifer Owen described the findings of a thirtyÇatalhöyük, in what is now Turkey, was home year study of her own medium-sized suburban to as many as ten thousand people between garden in Leicester. She recorded 2 673 species of 7500 and 5700 BCE. It is the largest Neolithic cultivated and wild plants and animals in a plot settlement known, made up of a collection of 61m long by 15m wide. Seven were wild mammals dwellings but with little public infrastructure. The (of the 55 terrestrial mammal species resident in first settlements generally regarded as cities, with Great Britain and Ireland), and three times as many the distinctive features of urbanisation such as mammal species have been recorded in gardens streets, trading links and evidence of bureaucratic and urban green spaces nationwide. government, were those of ancient Sumeria. In Since it began in 2003, our annual survey Living its heyday around 2900 BCE, Uruk in modernwith mammals has collected sightings and signs of day Iraq was home to perhaps eighty thousand mammals in the built environment – spaces such residents. And where there are people, there are as gardens, allotments, cemeteries and recreational inevitably mammals. Some, like livestock and pets, ground, along with sites adjacent to farm buildings. we give space to, but others (so-called commensal Twenty-five species (or species groups, such as species) move in uninvited, quick to adapt to new bats) have been recorded, including several, such opportunities. as otter, hedgehog, common pipistrelle and red Today, although urban areas cover only two or squirrel, which are the focus of conservation efforts. three percent of the land surface of the world, they Of course, some mammals are more urbanite are where most of us live. Since 2008, than others. Rodents – such as wood ‘All settlements provide food and nest and house mice, and brown and black over half of the human population has lived in urban areas and the proportion rats – have lived alongside us for or roost sites for species that aren’t is growing: by the middle of the century, millennia; others have moved in more troubled by our definitions of what is or recently. The red fox is an urban exploiter it is forecast that 70 percent of us will be urbanites. par excellence. Foxes began to colonise isn’t a town or city’ In the UK, built land makes up almost suburban London in the 1930s, catching a tenth of the land area and is home to four-fifths the public’s attention in the 1960s. Today, there are of us. It is here – in the green spaces and the brick about five thousand adult foxes within the M25 and concrete habitats of our towns and cities – and perhaps seven times as many in urban areas that most of us encounter wildlife from day to day. nationally. The rich pickings of cities are reflected There is no one definition that identifies an area in the smaller home ranges of urban foxes, typically as urban – different countries use different criteria 20-40 hectares (50-100 acres) or about a tenth the

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n what’s on

Diary

foxes, after an alleged attack on two infants, ignored the bigger threat from irresponsible dog owners and the fact that attacks by foxes are otherwise almost completely unheard of.

And urban wildlife has very real benefits – not least that it makes us feel good. Experiencing wildlife in gardens and parks has measurable physical and mental benefits – we recover from illness more quickly and have a greater sense of well-being – and the greater the diversity of species, the greater the benefits. Earlier this year, the UK National Ecosystem Assessment, part of the UNEP initiative Living with Environmental Change, valued the potential health benefits of living close to green spaces at £300 per person per year.

Conversely, wild animals have something to gain from an urban lifestyle. For some, urban sites offer an alternative way of life; for others, they are corridors, linking habitats that are too small in their own right to support viable wild communities. For yet others, such as hedgehogs, towns can be refugia as the rural landscape changes. Across the UK, gardens collectively make up a habitat larger than the Peak District, Cairngorms and Snowdonia National Parks put together (around 8 100 sq. km). The opportunity to support wildlife in urban landscapes is equally vast.

Find out more...

Online resources Biodiversity in Urban Gardens projects www.bugs.group.shef.ac.uk. This page will direct you to information on the two BUGS projects run by the University of Sheffield; BUGS1 in Sheffield itself and BUGS2, rolled out in five cities across the UK.

December...

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WINTER WILDFOWL, RUTLAND WATER £12/16 Rutland Water is home to over 20 000 wildfowl, many of which fly to our shores to escape the freezing winter further east.

The nature reserve at Egleton supports internationally important numbers of gadwall and shoveler as well as a range of other stunning wildfowl, including smew, goldeneye, goosander, pochard, wigeon, teal and tufted duck. The hides at Egleton offer a unique opportunity to admire these spectacular ducks at very close quarters, and leader Tim Mackrill of the Rutland Osprey Project will be on hand to ensure you don’t miss a thing on your three hour guided walk.

Wildlife Encounters 2012 Each year we arrange an exciting programme of events that give you the chance to have a truly close encounter with wildlife in the UK. Our new programme for 2012 will be published shortly. We’ll be offering opportunities to visit many of the projects that we fund, and to meet the conservationists themselves.

So whether it’s helping to check nest boxes for dormice, bat detecting or walking with wolves, please get involved in 2012.

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size of those in rural areas; and foxes have been known to commute, foraging in urban areas at night while spending the day out of town.

Red and grey squirrels too have readily adapted to urban parks and gardens, and bats, pine martens and edible dormice are not shy of moving into roof spaces. So what makes some species more suited to urban life than others? A study of birds in the city of Jerusalem found that being successful in highly urbanised environments depended not on brain size or innovative behaviour, but on a combination of more mundane traits including diet, how sedentary and social a species is, and the nature of its preferred nest sites.

Is the same true for mammals? If it is, then by providing good foraging and nesting sites in towns and cities, we might encourage more to move in.

Higher housing densities have meant smaller domestic gardens but size (and whether a garden is more or less urban) is not as critical as some other features. Studies such as the Biodiversity in Urban Gardens (BUGS) projects run by the University of Sheffield indicate that tall vegetation such as trees is important: more so than how built-up an area is in determining abundance of small mammals and insects. And there is evidence too that the actions of gardeners – such as building log-piles or growing plants bearing fruits, nuts or seed-cones – can make a difference to urban mammals. A study of residential gardens in Bristol,

by Phil Baker and Stephen Harris, found that an increase in the number of wildlifefriendly habitats in a garden and/ or the number of food-bearing plant species was associated with an increase in the proportion of gardens frequently used by hedgehogs or mice.

For hedgehogs in particular, whose numbers nationally have fallen by a quarter in the last ten years, gardens might just be a saving grace.

Not everyone will appreciate mice, or rats, or moles, or foxes on their doorstep, but in reality none pose a threat if we clean up after ourselves and pay urban species the respect any wild mammal is due. The clamour last year against

As always, supporters will receive a special discounted rate and can also bring up to three friends with them at the supporter rate. If you donate to PTES, have taken part in any of our surveys or are a member of our kids club, Kids Gone Wild, then you qualify for the supporter rate.

To receive a copy of the new brochure, call Zoe on 020 7498 4533 or email enquiries@ptes.org and ask to be added to our events mailing list.

We look forward to meeting you at one of our events soon!

Useful reading Wildlife of a garden: a thirty-year study, Jennifer Owen. (Royal Horticultural Society, 2010) The value of gardens for wildlife – lessons from mammals and herpetofauna, R. Ansell, P. Baker and S. Harris. (British Wildlife, vol. 13, pp77-84, 2001) Jan Miller-Klein’s wonderfully practical Gardening for Butterflies, Bees and other beneficial insects. (reviewed in the winter 2011 edition of Mammals UK) is an excellent guide to encouraging insects in gardens, which in turn will attract mammals.

