MAMMALwww..org.uk NESummer 2012WS • Issue 163

Pine marten conservation in England and Wales Exploring bats’ social networks REINTRODUCING THE

European mink

INSIDE • Humpback whale visit • Urban • survey update • Muntjac encounter THIS ISSUE: • Moles: digging for a Mammalliving; Newsa new Summer anatomical 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk insight • nesting tubes in the News Contents

Rare visitor 03 Mammal matters On the 12th April 2012, a humpback whale was sighted TMS Spring Conference in the Strangford Narrows, NI, 04 and AGM 2012 Review possibly feeding on herring. 10 Video footage enabled the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) 05 ­TMS Spring Conference to confirm identification of the 2013 and 2012 Events . While this is only the 4th validated sighting of a humpback Mammal Atlas whale, it is the 3rd consecutive year 06 that a humpback whale has been recorded in Northern Irish waters. 07 Hedgehog Footprint Humpback whales have a unique Tunnel update pattern on the under surface of their tails. Photos of this whale’s tail fluke Summer 2012 would be particularly welcomed by the IWDG as it will help to ascertain if 13 this individual is the same as was seen off Bangor in June 2011. 08 Training News

Urban foxes 08 TMS Shop watch and research 09 Book Reviews Capturing the nation’s attention in May, the 09 Mammal Encounters Channel 4 programme, 16 “Wild in the City”, has 10 1st Mammal Society enabled The University of Student Conference Brighton’s ecology team, Report lead by Dr Dawn Scott, to gather widespread data concerning the urban and public perception. This interactive programme enabled nearly 12,000 viewers to contribute 12 Pine marten conservation to natural history research by recording their sightings and completing in England and Wales a survey. At present a broad data summary shows that although 86% of people living in urban areas say they like foxes, those that have Digging for a living; a the most frequent encounters were least keen on them. From the 14 new anatomical insight reported sightings and data from radio tracking individual , early 18 estimations put the population of urban foxes at 40,000. This is a 20% increase from previous estimations and mirrors the growth of urban 16 Exploring bats’ social areas in the UK. Further analysis on all the data will be undertaken by networks the team at Brighton. 18 Dormouse nesting tubes From urban to country The European mink A rare black fox was photographed 20 in Kneesworth, Cambridgeshire. Its unfortunate demise on a country road 22 Through the tree-hole – 20 a few days later enabled Dr McRobie Who lives in a tree from Anglia Ruskin University to run like this? DNA analysis. This confirmed that although it was a standard silver fox, one of its genes was a closer match to Photo © MailOnline, by John Moore a Russian . In addition 2 previous unmatched mutations were found on one gene. Mutations are part of the natural diversity but interesting additions to the genetic information database. 22

Officers of the Mammal Society MAMMAL NEWS is published by: President: Dr Derek Yalden The Mammal Society, 3 The Carronades, New Road, Southampton SO14 0AA Chairman: Dr Johnny Birks t: 02380 237874 e: [email protected] www.mammal.org.uk Vice Chair: Adam Grogan Registered Charity No. 278918 Chief Executive: Marina Pacheco Editors: Dr Marian Bond and Hilary Conlan. Contributions to the next issue of Mammal News Hon Secretary: Kate Williamson should be sent to the above address or email: [email protected] Hon Treasurer: Abigail Bunker Conference Secretary: Dr Elizabeth Chadwick Next deadline is Friday 3rd August 2012 Print & Design: Impress 01536 462888 Cover image: Pine marten. Photo by Ann and Steve Toon.

The opinions and points of view expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect those of The Mammal Society or the Editor. Advertisements for services, products and other organisations in this journal are accepted in good faith. However, The Mammal Society gives no guarantees or endorsements of the services, products and other organisations nor that the advertisers will fulfil their obligations or claims. All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers. While every effort is made to ensure that Mammal News is published on the stated date and all advertisements and advertising matter appear correctly and in the issue requested, The Mammal Society cannot guarantee this and bookings are therefore accepted on this understanding. The Mammal Society cannot accept responsibility for transparencies or other contributions submitted on a speculative basis.

2 Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk Mammal MATTERS Photo © CPRE

“This summer we have published the long awaited Marina Pacheco CEO, The Mammal Society, UK BAP Mammals: Interim Guidelines for Survey [email protected] Methodologies, Impact Assessment and Mitigation.”

