Staff at Vincent Wildlife Trust have produced a range of free, downloadable resources on the work to conserve threatened mammals in Britain, Ireland and mainland Europe. Some have written books that can be bought online through NHBS.
This issue of our newsletter includes the launch of a new website for pine martens in Ireland, the latest updates on our pine marten work in Wales and northern England, ringing Barbastelles, results from this year’s research on weasels and stoats, updates from conferences on bats, martens and squirrels, forays into European mink conservation and an introduction to four new staff.
Dr Jenny MacPherson, who managed the Pine Marten Recovery Project for England and Wales, introduces readers to Britain’s small mustelid species in delightfully rich text, covering the animals’ physiology, daily lives and distribution, as well as their significance in UK history and folklore. And she shares her experiences from the forefront of the work to conserve these amazing animals.
After a close brush with extinction, the pine marten is making the headlines as it recovers its numbers in Britain and Ireland. It is time for renowned pine marten expert and enthusiast Johnny Birks to reacquaint us with this enchanting mammal.
This is an excellent little introduction and identification guide to 14 species of bat found throughout Britain and Ireland. Each species description covers roosts, food & feeding, breeding, status & distribution, and identification. Similar species are listed alongside each other.
The seventh edition features a redesigned style and updates the distribution maps for some of the species.
The small mustelids are characterised by their long thin body shape, which enables them to follow their prey down small tunnels and burrows. However, because of their similar body shape they can be difficult to distinguish from each other, especially when, as is usually the case, they are seen only briefly and in poor light!
The polecat is the ancestor of the domestic ferret but exactly where and when ferrets were domesticated is still uncertain. Given their close relationship, it is not surprising that it may be very difficult to distinguish them
in the field. The only reliable ways of telling polecats and ferrets apart is from close examination of the pelage and skull of a specimen and analysis of mitochondrial DNA. This leaflet gives the key distinguishing characters, identified by Birks and Kitchener (1999), that separate polecats, ferrets and their hybrids. The images are mainly skins supplied by the National Museums of Scotland.