Autumn 2011 | mammalsuk 5

n news in brief

News in brief do you have a mammal story you’d like us to cover? please email the editor, amy-Jane.beer@ptes.org, or write to us at MAMMALS UK Magazine, PTES, 15 cloisters house, 8 battersea park road, london SW8 4BG.

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and violence in deer?

Researchers at the United States Department of Agriculture have described a new contraceptive vaccine developed for use in deer as ‘a publicly acceptable tool’ in the battle to control the country’s burgeoning population of whitetailed deer. White-tails are native to the US, but their numbers have increased dramatically in recent decades following tighter regulation of hunting, declines in native predators and beneficial landscape changes. Problems arise during the annual rut, when the animals become aggressive and destructive. The cost of damage caused is estimated at $1 billion a year. Worse is the road traffic collision rate, which soars as rutting bucks pursue does, posing a lethal threat to motorists and themselves.

The vaccine, GonaCon, halts the female reproductive cycle, meaning not only that does can no longer conceive, but they no longer hold any allure for males. GonaCon’s promoters claim that it solves both the problem of population and that of disruptive behaviour.

In controlled tests, single shots of GonaCon have proved effective for up to five years, though this is not reliably replicated in the wild.

And at a whopping $1 000 (£600)

per shot, the treatment is also staggeringly expensive. The current US white-tail population is about 20 million, so clearly this is no panacea, and others remain unconvinced that the treatment is a realistic option even at a local level. British deer expert Rory Putman said ‘To ensure any effect in reducing population growth, you need to inoculate at least 70% of females – far from easy in a wild, unconfined population’. Even if 100% inoculation was possible, the risk of deer-vehicle collisions (DVCs) may remain or even increase as males continue to hunt (albeit fruitlessly) for receptive mates. Professor Putman continues, ‘There are also numerous welfare issues associated with capture and vaccination, and with the physiological sideeffects of suppressing the normal reproductive cycle. Contraception is not a magic bullet’. The justification for its use in the UK context may be even more limited, as Jochen Langbein of the Deer Initiative explains.’ The main annual peak of DVCs appears not to coincide with mating activity in any of our species, and anything that aims to reduce deer collisions in this country has to consider the very different biologies of the five species routinely involved in DVCs – roe, fallow, muntjac, red and sika.’

Gamebag records provide valuable long-term data regarding the abundance of several species of wild mammal (albeit only deceased ones).

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n vaccine to curb sex

n Mammals in the bag

An American white-tailed buck pursues a doe during the rut. Animals engaged in such chases are oblivious to dangers posed by roads and hence are involved in thousands of traffic collisions every year.

For the first time, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) has published the results of its National Gamebag Census (NGC) online. The data, released by GWCT as part of its involvement with the JNCC Tracking Mammals Partnership, describes the changing fortunes of 20 mammal species, including their conservation and legal status, abundance and distribution.

The dataset has been collated from shooting estate bag records – some dating back as far as 1901 – and it provides a valuable historical perspective on many native mammals, whatever your views on shooting. The data show that since 1961, there have been significant increases in the gamebag index of nine species; brown hares, grey squirrels, brown rats, sika, roe deer, muntjacs, foxes, stoats and weasels. However, since 1978 the NGC records a significant decline in American mink, a trend which may be linked to the recovery of otters and efforts to step up mink control

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g e t co n n e c t e d

6 mammalsuk | Autumn 2011

We also publish news on our website, www.ptes.org, and post regular updates on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Come and join us next time you’re online.

n news in brief available online at www.gwct.org. uk/ngcmammals.

mark A. Klingler, Carnegie museum of natural history

to conserve water voles.

The GWCT observes that several non-native species are showing rapid increases in the NGC as well as substantially expanding their ranges. These include grey squirrels, muntjacs and sika, all of which, note GWCT, pose some threat to our native species and habitats. The report draws attention to increases in two native mammals, suggesting that foxes have benefited from changes in control methods including the banning of Cymag poison, and that an apparent increase in brown hare numbers coincided with the introduction of set-aside and agri-environment schemes that have restored some habitat diversity to farmland.

Dr Nicholas Aebischer, deputy director of research with the GWCT, said ‘It is important that we understand the current status of our UK mammal populations, so that we can put in place the right conservation measures. The NGC is important because it is the only scheme that provides trends going back 50 years or more. We are delighted that JNCC recognises the importance of the NGC, particularly by making this information more widely available to everyone with an interest in mammal populations.’

The latest results of the NGC, with mammal data up to 2009, are now

n our earliest

placental ancestor?

Palaeontologists led by Dr Zhe-Xi Luo of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, USA, have used a paper in the journal Nature to unveil the superbly preserved remains of a160-millionyear-old animal with important implications for mammal phylogeny.

The shrew-like creature, Juramaia sinensis, is thought to be the earliest known example of a eutherian mammal, in other words a non-marsupial placental mammal, like ourselves.

The discovery pushes the date of divergence of marsupials (or metatherians) and eutherians 35 million years further back into our evolutionary history than previous fossil evidence had suggested.

The fossil record now agrees more closely with studies using genetic differences to estimate divergence dates for different lineages.

Juramaia sinensis was discovered in Liaoning Province, China, in an area known for many spectacular recent fossil finds. In an interview for BBC News, Dr Luo explained ‘The teeth of Juramaia allow us

The fossil of Juramaia sinensis shows the animal’s remains in fine detail, including the skull, teeth, the small bones of the feet and even impressions of hair and other soft tissues. The preservation is such that a detailed reconstruction has been possible.

to identify it as belonging to the eutherian lineage. In addition, the forelimb and wrist bones show some eutherian features; they completely lack the important diagnostic features of metatherians/marsupials’. The combination of dentition and hand structure suggest that Juramaia was insectivorous and an adept climber.

It would have resembled a modern day shrew, and at about 16g, would have been similar in size to our own common species.

The previous oldest-known eutherian fossil belonged to a species called Eomaia, which lived about 125 million years ago. This date sat uneasily with genetic estimates suggesting a Jurassic origin for the eutherian lineage, of which most modern mammals, humans included, are part.

Rivers in remission quality. The EA has administered reductions in the volume of water taken from rivers so that they can maintain healthy flows. Ian Barker, Head of Land and Water at the EA, said ‘Britain’s rivers are the healthiest for over 20 years and otters, salmon and other wildlife are returning for the first time since the industrial revolution. But there is more to be done, and we plan to transform a further 9 500 miles of river by 2015.’

That there is much still to do is echoed by other river users, and was demonstrated by comedian David Walliams, whose 140 mile charity swim along the Thames in September was dogged by sewage-borne illness. To see the list in detail and follow recommendations for walks along the restored waterways, visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk.

3 The top 10 most improved rivers in England and Wales, according to a recent Environment Agency report: 1 River Wandle, London 2 River Thames 3 River Wear, Co. Durham 4 River Stour, Worcestershire 5 River Darent, Kent 6 River Dee, Wales and Northwest England 7 River Nar, Norfolk 8 River Taff, South Wales 9 River Stour, Dorset 10 River Mersey, Merseyide

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A list of the 10 most improved rivers in Britain published in August by the Environment Agency (EA) makes encouraging reading. A river that once ran black with coal is now an international match fishing destination. Another whose polluted waters were described as ‘an affront to a civilised society’ is now home to salmon, otters and water voles. And a London river officially declared a sewer in the 1960s has become one of the best urban fisheries in the country. According to the EA, these waterways have shrugged off their industrial past to become havens for wildlife once again.