I hope that by the time Mammal News lands to keep the costs down and will keep you enjoyed ourselves and, as usual, learned a on your doormat the weather has improved updated on our progress. lot, met up with old friends and made many significantly from the strong winds and rain This summer we have published the new ones. For those of you who like to plan that we have been experiencing lately. The long awaited UK BAP Mammals: Interim well in advance, the next Spring Conference th st cold weather is bound to be affecting our Guidelines for Survey Methodologies, will be held on 20 and 21 April 2013 at mammals, especially after such a warm, Impact Assessment and Mitigation. The The University of Exeter. If you can’t wait dry spring, and we’d be very interested driver behind this publication was the that long we have a Regional Seminar in to hear from our readers if you have any late Warren Cresswell, a long term, active Scotland on Sunday 11th November and a weather related mammal stories. Come member of The Mammal Society. He South East Marine Mammals Conference rain or shine though the work at the office felt that whilst some UK BAP mammals at ZSL, also in November, full details can goes on and we’d like to welcome two new (e.g. dormice, water voles, otters and be found on our website. As I write this I interns, Louise Sleeman and Richard Austin. bats) already had comprehensive am also looking forward to the first ever Louise is our new Atlas Intern so if you guidelines on background biology, habitat Student Conference, organised by the have any questions relating to getting atlas requirements, survey methodologies, Student Committee, at The University of th data to us please get in touch with Louise legal protection, impact assessment and Reading on June 16 . Read the report on at [email protected], and mitigation, others, particularly those added this on page 10. Richard is our new Surveys Intern and all to the UK Biodiversity Action Plan list in And last but very certainly not least it is survey questions can be directed to him at 2007, were lacking. He therefore convened our editor, Marian Bond’s, last edition. [email protected]. a meeting of species experts to fill that Marian has been editor of Mammal News We are entering our second year of the gap and this book is the result. We are for the last six years and we’d all like to hedgehog footprint tunnel pilot study and we sure it will be of great use to consultants, thank her for the huge amount of time have changed the methodology to maximise academics and local authority ecologists. and dedication she has given to keeping survey time. The survey can be carried out See p5 to order your copy. the magazine interesting, informative and only once, from now until September using This edition also has a summary of the entertaining. Not only that but she found only ten tracking tunnels. A brief report can highly successful Spring Conference on and trained her own replacement and we be found on p7. If you would like to take part p4. I’d like to thank Debbie Bartlett and take great pleasure in welcoming Hilary in this survey please let us know. We are also the Chatham Campus of the University of Conlan as our new editor who will be trying to work out a way of sharing tunnels Greenwich for hosting us this year. We really going it alone from the autumn edition.

Dr. Marian Bond Note from Current Editor The Mammal Society The Editor [email protected] I would like to introduce myself as the new Editor, taking over from Marian Bond this issue. I am currently working at Anglia Ruskin University, having come back to the UK last October from Tanzania. I was working as a field research assistant studying habituated baboon troops, elephants and vegetation monitoring in Mikumi National Park. Walking for 10 hours a day, surrounded by 50 baboons meant that I had the Hilary Conlan privilege of getting very close to all the animals in the park. Back in the UK, without New Editor the camouflage of habituated wild animals, I find watching British mammals more The Mammal Society challenging but totally rewarding. Please send in your mammal sightings as they will [email protected] spur me, and hopefully others, into getting out and about.

Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk 3 News from The ­­Office

The Mammal Society’s Spring Conference and AGM 2012 Review

targeted conservation measures, and the and the catastrophic impact it is having whole package looked very impressive. on red populations. Richard Shore The Cranbrook Lecture on Saturday concluded the disease theme by introducing evening was given by John Gurnell, the Wildlife Disease & Containment emphasizing the complex and Monitoring and Surveillance (WILDCOMS) multidisciplinary nature of intervention network to facilitating the exchange of projects using the conservation knowledge to enhance best practice and of red as a case study. encouraging collaborations in the area of He highlighted the often forgotten wildlife disease and contaminates. connection between the social science The weekend was rounded off with prize that intrinsically links the general public giving. The prize for Best Student Poster with on-the-ground conservation went to Sam Hardman for his excellent action and policy, bolstering the poster on a Novel Method to Aid Individual support for conservation initiatives. Identification of Common seals (Phoca After this was the opportunity to vitulina) and the prize for Best Student mingle at the Conference Dinner, which also Presentation, sponsored by Acorn Audience at the conference saw the presentation of The Ecology, went to Joanna Mammal Society Award for Bagniewska for Measuring This year the Mammal Society’s 58th Spring Outstanding Contribution Diving Patterns of Small- Conference was held at the University of to Mammal Conservation to bodied, Shallow-diving, Greenwich, Chatham Campus, Kent and Ken West, President of Kent Semi-aquatic Animals. was the biggest event for a number of years Mammal Group. Additionally, students with approximately 170 delegates attending. After the late night of attending to present Breaking with recent tradition, the event the dinner, the talks on papers or posters were spanned two days, starting on Saturday the second day provided awarded Michael Wood morning with a talk from Ian Montgomery, welcome stimulation. One Bursaries to assist with with the first of a series of presentations of my favorite talks of the travel costs. from Queen’s University, Belfast. Ian’s talk, weekend was given by As ever, The Mammal entitled ‘Impacts and consequences of small Robyn Grant on ‘Active Society team put a lot of mammal invasions in Ireland’, highlighted touch sensing behaviour in work into organising the how the non-native Greater White Tailed harbour seals’, or “whisking”. event. A big thanks goes can have a detrimental impact on With the help of some out to Debbie Bartlett raptor populations. Although a prey species, clever technology, Robyn and The University of they are a poor food source for raptor demonstrated how whisking Sue Searle, Acorn Ecology, presenting Greenwich for sourcing species, comparable to “junk food” in the strategies differ depending on the Best Student Presentation to such a great venue and Joanna Bagniewska raptor world. When a raptor’s diet consisted the life of an individual. Mammal Society intern of mainly Greater White Tailed Shrew, a lower Joanna Bagniewska from the WILDCru at Julia Tinker for providing a live Twitter feed fledgling success rate Oxford University presented interesting for over 3,500 followers. Finally, a massive was noted. findings from one of the few thank you goes to all the speakers and Later in the day, mink studies in the UK that is not delegates for making the conference such a Kent West gave an related to their eradication. She welcoming and inspiring event. I can’t wait insightful talk looking used tiny Time-Depth recorders for next year’s conference, hosted by Devon back over 15 years to measure diving patterns in Mammal Group at Exeter University. of Kent Mammal the American mink. Research Group. Ken pondered showed that mink dive most in By Isla Hoffman-Heap why there are not daylight, with the smaller females mammal groups in diving more frequently than the every county and larger males, and more times in a expressed his hope row than larger ones, suggesting that the success of that small female mink are poor at the Kent Mammal catching fish. Group would act as Katie Colville from the Institute of a template to ease Zoology followed with a thought the creation of new provoking talk about assessing groups and enhance Ken West, medal winner, disease risks when reintroducing mammal conservation giving a speech species, using the example of the disease outcomes elsewhere risk analysis for (hypothetical) wolf (Canis in the British Isles. lupius) re-introduction in Scotland. The risk Liam Lysaght (National Biodiversity Data of introducing diseases via conservation Centre in Ireland) gave an insight into programmes was highlighted by David the fantastic new dynamic GIS Atlas of Everest from the Health and Mammals in Ireland. Multiple species can be Veterinary Laboratories Agency. He Sam Hardman being presented the winner of Best Student Poster prize by Derek Yalden queried simultaneously, which is useful for discussed the sad tale of Adenovirus

4 Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk News from The ­­Office

The Mammal Society’s Spring Conference 2013

We are delighted to be able to announce that the 2013 Spring First Call for Papers Conference of The Mammal Society will be held on 20th and 21st To present a paper or poster, send scientific programme April in the beautiful surroundings of The University of Exeter. coordinator (Elizabeth Chadwick) the following details: Title of Additionally, the 2013 Cranbrook Memorial Lecture which is presentation, Authors name, address and email address, an free and open to all members of the public will take place at the abstract of no more than 150 words. Please indicate whether you University of Exeter on the evening of 19th April. would prefer to deliver a poster or presentation. We are requesting All our recent events have sold out so electronic submissions only to [email protected] we would strongly advise that you take by 31st October 2012. Student bursaries and presentation prizes advantage of the “members only window” will be available, for details of these and the required abstract and book before 31st October 2012. format, see the conference page at www.mammal.org.uk.

The Mammal Society 2012 Events The Mammal Society Regional Seminar 10th November 2012, Newbattle Abbey College, Dalkeith, Nr. Edinburgh, Scotland Lothians and Borders The Mammal Society 2012 Regional Seminar will be in conjunction with Lothian and Borders Mammal Group Mammal Group. It will take place on 11th November 2012 at Newbattle Abbey College, (LaBMaG) Dalkeith Nr Edinburgh and will provide the usual great opportunity to get together with other mammalolgists and hear about the latest news. Speakers on the day include: • Andy Riches, Scottish Badgers – Badger persecution • Roisin Campbell-Palmer, RZSS – Scottish Beaver Trial update • Karen Ramoo – Red Squirrels in South of Scotland • Johnny Birks, The Mammal Society – Pine marten recovery and issues arising

South East Marine Mammal Conference Zoological Society of London – Autumn 2012 Delivered by Kent Mammal Group and ZSL, this conference will bring together experts and enthusiasts from the world of Marine Mammalogy, including Orca, The RSPCA, Seawatch and ZSL. Full details will be available on the website shortly.

Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk 5 Mammal Atlas New Mammal Atlas: Focus on Yellow-necked Mouse Apodemus flavicollis

The distribution of the Yellow-necked survey work was carried out in 1998, so The two might also share dormouse Mouse highlights a particular difficulty, just previous to the proposed start year boxes. One very exciting and very recent or if you prefer a particular challenge, for for the new atlas. record is of a Yellow-necked Mouse in the new mammal atlas. In collaboration So what is the distribution, now, of the Cheshire, occupying a dormouse box at a with Aidan Marsh, conducting his Ph.D. Yellow-necked Mouse? The answer to reintroduction site on the county boundary. on the species at Bristol, members of The this question will depend largely on live This is a species whose mapping will Mammal Society carried out a structured trapping. There might be a few sightings depend on the considerable expertise of survey of woodlands throughout England from animals invading houses, alive or members of The Mammal Society and of and Wales, using Longworth live-traps. caught in snap-traps, and even a few local mammal groups. Habitat details were collated to try to cat-killed mice to supplement these. Good hunting! explain which woodlands had Yellow- The range of the Yellow-necked Mouse necked Mice, as well as Wood Mice, as shares many similarities with that of the D. W. Yalden compared to those that only had the : especially SE England, ubiquitous species. The trouble is, the SW England and the Welsh Marches.

10km squares with records for Apodemus flavicollis (Yellow-necked Mouse) 10km squares with records for Apodemus flavicollis (Yellow-necked Mouse) in Great Britain and Ireland in Great Britain and Ireland, 2000 to 2012 © Crown copyright and database rights 2011 Ordnance Survey [100017955] © Crown copyright and database rights 2011 Ordnance Survey [100017955]

This map is courtesy of the NBN Gateway and includes information from a large number of data providers. The full list of data providers is too long to list here, but can be found on the NBN Gateway at the following link http://data.nbn.org.uk/gridMap/gridMap.jsp?allDs=1&srchSpKey=NHMSYS0000080207* The NBN and its data contributors bear no responsibility for the further analysis or interpretation of this material, data and/or information.

6 Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk Study Update New Mammal Atlas: Focus on Yellow-necked Mouse Apodemus flavicollis

Hedgehog Footprint Tunnel A hedgehog caught on a remote camera leaving its prints as it uses one of the tunnels. update Summer 2012 Photo by Richard Yarnell.

The Mammal Society, together with In 2011, the survey lasted 6 days each time, We have therefore concluded that the Dr Richard Yarnell at Nottingham Trent across three survey seasons, in Spring, tunnels are an effective way to detect the University, with funding from PTES and Summer and Autumn. We also investigated presence of , with only 10 tunnels British Hedgehog Preservation Society, whether 10 or 20 tunnels gave a better to be placed within each site, and each started a pilot study for hedgehogs in 2011 detection rate, and volunteers needed to site to only be surveyed once. Several local in order to address the issue of reliably alternate the number of tunnels placed groups are taking part this year, with a total surveying for the species to get accurate between seasons to test whether tunnel of around 50 sites, which should ensure data on numbers, in light of the anecdotal density had an impact on detection rates. we can find significant trends and valid evidence of a decline across the UK. This Volunteers were also required to carry out conclusions about the usefulness of tunnels study tested an innovative new survey spotlighting surveys, where they walk a to detect hedgehogs. If your local group method, the footprint tracking tunnel, which 100m line with a torch to spot hedgehogs. would like to get involved, you have until captures mammal footprints to ID which Overall, hedgehogs were detected in 58% September to do so. Please contact Laura species have passed through and are of tunnel surveys, compared with being at [email protected] for therefore present in the area. detected at only 29% of the spotlighting more information. Since last year, we have analysed the surveys at the same site, with analysis results, and have made some changes to showing that season and number of tunnels Laura Drake the methodology as a result. We are now have no significant effect on detectability. repeating the pilot this year under the Five days was also found to be an optimum revised guidance. time for detection rates.

Online vs. Paper Mammal Review Subscriptions: Members’ Poll If Mammal Review became online only, would you continue to subscribe? Moving to an online only subscription would not only Before we make any decision, it is important to know save The Mammal Society money in printing and what you our members think. Please either cut out postage, but would be much more environmentally this section of the magazine, tick the option you agree friendly as they would no longer be shipped here from with, and send it to us or email me Singapore. The subscription would still cost only £26 ([email protected]) with your choice. for the year, with each issue being emailed to you instead, and you would have access to back issues. Laura Drake, Membership Officer

I would continue to subscribe to Mammal Review if it became an online only subscription. I would not continue to subscribe to Mammal Review if I lost the option of receiving a paper copy in the post. Name: Email: Any other comments:

Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk 7 Training News

Training News

With the majority of this year’s Edible Dormouse Ecology – 12th August courses booking up well, we Suitable for all levels of experience. This one day course in Tring covers a comparison between the are starting to plan for 2013 and two members of the dormouse family, Edible dormouse history in the UK, habitat requirements, beyond. As ever, if you have any ecology, its predators and the damage they cause. It will also contain a field trip to Glis Glis habitat suggestions for courses you to look for signs and will include an opportunity for seeing, photographing and handling wild Glis would like The Mammal Society Prices for this course start from £46.75 to run, do get in contact by contacting Alex at The Mammal Beaver Ecology & Conservation – 11th August (Knapdale) 15th September Society offices on 02380 237 874 or by emailing him at (Cotswold Water Park) [email protected]. Suitable for all levels of experience. Delivered by Dr Phoebe Carter at Cotswold Water Park and Roisin Campbell-Palmer at Knapdale Forest, this enjoyable one day course covers the ecology, There are still spaces left on the biology, habitat, field signs and conservation, the course will also provide the latest news on the majority of courses, but I would reintroduction process and, as it will be based in a reintroduction area, an opportunity to see the particularly like to highlight: habitat and field signs in the afternoon. There is also the option to stay on into the evening which would increase the chances of seeing the beavers themselves – although this cannot be guaranteed. Prices for this course start at £80.75

The Mammal Society Shop

If you’re searching for a perfect gift for the mammal lover in your life, look no further. The Mammal Society has a range of publications ideal for enthusiasts and professionals alike. All of our books can be ordered at www.mammal.org.uk or by calling the Sales Office on 023 8023 7874.

UK BAP Mammals: Interim Guidelines for Survey Methodologies, Impact Assessment and Mitigation

This new publication, co-produced by Cresswell Associates and The Mammal Society, is designed for ecologists and addresses standard survey protocols and guidelines for impact assessment and mitigation, in the context of an Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) for the following UK BAP mammals: • Brown hare • European hedgehog • Harvest mouse • Mountain hare • Pine marten • Polecat • Red squirrel •

Price £15 (Mammal Society Members) or £19.90 (Non Members) Plus £ 2.95 P&P Remember, The Mammal Society has a range of publications ideal for enthusiasts and professionals alike. All our books and equipment can be ordered at www.mammal.org.uk or by calling New the Sales Office on023 80237874.

8 Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk Book Extended versions of these reviews are Reviews available at www.mammal.org.uk

Donkey by Jill Bough The Beauty in the Beast by Hugh Warwick ISBN: 9781861898036. Paperback, 200 pages, includes ISBN 978-0-85720-395-3. Hardback, 320 pages, colour illustrations. Published: Sept 2011. published: 2012.

Hugh returns, after huge success with A Donkey is one of a series of animal books Prickly Tale, with this new title that follows published by Reaktion Books that explores the people who spend their lives devoted to the historical significance and impact on some of our most-loved animals, from bees humans of a wide range of animals. Each and badgers, to dolphins and dragonflies, book in the series takes a different animal otters and . and examines its role in history, mythology, The introduction establishes how Hugh religion and science and their place in the began this fascinating journey of discovery. artistic and literary imagination. Each book In order to affirm his passion for hedgehogs, Hugh attended a mass public tattooing is written by an author who is passionate along with an eclectic collection of other about their subjects, and this is certainly people also willing to make permanent their the case with Jill Bough who has had a devotion. After getting into conversation strong affection for donkeys since childhood. with others waiting in line, it led to Hugh Donkey has a brief section on the natural history of the donkey asking the question “What was it that led to people becoming explaining why its adaptation to the semi desert conditions of indelibly linked and incredibly inked with a particular species?” Africa, where they originated, makes them such useful beasts The result is Hugh uncovering a world of knowledge and experiences that have come from hours dedicated to learning of burden. The majority of the book though explores the use almost everything there is to know about the animal in question. and abuse of the donkey and its “offspring”, the mule, through Divided into a chapter for each animal, this book is very easily the ages and explores the impact of the donkey on human digested and creates distinct stories that capture you, chapter agriculture, transport and culture. I was surprised to learn how by chapter. An informative, funny and endlessly endearing reliant people have been upon donkeys, how wide their use was homage to the animals, and the people who work to understand and how extensively they are still used around the world. The and protect them, this book goes beyond a standard account author is understandably concerned with donkey welfare as they of biology, ecology and conservation, to reveal the quirky are a much used and abused animal and this is a theme that characters, fascinating factoids and delightful descriptions that open our eyes to a new way of looking at familiar species. runs through the book and influences her view when it comes to This is a book you can’t put down, that makes you want to know population control of feral donkeys in Australia where the author more and more about animals you may have barely considered in lives. All in all though, an interesting book on the considerable the past – it certainly does its job to reveal the true beauty in the impact the donkey has had upon human civilization. so-called beast.