The transformation has been achieved by thousands of habitat improvement projects and tighter regulation of polluting industries and agriculture to improve water

Autumn 2011 | mammalsuk 7

n SPECIAL REPORT: Intern projects

2011 PTES internships once again we are delighted to introduce four new recipients of PTES internship funding. with your support they are embarking on careers in conservation and making a difference to the future of our threatened native mammals. here are numerous opportunities to take courses in higher education institutions in conservation biology and related disciplines. But making the transition from academic qualification to a career in conservation can be difficult and PTES is acutely aware of the importance of having high quality young conservationists keen to develop their passion for helping our wildlife. Our annual internship programme was designed to help promising young scientists to gain the necessary foothold in the world of conservation. This year we have been able to award four internships.

Two of the lucky winners of these awards are focusing on water voles, one on otters and the other on dormice.

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Victoria Radcliffe

Victoria hails from Retford in Nottinghamshire. She will be working with Nottinghamshire

Wildlife Trust on a water vole project. Historically, the River Idle and Idle Washlands in the county have been strongholds for this beleaguered species. However more recently, anecdotal reports suggest a worrying decline in water vole numbers and an increase in those of the predatory American mink.

The catchment has now become a priority for further investigation to find out what is going on. Victoria is conducting a full survey of the Idle Valley to record water vole distribution and estimate the size of the remaining population. As well as drawing conclusions as to the causes of the decline, she will be collecting data on other riverside mammals including otters, mink and brown rats. Achieving a full picture of the mammal community within the landscape will enable the Wildlife Trust to provide information and advice to local landowners for enhanced habitat management and entry into the environmental stewardship schemes.

The Llangollen Canal ought to be a prime site for water voles, but as at so many places around the UK, the species has declined drastically over recent decades.

Paul Roberts hopes to contribute to a change in their fortunes in the area.

Paul Roberts

Paul, from Wrexham, will be based with British Waterways working to help water voles along the Llangollen Canal, part of the Pontcysyllte World Heritage Site.

The canal stretches through Denbighshire and Wrexham in Wales and Shropshire in England, much of it running alongside the River Dee. Water voles have disappeared from many of their historic locations in the area, reflecting the dire situation for the species nationally. Paul is surveying for the presence or absence of water voles and assessing the state of the waterways so as to determine the suitability of the habitat for their return. He will be collating the results into a water vole best practice guide for local landowners so that they can manage their waterways to maximise the chances of a recovery for the species.

Vicky Radcliffe is already getting stuck in to her internship role, surveying all likely areas of the Idle Valley in Nottinghamshire for water voles and other riparian mammals.

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n SPECIAL REPORT: Mink research

Team effort pays Professor Xavier lambin of the university of aberdeen explains How a cross-community effort to control introduced mink has achieved unprecedented success. uccessful eradications of harmful invasive species are few and far between, and most are confined to islands. As a rule, control programmes in mainland areas tend to be small scale and uncoordinated, and any land cleared of the problem species remains vulnerable to recolonisation from neighbouring areas. Removing an invasive animal from a large mainland area in order to allow the recovery of threatened native species therefore requires some innovative thinking.

We took an adaptive approach in our attempt to eradicate American mink from northeastern Scotland.

The project was centred on the Cairngorms National Park (Scotland), with the primary aim of protecting endangered water vole populations there. Water voles are a priority conservation species, while mink cause problems not only for the voles, but also for a range of human interests.

Thus, while the project was initiated by scientists, we were able to capitalise on a convergence of interests to achieve something special. We formed a partnership between a government agency, the national park authority, local fisheries boards and a coalition of volunteers trained to detect and trap mink.

Starting in headwaters, our volunteers moved down river catchments, deploying mink rafts, an effective detection and trapping platform. The volunteers were supported by us at the start, but took increasing responsibility for monitoring and trapping as the project progressed. Within three years, 186 volunteers had removed 376 mink from an area half the size of Wales (10 570km2 to be precise).

Several factors affected success at the local level. For example, the capture rate was highest in catchments with connectivity to mink in neighbouring areas and near the coast where habitat was particularly productive. But the main factor underpinning the project’s success was functional volunteer participation. This was the largest project of its kind attempted anywhere in the world, and the results are reason to hope that the tide of the mink invasion might be rolled back on a large scale. A successor to the project, the Scottish Mink Initiative, is now aiming even higher, tackling an area twice as large (20 000 km2).

Peter King

Peter, from Peterborough, is working with the Sussex Wetland Landscapes Partnership at Sussex Wildlife Trust during his internship.

He will be determining the extent of otter recolonisation in Sussex by investigating their presence within the catchments of the western Rother and Arun rivers. The recent national otter survey, funded by the Environment Agency and PTES, reported Kent, Sussex and Surrey as being the only counties of the UK where otter recovery hadn’t been confirmed. Indications are now that in fact otters are present in areas of these counties, but more evidence is needed. As the only east-west flowing river catchment within West Sussex, the Rother is an important corridor by which otters from the strong Hampshire populations might recolonise the rivers Ouse and Adur to the east. Peter is monitoring this stretch of water for otters and also for mink, checking the surrounding habitat and mapping the results whilst supporting local otter volunteers.

Richard Pond

Richard, from Camarthenshire, is working with the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, looking in detail at the habitat around a dormouse site at Rhos Cefn Bryn nature reserve. Using dormouse boxes

Otters are on the increase across most of Great Britain, but their recovery in the far southeastern counties has been slow. Peter King is hoping to find more encouraging signs of otters returning to Sussex this year.

and tubes he is carefully surveying woodland and hedgerow areas to assess whether dormice are present and judging whether the landscape is sufficiently connected for them to be able to travel safely hidden from the eyes of predators. The whole site will then be digitally mapped and areas for habitat restoration will be highlighted for improvement, in collaboration with the local landowners.

Richard Pond is working to conserve dormice in South Wales, an area with the potential to support strong populations. Local landowners keen to boost the dormouse appeal of their land will be benefitting from Richard’s studies.

xavier lambin

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rea d o n The research described here has been published as follows: Bryce, R., et al.

Turning back the tide of American mink invasion at an unprecedented scale through community participation and adaptive management.

Biological Conservation.

(2010), doi:10.1016/j.

Autumn 2011 | mammalsuk 9

laurie campbell

dave bevan

n feature:Scottish wildcat

Wild thing...

I think I love you

Whether portrayed as a ball of spitting fury or as a silent wraith of the forest, the scottish wildcat is one of our most alluring native species. But conserving it is no simple matter. indeed, just identifying this iconic predator in the wild is a challenge in itself, as kerry kilshaw and david macdonald of wildcru know.

10 mammalsuk | Autumn 2011

n feature: Scottish wildcat he Scottish wildcat is Britain’s only native cat. It is thought to be a descendant of continental European wildcat ancestors, which colonised Britain following the last Ice Age between 7 000 and 9 000 years ago. Historically, wildcats lived across mainland Britain and were also present on some of the Inner Hebrides, including the Isle of Skye. However, as Britain’s forests began to disappear, the remaining population was pushed further and further north. By 1800, wildcats were already restricted to northern England, Wales (where they were scarce) and Scotland. By 1850 they had almost disappeared from west central Wales and from all of England except Northumberland.