Marina Pacheco Laura Drake

Mammal Encounters

Mammal Encounters: Your stories

Spirit in Thetford We had headed in to the depths of the head of the apparition and excitedly herd of over 1000 white fallow deer (http:// Thetford forest to try out a new camera whispered ‘it’s a fallow deer, a white one!!’. goo.gl/7eNCi; and another sighting at lens, photographing plenty of vegetation We managed to signal to Kate, who’d bottom of page: http://goo.gl/HYW0O). and insects but no mammals. So finally, dropped back, to come quick and quiet Leah Collett, Trevor Jones and having captured a red admiral posing in the with the camera and she blindly started Katarzyna Nowak. setting sun, we headed back to the car. As taking pictures beyond us, not being able a muntjac trotted across the trail far ahead to see what it was we are so excitedly of us, we started to hear cars and knew we signalling to. The large white deer stopped were coming to the main car park. Thirty and turned his big head to see us, we stood meters in front of us in the dusky gloom, still and continued whispering ‘wow’ and a large white animal appeared from the ‘it’s a spirit animal’. He decided enough bracken. With its head down and away was enough, turned and ran through the from us, we stopped still and came up with bracken, across the road and disappeared a variety of names it could be; judging from into the forest. Research later that evening its shape, height and the fact that the light suggested a plausible explanation: 30 miles was very low, they ranged from huge dog to the north of Thetford, Lord Cholmondeley Spirit in the forest to large sheep, before Trev finally glimpsed of Houghton Hall near King’s Lynn has a

Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk 9 Student Conference

1st Mammal Society Student Conference - Report The 16th of June 2012 saw the very first identification skills, Mammal Society Student Conference held learning to question at the University of Reading in Berkshire, and be a problem an exclusive event for students studying solver, and of course mammals. The event was attended by 65 become members of student delegates from across the British organisations such as Isles, and over a dozen representatives from The Mammal Society. various charities and organisations. The second speaker of The keynote speaker, Dr Paul Chanin, the day was started the day with a thoroughly engaging PhD student Amanda talk entitled ‘The accidental ecologist’. Wilson who studies Dr Chanin, who has at the James been a member of Hutton Institute The Mammal Society I had a great time at in Edinburgh. for more than 45 She gave a talk years, talked to the the conference this entitled ‘Wood students about his weekend. Thanks for mice habitat The Q&A panel experts (l-r): Pam Worrall, Dan Atter, Marina Pacheco, beginnings on a usage in space Paul Chanin, Sue Searle and Nigel Reeve. 100 acre farm in the all your hard work, it and time’, Cotswolds, and how which was natural history and turned out brilliantly! an extremely land management can affect conservation biology had gripped interesting look at an often measures, Beth presented a great piece of him from an early Ciara Powell, b7 email. underrated but important mammal, work overall. age, even setting up their spatial habitat After the break the second a natural history society in his secondary usage and genetic structure, session opened with an school and purchasing the first edition of The and how they vary, in relation to Had a great time engaging talk by PhD student Society’s ‘Handbook of British Mammals’ at agricultural practices and effects David Oakley on ‘Camera- the age of 16. He then told how he went on on biodiversity. at the conference, trapping, a multi-species to have along career with otters and dormice Following this was undergraduate great opportunity approach to efficiently assess among other mammals as a student, student Elizabeth Heasman, who mammal populations in assistant surveyor on various projects, gave a very well arranged and to meet people. Britain’. Filled with amusing lecturer and finally consultant ecologist. He presented talk on ‘The benefits pictures of various camera- gave the students valuable advice on what of set aside farmland for harvest Robin Searle, on Twitter trapped animals, David also they needed to do to be able to compete mouse conservation’. Giving looked at how few mammal in the jobs market, such as gaining field clear conclusions on how agricultural records exist, and how many records are held in lots of different places but aren’t easy to access. He proposed camera traps, which for him provided hundreds of mammal records at one location, as one solution. MRes student Debbie Baird-Bower followed with her talk ‘Methods to study the foraging ecology of juvenile Southern Elephant seals’. Debbie explained the different diving behaviours of the seals and why it’s so important to understand these behaviours, as they are apex predators and have an important role in the marine ecosystem. Lunch followed, as did the poster presentations of which there were 11 posters by students ranging from undergraduates to PhD. There was a mix of ecology, environmental impacts and behavioural studies being examined and students had the opportunity to discuss their posters with others. The afternoon talks began with Cheryl Speakers (l-r): David Oakley, Beth Heasman, Andrew Robertson, Amanda Mills discussing the ‘Genetic population Wilson, Cheryl Mills and Debbie Baird-Bower. structure of the hazel dormouse’ which

10 Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk Student Conference

Students mingling during the careers fair.

examined what effect habitat fragmentation had on the genetic population, followed by Andrew Robertson on ‘Individual foraging specialization in the Eurasion badger’ which gave an in-depth insight to how badgers have different foraging behaviours from one social group to another and also within social groups. Both PhD students and their talks were extremely engaging. At the end of the day, Cheryl won the Acorn Ecology first prize for Best Student Presentation, receiving £100, and Andrew won the Acorn Ecology second place prize of £50. Elizabeth Heasman’s talk was also and valued part of The Mammal Society and the Cole Museum of Zoology on Highly Commended and she received a copy membership, which continues to campus for hosting the event; of How To Become An Ecological Consultant, grow, and that they are important a superb venue providing a by Sue Searle of Acorn Ecology. as the next generation of Had a great time suitably zoological backdrop Acorn Ecology Prizes for Best Poster were ecologists and conservationists in to the day’s events. also given out. The winner of first place the British Isles. The conference and learned loads, Overall the first Mammal was Robin Searle, receiving £50, second provided an excellent opportunity thank you! :) Society Student Conference place went to Suzanne Richardson, who for students to network, meet was seen as a great success received £25 and Ciara Powell was Highly each other and learn more about Rachel Dolan on Facebook by all and preparations Commended. All the day’s prizes were mammal research being done are already underway for a presented by Sue Searle. elsewhere, and it also gave them some second one next year. Watch this space! Following this, a panel of experts from valuable tips to be successful in their various backgrounds talked about their chosen fields of research and career. Article and photos by Keri Russell career paths. We would like to thank Reading University They were Dr Paul Chanin, Lots of interesting Marina Pacheco, CEO of The talks at the Mammal Society, Mammal Society Sue Searle of Acorn Ecology, student conference! Dr Nigel Reeve, Ryan Clark, on Twitter Head of Ecology at the Royal Parks London, Dr Pam Worrall, Lecturer at Hadlow College and Kent Mammal Group Chairperson, and Dan Atter, Senior Ecologist at Thomson Ecology and Dormouse Officer of Berkshire Mammal Group. They gave out very useful advice to the students in a Q&A session. After a day of extremely engaging talks, students were able to take part in a careers fair and chat to various organisations, including PTES, Thomson Ecology, IEEM, BioTrack, RPS Ecology, Berks Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust, a range of mammal groups and The Mammal Society. A welcome wine reception followed where delegates had the Winners of the Acorn Ecology prizes for Best Presentations and Best posters, with Sue Searle. (l-r): Cheryl Mills, chance to take part in some fun networking Suzanne Richardson, Robin Searle (front), Andrew Robertson, Beth Heasman and Ciara Powell. competitions to encourage everyone to mix and talk to each other. Four winners were selected and each received a £25 voucher from NHBS. You can keep up to date with The Mammal Society by liking our The overall take home message from this Facebook page and following @Mammal_Society on Twitter. conference was that students are an integral

Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk 11 Mammal Research

On the trail of the lonesome pine: Pine marten conservation in England and Wales Pine marten. Photo by Colin Smith Lizzie Croose, The Vincent Wildlife Trust

The pine marten is arguably the most elusive since 1990. An unequivocal record refers the origins and persistence of pine marten carnivore in England and Wales. Forced to a sample confirmed by DNA analysis populations in England and Wales, in order to retreat to isolated forests and rocky (e.g. a scat or hair), a specimen examined to inform future conservation management outcrops by deforestation and persecution, ‘in the hand’ or a clear photograph. strategies for the species. Samples were few people are ever lucky enough to catch Alongside these records, the VWT has been taken from both contemporary populations a glimpse of one. Whilst pine marten collecting pine marten sightings reported (scats and carcasses found since 1981) and populations are recovering well in Scotland, by members of the public, naturalists and historical populations (samples pre-1950 populations south of the border have not professionals. In order to reduce confusion preserved as mounted taxidermy, skins or shared this success and appear to persist and misidentification with species of similar skulls) from England, Wales, Scotland and only at very low densities in remote areas of appearance, these sightings are evaluated Ireland. Geneticists at Waterford Institute of England and Wales. It is this situation that based on the description of the animal Technology (WIT) identified mitochondrial prompted The Vincent Wildlife Trust (VWT) and the knowledge and experience of the DNA sequences from these samples in order to begin investigating the distribution and observer, and allocated a confidence score to determine the haplotype. A haplotype status of pine martens in England and Wales accordingly. The higher scoring sightings is a group of DNA sequences of different over 30 years ago. corroborate with the unequivocal evidence genes that are often associated with specific The Trust’s work to date has primarily and together they illustrate that pine geographic areas and can therefore provide involved trying to track down this mustelid martens are persisting in the Lake District, some clues as to the geographical origin of in England and Wales, through collecting Northumberland, North Yorkshire, the Peak the samples. and evaluating third party sightings and District, areas of mid and west Wales and All 13 samples collected from England and collecting pine marten DNA through field Snowdonia. The results of this work have Wales from historical populations (1864- surveys and unequivocal records (e.g. been published in a report entitled Evidence 1950) were identified as originating from carcasses of roadkills and preserved of Pine Martens in England and Wales 1996- haplotype i animals. By contrast, none of specimens). In order to detect populations 2007, which is available to purchase from the 14 samples collected since 1990 were at such low densities, the Trust has The Vincent Wildlife Trust. of this type. Instead, the majority of recent experimented with a variety of different Another focus of the Trust’s work has been samples collected from across England field methodologies. Advancements in investigating conservation measures to help and Wales were of haplotype a, which is DNA analysis have allowed scats to be pine martens recover, notably, the use of the predominant haplotype found in the verified by DNA-typing and consequently purpose-built pine marten den boxes. Once present-day population of Scotland. As scat surveys have been used frequently as erected on trees, den boxes provide artificial well as these haplotype a samples, two a method of detecting marten presence. resting sites that help to compensate for the recent samples from the north of England Baited hair-tubes have been trialled, with absence of large tree cavities which martens showed introgression with American collected hairs subjected to DNA analysis. favour as natural den sites. The boxes martens (Martes americana) and two further Remote camera traps, cage traps and provide a safe place for female martens to samples originated from haplotypes found scent lures have also been investigated raise their young and for martens to shelter on mainland Europe. We can be reasonably with limited success, so rare and elusive from the elements. Their elevated position sure that one of these European samples- a are pine martens in southern Britain that also helps pine martens avoid intraguild marten found dead on a road in Hampshire- only 17 unequivocal records of the species predation by foxes. had escaped from captivity, but nothing is have been confirmed in England and Wales Recently, the Trust decided to investigate known of the origin of the second sample.