By 1880, wildcats survived only in Scotland and by 1915 their range had contracted further to just the northwestern Highlands. Today, the Scottish wildcat is considered vulnerable to extinction.

The initial decline in wildcat numbers in Britain was partly due to loss of habitat, particularly forests,

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and partly a result of hunting for fur and to protect game. The development of sporting estates in Scotland from the mid-19th century onwards was catastrophic, because wildcats were shot as part of the predator control carried out on many estates.

Wildcat or impostor?

Though now strictly protected under both British and European law, the Scottish wildcat is further threatened by hybridization with feral domestic cats. Hybridization occurs when two different species interbreed to produce offspring with mixed ancestry. Over time there is a risk that the Scottish wildcat will become genetically extinct, with no pure-bred individuals remaining. It is not known how long hybridization has been occurring between feral/domestic cats and wildcats in Britain, but it may have begun when the Romans imported domesticated cats around 2 000 years ago.

It can be very difficult to distinguish Scottish wildcats from

hybrids and even from some large domestic tabby cats.

This not only poses problems in assessing their distribution and abundance, it has also made legal protection difficult because hybrid and feral cats are not protected. These problems with identification have made prosecution of unlawful killing of wildcats very difficult. Thus hybridization is currently one of the biggest threats facing the subspecies.

However, thanks to work at WildCRU (supported by PTES) and at National Museums of Scotland (NMS) new methodologies have been developed for identifying Scottish wildcats (see box) and we now have some useful tools with which to carry conservation research forward.

The next steps were to start looking at areas where wildcats could still be found in order to refine population estimates, to assess the extent of hybridization and work out how best to locate animals in

Spotting the difference Much research on the Scottish wildcat has focused on ways to distinguish purebred individuals from domestic tabbies and hybrids. A variety of approaches has been taken, from looking at behavioural differences to measuring body parts to pin down physical differences. In recent years, however, there have been two important breakthroughs. In 2005, PTES trustee Dr Andrew Kitchener of National Museums Scotland (NMS) and Professor David Macdonald of WildCRU identified seven key coat (pelage) markings that can be used to distinguish wildcats. This technique, applied to museum data collected in the 1990s, resulted in the oftenquoted estimate of 400 wildcats remaining in Scotland.

The second breakthrough was genetic. Research by Dr Carlos Driscoll, also of WildCRU, found that Scottish wildcats could be distinguished by specific genes on their mitochondrial DNA, and this, combined with microsatellite data, could be used to help separate them genetically from domestic cats and hybrids.

DOMESTIC TABBY Hybrids (centre) vary in appearance but are generally intermediate in size between wildcats (left) and domestic cats (right). They have a superficially wildcat-like tabby coat, which may include patches of white on the paws, back or flanks, but the Scottish wildcat never has any white markings.

Scottish wildcats are notoriously difficult to spot.

Their cryptic coat pattern and secretive nature mean that even if you search the right area, any resident cat is likely to be long gone or watching you invisibly from a safe hiding place.

kerry kilshaw

WILDCAT

Cats are scored for each of the seven wildcat pelage characteristics below: a score of one denotes a character that is clearly domestic, three is a wildcat character, and two is given for a hybrid or intermediate character. Cats that score 14 or more, with no scores of one, are classified as wildcats.

1 Dorsal stripe ends at the base of the tail 2 Tail has thick, blunt, black tip 3 Tail has distinct rings 4 Body stripes mainly unbroken 5 No spots on hindquarters 6 Four distinct wavy stripes on back of neck 7 Two thick stripes between shoulders

Autumn 2011 | mammalsuk 11

kerry kilshaw

n feature:Scottish wildcat

the wild so that future long-term monitoring of their progress can be carried out.

Monitoring is an important part of Scottish wildcat conservation, enabling researchers to detect changes and trends and to aid management decisions. One of the basic steps in any species conservation action is to find out where the remaining animals are and how many are left. To date, a combination of road traffic accident (RTA) surveys, live-trapping and interviews and questionnaires have been used to collect data

fact file

on ‘wild-living’ cats in Scotland, including wildcats and feral cats.

Although these methods have generated useful data, each has its limitations. For example, RTAs are probably biased towards hybrids and feral cats, as domestic cats are likely to be concentrated near urban areas. Live-trapping is very time consuming and requires both a licence and experience, and in general the information collected using questionnaires and interviews is dependent on how well the cat could be seen at the time and the wildcat-spotting experience of the

Camera trapping has proven to be a highly effective means of capturing wild-living cats: less labour intensive than live-trapping; less geographically biased than RTA data; more verifiable than sightings reported by gamekeepers or members of the public. The cat at top right was identified as a hybrid, the other three as wildcats.

Scottish wildcat

laurie campbelL

The Scottish wildcat is one of several subspecies of wildcat known throughout Africa and Eurasia. It is the only surviving native cat in Britain.

Common name Scottish wildcat Scientific name Felis silvestris

grampia

Description Generally larger and more robust than domestic cats, with longer legs, larger head and a noticeably long thick tail with blunt, black-tipped end. Black rings circle tail, no white markings. Coat grey- to yellow-brown with dark brownish stripes on body and legs. Males 3–7kg, females 2–4kg.

Habitat Shelters in woodland or dense thickets, hunts in more open habitat such as pasture or riparian areas where small mammals and rabbits occur. Breeding females may den in rocky places.

Habits Primarily nocturnal or

crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk), may venture out in daylight if extended hunting time required. Mainly solitary, with territory of one male overlapping those of several females.

12 mammalsuk | Autumn 2011

viewer. Given the limitations of such methods, it was important to look into other survey methodologies such as camera trapping.

Camera traps are remote cameras housed in waterproof containers.

The shutter is triggered to take a photograph when an animal passes in front of the trap. As a noninvasive technique, camera trapping can provide a variety of useful information regarding the species present in an area, the time of day they are active and an indication of their abundance. If individuals can be identified from the photographs, there is also the possibility of making density estimates and inferring information such as home range size and habitat use.

In 2010, in collaboration with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), WildCRU carried out a pilot study in the Cairngorms National Park to determine whether camera trapping could be used to survey and monitor Scottish wildcats.

Between February and May, a total of 20 camera trap stations were placed no more than 1.5km apart, with two camera traps per station. Initially, traps were tried without bait or lure, then baited with pheasant or extract of valerian (which attracts cats in much the same way as catnip). The study found that in areas where local gamekeeper sightings and knowledge suggested wildcats

Diet Carnivorous, preferring rabbit but also taking voles, wood mice and other small mammals; also birds, reptiles and invertebrates where available. breeding Mates January–March. 1–8 (usually 3 or 4) kittens born in spring after 63–68 day gestation. Kittens emerge from den at 4–5 weeks and begin hunting with mother at 10–12 weeks. Males reach sexual maturity at 9–10 months and leave den to find territories. Females often stay within mother’s territory for first winter before dispersing. Maximum longevity in wild 8–10 years.

Distribution Northern Scotland Conservation status Once widespread in Great Britain but suffered severe decline in both range and population. Species as a whole is designated Least Concern by IUCN, but fewer than 400 of the Scottish subspecies remain.

might be present, camera trapping proved to be a reliable means of ‘capturing’ them. A total of 13 individual cats were caught on camera, of which four were identified as wildcats using the pelage method, while the remaining nine individuals were identified as hybrids. Using camera trapping, a density estimate of 2.9 wild-living cats per 10km was calculated, a figure that closely matched previous estimates for the Cairngorms National Park achieved using other methods. We also found that the number of photos taken of wild-living cats almost trebled when pheasant bait was used. In addition, during the survey period, no cat

carcasses were found on the roads bisecting and surrounding the study site and no cats were seen by the gamekeepers, suggesting that camera trapping may be a more effective method for recording wildliving cats than relying on chance sightings or RTA data. To increase capture success in the future the study recommended using bait, placing the camera stations closer together (1–1.5km) and running the survey for 60 days. This method is now being used by the Highland Tiger Project to monitor wildcats in the Cairngorms National Park, and as part of WildCRU’s continuing research examining the status and distribution of wildcats across

Scottish wildcats rely on mixed terrain with areas of dense forest or other vegetation for shelter and more open areas for hunting.

northern Scotland. The cameras are also being used to identify areas that might be live-trapped so that blood samples can be collected for genetic analysis that will indicate the extent of hybridization. In addition, other monitoring methods such as the use of hair traps (where genetic data can be collected from hairs left as a cat brushes past) are also currently being tested.

laurie campbell

n feature:American mink

A day in the life of a wildcat researcher working with a species that epitomises untamed ferocity sounds glamorous.

Kerry Kilshaw describes the reality of life in search of our wildest mammal. right set-up can lead to some amazing photographs of wildlife (and unsuspecting people). Of course, wildcat scats are quite hard to find, especially as the animals themselves are few and far between, so if I can’t find any direct signs (scats, footprints or feeding remains) then I look for areas that could be suitable. Potential wildcat sites are areas with a suitable food supply, so anywhere with rabbits or evidence of small mammal activity may also be a good camera trap site.

Once the cameras have been attached, I spend some time crawling around pretending to be a cat to make sure everything is in the right place. This is fine on a warm summer’s day, but not much fun in the rain, mud or snow! Taking into account the time it takes to find a good site, each camera station takes two to three hours to set up, although it has been known to take up to nine hours in bad weather. I have 20 of these stations to establish at every survey site.

However, once the initial hard work is done, the cameras are left to their own devices and checked every 10–14 days to make sure they are still working and have enough battery life, and in the hope that somewhere on one of them is a photo of a Scottish wildcat. After two months, I bring the cameras in, clear out all the spiders and other insects that have set up home inside their cases and put them out somewhere else to start all over again.

neil anderson, kerry kilshaw

Staggering up a steep hill in the rain, trying desperately to avoid being bitten by voracious Scottish midges and carrying a backpack that feels 10 times heavier than when I started out: a typical day for me in the Scottish Highlands. Instead of admiring the amazing views or watching the skies for a glimpse of a golden eagle, I have my head down, intensively scanning the ground for poo. Not any poo, of course, but a scat from the elusive Scottish wildcat.

Scouring the ground for faeces is an all important part of a process that will hopefully end up in capturing a photograph of one of these rare animals. As well as helping me pinpoint good locations to set up one of my camera traps, the scats provide information about what the cat is eating and DNA for genetic analysis.

If I find a scat, I then search for a suitable spot to place my cameras. Ideally this would be on a nearby tree or fence post, but sometimes I find myself without either, so I have to carry a couple of spare posts in my backpack just in case. The cameras must be neither too high or too low, and should avoid facing east or west to prevent the sun shining directly into them. Ideally they should be placed either side of a nice looking animal trail that is neither too wide or too narrow, and preferably in areas that are well used by animals but not by humans. If this sounds complicated, it can be, but the

Autumn 2011 | mammalsuk 13

n special REPORT Barbastelle hunting

Secrets of the whispering bat matt zeale of the university of bristol tells of exciting new diScoveries shedding light on the extraordinary hunting ability of the barbastelle. t night, in the skies above our heads, bats hunt voraciously.

Most of their insect prey are deafly unaware of their impending winged doom, but some fight back with ingenious adaptations of their own.

In response to predation by echolocating bats, a variety of nocturnal insects, including many moths, have evolved simple ears.

Even a split second’s warning of an approaching bat gives them a chance to make evasive flight manoeuvres and avoid being eaten.

In various families of moths, ears have developed on the abdomen, thorax, and even on the antennae, and their escape tactics include aerobatic loop-the-loops, spirals, and free-falling behaviour.

A

Arms race

However, as with any sense, the hearing-based defences of moths are not infallible and their limitations may be exploited by bats. We know that some bats echolocate at frequencies above or below those to which moth ears are most sensitive, and that other gleaning bats call so quietly that they remain undetected. However, while we might assume that such types of echolocation evolved directly to combat the hearingbased defences of prey, there are other benefits that may have initially driven the selection for these changes, such as increased detection range at low frequencies, improved spatial resolution at high frequencies, and reduced echointerference from background vegetation at low amplitudes. Thus, it remains unclear whether any bats have developed an echolocation strategy designed specifically to trump insect hearing or whether this result is a convenient byproduct of improvements wrought as a result of these other selective forces.

14 mammalsuk | Autumn 2011

Large noctuid moths such as the underwings (seen here the yellow, red and lunar underwings) have good hearing, which helps them evade capture by many potential predators. But the barbastelle still manages to catch and eat them with ease.

What is its secret?

The barbastelle’s story

By examining barbastelle droppings (Chris Packham eat your heart out!) we know that they consume moths almost exclusively. We also know that they echolocate at frequencies that eared moths are perfectly capable of detecting and that they hunt predominantly in mid air, snatching insects on the wing, a technique known as aerial-hawking, rather than by gleaning (picking prey at rest off leaves or other surfaces). So how do barbastelles remain undetected by the moths they prey on so successfully? Are they using a previously unknown strategy to trump the defences of moths? This was the question that my colleagues and I at the University of Bristol sought to answer.

Deciphering diet

Because barbastelles should be conspicuous to eared moths, it had been suggested that perhaps only small ‘micro’ moths – most of which do not possess ears – were eaten.

Unfortunately, due to limitations in conventional approaches to diet analysis (whereby microscopes are

used to make visual assessments of prey fragments in the droppings), it was impossible to determine specifically what types of moths were eaten, only that moths were important. Our first task then was to develop a new, more sensitive, method for examining the diets of bats that would allow us to determine precisely what types of moths the bats were eating.

Using novel genetic techniques, we analysed the degraded DNA of insect prey in barbastelle droppings to allow, for the very first time, the identification of prey types to species. To our surprise, we discovered that barbastelles are not only capable of hunting eared moths – including big species such as the large yellow-underwing – but that they specialise in eating such prey. Nearly 90% of the barbastelle’s diet comprises larger ‘macro’ moths that possess ears.

Stealth echolocation

How then do barbastelles bypass the hearing-based defences of their moth prey? By making recordings from the auditory neurons of moth ears in the field as bats flew overhead, we discovered that

n special REPORT Otters and fisheries

When is helping yourself not helping your reputation?

ANswer, when you’re an otter raiding a fish farm. Dan forman of swansea university has been working with the environment agency to assess the perceived impact of resurgent otters on welsh fisheries. ew would argue that the restoration of otters to most of their former range in Britain is a bad thing, but it would be naive to assume that these adaptable and opportunistic predators will be universally welcome wherever they turn up. Dan Forman of Swansea University and co-authors Hannah Whitby, Gareth Parry and Yvonne Jones have published a report examining the perceptions of otters and other predators by people working in the Welsh fisheries industry.

Welsh fisheries fall into two categories.

Firstly there are those set up for freshwater angling, stocked with either game fish (salmonids) or other species including carp, tench, roach and rudd and eels. Anglers resident in Wales spend £1.2 million on fishing licences a year, and 700 000 annual visiting anglers contribute significantly to the Welsh economy. The other type of fishery in Wales is aquaculture, or fish farming. Trout farms in Wales produce about 500 tonnes of fish for consumption a year, and a further 280 tonnes for restocking or growing on, at a value of about £1.5 million. This is far from big business, and for small operators, predation matters – profit margins can easily be wiped out by a handful of unwelcome visitors.

The nature of a fishery makes it attractive to a predator. Large quantities of food in a relatively small space make for easy pickings.

Most of the predatory species believed to be active in fisheries are opportunists, just as happy with man-made sources of food as they are with natural ones. Otters are one such species, and with the gains they have made in terms of distribution and abundance over recent decades, it is important to acknowledge potential areas of conflict. The Welsh report seeks to assess the perceived impact of otters and other predators on fisheries, gauge the alleged economic impact and find out what help fisheries might need to deal with predation by a protected species.

The results of a questionnaire showed that birds, principally cormorants, herons and crows, were perceived as the biggest threat to fishery businesses, but otters and mink were not far behind. Interestingly the figures returned for mink were very similar to those for otters – both were regarded as present and detrimental in 35% of cases. Given that both

barbastelles are able to get very close to their prey without being detected. Indeed, most of the time moths are so unaware of the close presence of barbastelles that they are unlikely to even attempt evasive manoeuvres to avoid capture. This is in contrast to Leisler’s bat – a similar aerial-hawking species – whose echolocation calls elicit evasive flight responses in moths up to 20m away.

We now know that the barbastelle emits echolocation calls that are 10 to 100 times lower in intensity than other aerial-hawking species, allowing them to remain inconspicuous to eared prey and exploit a food resource that is difficult for other bats to catch.

Most remarkable, however, is that there is no other apparent benefit to this strategy for the bats. Indeed, the reduced detection distance associated with calling quietly may be a significant handicap.

This exciting new discovery is the clearest example yet of a specific sensory solution found by bats to the problem of insect hearing – we can only wonder at what further secrets barbastelles and other bats are yet to give up.

istockphoto.com

stephen bisserot & paul sterry, nature photograpers

F

Otters have staged a remarkable comeback across much of Britain, thanks in part to their opportunistic hunting behaviour. But the same trait could also be a source of conflict with fishery businesses.

species were only thought to be present in about half of the fisheries, this is a serious perceived hit, but it is surprising given the very different public perceptions of these two species, that mink were not regarded as a more serious problem.

The study does not produce hard evidence of damage to fishery interests by wild predators.

But otters at least may not be as much of a threat as fishery managers perceive. A study in Poland found that while fishery staff could be trusted to reliably identify otters, the level of perceived damage and actual total stock losses did not marry up – in fact losses in fisheries with otters were the same as those without. It remains to be seen in Britain to what extent the otherwise welcome return of otters to much of their former range may be marred by perceived or actual threats to commercial interests, and what might be done to mitigate and/or compensate for losses. Regrettably, less than a quarter of respondents to the questionnaire were aware of an advice booklet Otters and Stillwater Fisheries that was produced in 2008 by the Wildlife Trusts and the Environment Agency to help fisheries with otter predation.

Further studies are undoubtedly needed to determine the actual extent of otter predation at fisheries and its economic impact before making recommendations for mitigation. The report also recommends a coordinated, research-based approach to identify best practice and encourage knowledge exchange and the development of a comprehensive educational package to inform fisheries managers.

To receive a copy of the report in full, please email d.w.forman@swansea.ac.uk.

Autumn 2011| mammalsuk 15

Webster’s corner

Back to basics with bats

This issue we are exploring the fascinating and mysterious world of bats. Often associated with Halloween and creepy tales, are they really creatures to be feared? Emily Jones finds out more from the Chief Executive of the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT), Julia Hanmer.

B

ats are the most common type of mammal in Britain, making up about a third of all our mammal species. But what do we really know about them? Julia answers some burning questions.

make way for buildings and roads.

Pesticides used in farming mean fewer insects, so bats sometimes struggle to find enough food. All UK bats and their roosts are now protected by law, which means it is illegal to harm or disturb them.

Why are bats important?

Where can I see bats?

Bats are the only true flying mammals. They make up around a fifth of all mammal species worldwide, so they are a vital part of our wildlife. Bats are indicators of a healthy environment, so their future is directly linked to our quality of life and the quality of our environment.

They are also important in pest control – a pipistrelle bat can devour 3 000 midges in one night!

Bats can be found all over the UK, from city parks and gardens to rural grassland, woods and farmland and often near waterways and ponds.

All they need are places to roost and insects to eat.

wallpapers

Wacky bat facts!

• The smallest bat is the Kitti’s hog-nosed bat, measuring around 30mm in length, 15cm across the wings and weighing 2g.

• The largest bat is the giant golden-crowned flyingfox, which is around 34cm long, has a wingspan of 1.5m and weighs approximately 1.1kg.

• Bat poo, or guano, is powerful stuff. It contains lots of nutrients and is sometimes used by farmers to fertilize their crops. During the American Civil War, bat guano was used to make gunpowder.

• In China bats are a symbol of happiness and long life, and in Poland they are associated with good luck.

What can I do to help bats?

Lots! You can transform your garden into a wildlife haven, help the BCT survey for bats or even become a trained bat carer. 2011 is Year of the Bat, so a perfect time to start. Click on www.bats.org.uk/getinvolved.

The BCT has recently launched a Big Bat Map (www.bats.org.uk) where you can share bat sightings, find bat

Are bats rare?

There are far fewer bats than there used to be in the UK. Their main problem is that the places they roost and hunt, such as trees and woodlands, are being destroyed to

events and discover places to see bats in your neighbourhood.

How do I help an injured bat?

It is normally illegal to keep healthy, bats, and a licence is needed to handle them. But anyone who finds a bat that is poorly or injured may take care of it temporarily. As with

D

Big news!

Mammals UK magazine is changing. From next year there will be a newsletter especially for Kids Gone Wild members, with loads of features just for children. But we want you, as an official wild child, to tell us what you want it to look like. Fill in the form to the right and choose from either three months free KGW membership or a bat cookie cutter (to use with the yummy recipe on page 17).

WILD CHIL onnaire magazine questi

Your

I would prefer to receive my Kids Gone Wild newsletter (please tick one): by post

by email

on the PTES website

I would like the newsletter to include (please tick any that apply): letters and pictures from other members ideas for days out other ideas (please write on another piece of paper)

animal news competitions games and puzzles advice on helping wildlife

My name ......................................................................................... My age ..............

My address ..................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................

My email ............................................................ Postcode .........................................

As my free gift I would like to receive (please tick one): a bat cookie cutter

three months free KGW membership

16 mammalsuk | Autumn 2011

wa

llp

ap

er

s

Please return this slip to Webster the Otter, PTES, 15 Cloisters House, 8 Battersea Park Road, London, SW8 4BG.

A wild welcome to our new Kids Gone Wild members: Rubens, aged 7, from Spaxton Harry, aged 8, from Croydon Tabitha, aged 5, from South London

Join us Become a wild child by donating just £15 a year to People’s Trust for Endangered Species (that’s less than 29p per week!) and you will receive a welcome pack and more as a great big thank you. You could even ask an adult to donate for you as a birthday present!

Email webster@ptes.org or call 020 7498 4533 for more details.

Webster’s corner

Webster’s message

Yum, I love a nice biscuit - fish flavour is my favourite! If you don't like fishy treats, try these Zingy Bat Cookies. To claim a free bat cookie cutter, see opposite.

Ingredients (makes 20): 140g caster sugar, one tsp vanilla extract, one egg, 250g soft butter, 300g plain flour, grated zest of two lemons, pinch of salt.

Method (ask an adult to help you) Heat oven to 190˚C / fan 170˚C / gas mark 5, beat butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, zest and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Fold in the flour.

Shape into two rounds, flatten them, then wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins. Roll out dough on a floured surface to thickness of half a centimetre, then stamp out bat shapes with a cutter. Sprinkle with caster sugar and bake for 15 mins until golden. Cool on a wire rack before decorating.

WEBSTER’S

ECO-HEROES In each issue of Mammals UK Webster will set you an Eco-challenge that will really help the environment.

Each Eco-challenge carries a different number of points depending on difficulty. You can repeat a challenge as many times as you like!

Eco-challenge #10 Eco-beginner level: 5 Eco-points

Your mission...

Recycle this year’s Christmas tree into a wildlife shelter. With help from an adult, cut the branches from your old Christmas tree and pile them up in a quiet corner of the garden. Make sure they are left to lie undisturbed until the spring.

Why? Many garden animals such as insects and

Why are bats associated with Halloween?

Bats are most active at night and are seen as creepy because of books or films that show them alongside fictional vampires. In fact, you’re unlikely to see any real bats flying around at Halloween as by this time they are getting ready to hibernate.

Do bats really drink blood?

Dracula has given bats a bad name! Just three out of over 1 200 species of bat in the world feed on blood. They all live in Central and South America. They don’t ‘suck’ blood, but make a graze on an animal’s skin and lap up leaking blood with their tongue.

Will bats get stuck in my hair?

A bat would hate to get tangled in your hair and won’t fly at you. Bats are not blind; in fact they can see

hedgehogs need extra shelter in the colder months of the year. The thick branches of a Christmas tree are ideal for sheltering under to protect animals from cold winds and rain or snow. Reusing your tree like this also saves on car or rubbish truck journeys to recycle or dispose of the tree elsewhere.

almost as well as humans. To fly and hunt in the dark, they use a system called echolocation, making high-pitched calls as they fly, and listening to the echoes to build up a map of their surroundings.

Sometimes on a bat walk, you may see bats swoop close to your head. They are skillfully chasing the insects around you.

Eco-expert level: 10 Eco-points

Your mission...

Autumn and early winter are ideal times to put up new bird boxes, or clean them out if you already have some. The RSPB website, www.rspb.org, has good advice for making and siting a new box. With old boxes, clear out any nesting material and put it on the compost heap. Ask an adult to use just boiling water to clean the nest box as any chemical cleaners or insecticides may be toxic to birds.

Can a bat hurt me or my pet?

Bats are docile. But like any wild animal, they may try to defend themselves if handled. A very small number of bats in the UK have a rabies-like virus. This can only be passed on by a bite or scratch from an infected bat.

So as long as you don’t handle bats, you are perfectly safe.

Anyone that has to handle a bat should wear thick gloves to avoid getting bitten.

What is your favourite bat?

I’ve always loved brown long-eared bats (see inset), ever since I met Dilys, an injured bat being nursed back to health by Cheshire bat group. Dilys loved to preen her long ears and show everyone how gorgeous and fascinating bats are!

Darren underwood

all wild animals, wear protective gloves and handle the animal as little as possible. Put it in a shoe box with some cloth for it to hide in and a tiny amount of water in a milk bottle cap. Then call the Bat Helpline on 0845 1300 228.

Why? A bird nest box is an excellent alternative to a hole in an old tree. Over 60 bird species, many of which are declining, are known to use boxes, so a nest box could really help increase numbers. But, old or dirty nest boxes can become home to the larvae of pests which could be harmful to young chicks in the spring.

Earn 20 eco-points to achieve Eco-hero Level 1 Email your Eco–hero evidence in photo form to me, webster@ptes.org.

GOOD LUCK! Images submitted may be used for promotional purposes unless otherwise specified by the sender.

Autumn 2011 | mammalsuk 17

n special report IoW woodland survey

Doing all Wight?

andrew parkinson

ecological surveys provide useful snapshots, But more valuable still are serial surveys, showing how a situation evolves over time. Richard Grogan, Head of Conservation at the Hampshire & isle of wight Wildlife Trust, reports on the outcomes of a repeat survey of the island’s woodlands.

here is something different about the woodland on the Isle of Wight. Covering about one eighth of the island’s land surface, the woods hide a treasure almost unique to southern Britain, which has become an icon for the island and its wildlife.

The native red squirrel has undergone catastrophic declines since the introduction of the non-native grey squirrel in the late nineteenth century. This russetcoloured rodent, beloved of many, has disappeared from all southern counties in Britain apart from Brownsea Island in Dorset and the Isle of Wight. Without deer or grey squirrels, the island’s woods have become a haven for this enchanting and endangered woodland mammal.

T

Storm damage

After the Great Storm of 1987, which battered the woodlands of southeastern England, concern was raised on the Isle of Wight about the effects this would have on red squirrels. Anecdotal evidence suggested that red squirrels had been lost from many places, such as the Undercliff and Bembridge due to the destruction of woodland corridors. Conservation organisations came to realise that there was no good data on the status and distribution of red squirrels on the island.

In 1996 the Hampshire and Isle

18 mammalsuk | Autumn 2011

of Wight Wildlife Trust, with the Isle of Wight Council, English Nature (now Natural England) and the Forestry Commission launched the Isle of Wight Red Squirrel Project, which aimed to raise awareness of red squirrels among woodland owners and managers and promote woodland grant schemes. This led to the successful JIGSAW planting scheme which saw the planting of over 200 hectares (500 acres) of new woodland for squirrels.

Subsequent partners included the Wight Squirrel Project and PTES. Another action was to set up a survey of red squirrels in all Isle of Wight woodlands larger than one hectare (2.5 acres). This was to be carried out every six years, and has been repeated twice thus far. The survey has also incorporated work on nationally scarce hazel dormice, which share habitat with red squirrels on the island.

Wight woodlands

Part of the survey was to look at the character of Isle of Wight woodlands. Of the woodlands surveyed, 94% were wholly or predominantly broadleaved, with hazel, oak and beech the most common tree species. Only one in ten woods surveyed had conifers.

However, only 40% were being actively managed and only 14% were being coppiced. This lack of management may have long-term implications for the health of red squirrel populations.

In 1997, 249 woodland sites were surveyed once again and red squirrels were found in 71% of them. In 2003 this had risen to 86% and by 2010 there was a further increase, to 90%.

As a rule of thumb, the abundance of squirrels in any woodland can be inferred by the time it takes to find signs of them there. 75% of signs (usually hazel nut shells), are found within the first 15 minutes of looking on the woodland floor.

On the up

This steady improvement in red squirrel data from consecutive surveys of island woodlands, and the speed with which evidence of red squirrels can be found in most places, allows us to be confident that red squirrels are thriving on the Isle of Wight once again.

The red squirrel is a nationally endangered species which has been lost from many counties in southern England and is threatened in the northern counties by habitat destruction, fragmentation and the presence of grey squirrels. Our positive results are due to the fact that these factors are either absent or being actively reversed on the island through the intervention of national and local organisations.

Thanks to work of this kind there is increasing awareness of management issues and the threats facing this iconic mammal, on the Isle of Wight and beyond.

n bookshelf

Landmark mammal report h

we have been publishing state of Britain’s mammals reports since 2001. the 2011 report reviews a decade of research, conservation and policy and is available now. his year is the tenth anniversary edition of our research and conservation report, The State of Britain’s Mammals.

The State of Britain’s Mammals is produced in collaboration with the University of Oxford’s WildCRU and this year’s report people’s trust for offers a comprehensive overview endang ered sp ecies | The Sta of a decade of research and te of Britain’s Mamma conservation carried out by ls wildlife experts across the country. The report focuses on how mammal species have fared over the past ten years – looking in particular at whether the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) targets set for them have been met (and whether in fact they have helped conserve our species); why the issues and problems surrounding bovine tuberculosis (bTB) have still not been resolved; changes to environmental read on legislation over the last decade and the bigger picture: moving The State from species to habitat and from of Britain’s protecting small areas to working Mammals report is available in print or on a landscape-scale. as a free downloadable Report author Professor David PDF from the PTES shop, Macdonald, Director of WildCRU www.ptes.org/shop. explains: ‘Over the last decade, Printed price £5. through the monitoring efforts of

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Written by and Daw David Macdon ald n Burnha m, Wild CRU

The State of Britain’s Mammals 2011

2011

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many, we have gathered evidence of population trends for many of our mammal species in response to the changing health of the environment they depend upon. This scientific evidence regarding species and their habitats is essential for prioritising conservation actions at landscape level and is also an essential tool for measuring the success of future conservation action.’

The report’s commentary on BAP priority species shows that while four of the terrestrial mammals originally listed – otters, water voles, pipistrelles and greater horseshoe bats – have achieved, or in some cases even exceeded, their targets; new species have been added to the list and are still declining, including red squirrels, Scottish wildcats, mountain hares, harvest mice, hazel dormice and, in rural areas, hedgehogs.

The report authors lament the lack of an all-encompassing national framework for monitoring how mammal populations are faring, although several NGOs and other organisations, including PTES, strive to monitor terrestrial mammals.

Data compiled shows that of the 25 monitored mammal species native

to the UK, half are either stable or increasing, while water voles, red squirrels and mountain hares are in decline. Of ten non-native species that are also regularly monitored, four are increasing and problematic to native fauna: brown rats, grey squirrels, sika and muntjac.

The problem of diseases remains.

The still controversial debate around bTB in badgers continues to divide experts and is explored in detail in the report.

Finally, the report examines reintroduction programmes and environmental management schemes as ways of helping to minimise ecological impact and stave off wildlife and habitat loss. Clearly, there is a challenge to balance the human needs for food production and urban development with creating areas of wilderness that can support a diversity of flora and fauna.

Although the report illustrates some conservation successes in the UK, the intervention of charities like PTES continues to be vital in order to stem the ongoing decline of other species and the landscape which they inhabit.

Thanks a million

£ 1,000

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with your help, we recently reached a proud milestone as our UK mammal conservation grants topped £1 million.

In September we celebrated a landmark in PTES history – the raising and awarding of £1million towards the conservation of threatened mammals in the UK. The bulk of the money has been targeted at significant initiatives supporting key species, for example water voles, hazel dormice, otters, bats and hedgehogs.

Jill Nelson, CEO of PTES says: ‘Whilst we are celebrating the £1million that has benefited

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endangered British mammals, we cannot be complacent about the ongoing threats to our wildlife. British mammals and their natural surroundings face new and different threats over the years, from climate change to increased urbanisation and conflict with non-native species.

We hope to bring about positive change for our threatened wildlife and natural environment, but much remains to be done.’

MAM MAL S

Autumn 2011 | mammalsuk 19

PTES alumni thea Pio o r o D : E M NA rn: 2002 nte I S E T P onitoring M : t c e j pro es pipistrell My project...

I graduated with a BSc Hons in zoology and animal ecology from Aberdeen, and moved to Norwich to start an MSc in applied ecology and conservation. My dissertation took me to Thailand, where I compared the bat communities of fragmented and continuous tropical forests. I found that though still species-rich, the fragmented landscapes lacked some of the species found in large continuous tracts of forest.

After finishing my MSc I decided that I would try to find short-term employment in a conservation organisation in Indonesia to learn more about conservation challenges there. Indonesia is a biodiversity hotspot, but much of its wonderful wildlife is seriously threatened. After writing a small booklet on newly discovered species in Borneo for WWF Indonesia, I was accepted as an intern in the Environmental Sciences Unit of UNESCO in Jakarta. I spent a year working on projects dealing with community conservation in the Mentawai Islands and natural resource management in the national parks of Sumatra. During my time in Indonesia I was able to take some time off to conduct a two month bat survey in Barito Ulu, Central Kalimantan. Here I found one of the richest bat communities surveyed in Borneo so far.

In 2006 I was offered a PhD at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, to study

plant and animal diversity in Southern Africa.

I compared measures used to prioritise for conservation, looked into the habitat requirements of closely related species and examined how climate change is likely to affect different taxonomic groups. In July 2010, on completing my PhD, I accepted a job as Technical Adviser for Environmental Sciences back at UNESCO Jakarta, and am now working on projects dealing with forest protection and climate change mitigation and adaptation in Indonesia.

What happened then...

I am committed to the conservation of biodiversity and despite the inherent challenges in this field I’m extremely lucky to have a job I love. I continue to be fascinated by the research side of conservation as well as its practical, political and economic aspects. My challenge for the future will be to be able to do all of this at the same time!

Little and large: Indonesia’s least woolly bat and an African epauletted fruit bat.

dorothea pio

In 2002 I was lucky enough to be awarded a PTES internship, which allowed me to study bats with Professor Paul Racey and Dr Barry Nicolls at the University of Aberdeen. We used radio-tracking to observe common and soprano pipistrelles. I spent three months following bats fitted with tiny radiotransmitters around the beautiful Scottish countryside. The bats themselves weigh only six grammes so fitting the transmitters is an art in itself. The soprano pipistrelle was found to occupy smaller ranges than its cousin, and fed predominantly over riparian woodland, whilst common pipistrelles travelled further and fed mainly along treelines and woodland edges. I witnessed numerous roost changes in both species, both before and after the females gave birth, and noticed how foraging patterns were influenced by lactation – mother bats returned to the roost twice a night to feed their young.

What happened next...

20 mammalsuk | Autumn 2011