12 Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk Mammal Research

Therefore, although the number of samples woodland, specifically that which provides martens in southern Scotland to disperse is small and future material may surprise suitable natural den sites and diverse prey into the north of England and restock us, it appears that in England and Wales, for martens. Linked to this is the production Cumbria and Northumberland. However, it the predominant historical haplotype (i) has of guidelines on management of woodland is unlikely that pine martens could spread been replaced by contemporary populations for pine martens and investigating the naturally to Wales or southern England for dominated by individuals of haplotype a. artificial creation of tree cavities as den sites. a very long time; hence reintroduction or These DNA data suggest that historical To aid this task, a comparative factor study restocking may be deemed necessary here. populations of pine martens may have been should be undertaken in order to compare IUCN guidelines state that previous causes lost from England and Wales at some point the habitat and other environmental and of decline should be identified and eliminated in the early to mid 1900s and have been anthropogenic factors that may impact on or reduced to a sufficient level prior to any replaced by, or hybridised with, occasional pine marten populations in England, Wales, reintroduction and, given the probable released, escaped and/or translocated pine Scotland and Ireland. Further priorities in factors limiting pine marten recovery, it may martens from elsewhere. In northern England the strategy include continuing to develop be some time before we are in a position to it is possible that some recent haplotype and improve detection methodologies for advocate the reintroduction or restocking a records are the result of individuals monitoring pine martens and undertaking a of pine martens to southern Britain. In the dispersing from populations in southern national pine marten distribution survey of meantime, we must focus on doing all we Scotland, but that does not explain the Scotland to establish where the species has can to help those remnant populations still occurrence of haplotype a animals further spread to since the last survey in 1994. A surviving in the remote corners of England south or in Wales. socioeconomic study of the potential impact and Wales. These genetic results have important of pine martens would also be a beneficial implications for the future approach to exercise if they are to become more the conservation and population recovery numerous in southern Britain in the future. If you have seen a pine marten in England of pine martens in England and Wales. In Secondly, direct intervention by means or Wales, please contact The Vincent particular, when it was suggested previously of reintroduction or restocking may be Wildlife Trust via www.vwt.org.uk or by (in the late 1990s) that pine martens should considered. There is potential for pine phoning 01531 636441. be reintroduced to parts of England, this proposal was opposed partly on the grounds that potentially unique populations may be vulnerable to genetic dilution. This The pine marten is new evidence, however, suggests that this may no longer need to be a consideration, arguably the most as the relict genetic stock of pine martens in England and Wales may have already elusive carnivore in been lost. Reintroduction would therefore England and Wales. now be an acceptable route to restoring pine marten populations to England and Wales, should such a restoration be deemed necessary and desirable. The results of this genetic research, combined with the culmination of nearly two decades of recording and other work, led to the completion of a Pine Marten Conservation Strategy in 2011. The strategy has been produced by The Vincent Wildlife Trust in collaboration with 12 stakeholders including other conservation organisations, statutory nature bodies and game and forestry groups. It highlights priority areas for research and conservation that need to be addressed in order to restore self- sustaining populations of pine martens to England and Wales. The strategy discusses two potential mechanisms for restoring self-sustaining populations of pine martens to England and Wales: firstly, indirect intervention to promote natural recovery of populations; or secondly, direct intervention through reintroduction or restocking. Firstly, current populations may be encouraged and allowed to recover semi- naturally via intervention, principally by fixing limiting environmental and/or anthropogenic factors. A high priority is determining why pine martens are not recovering in England and Wales in the way that they are Pine marten. Photo by in Scotland and Ireland. A key objective Ann and Steve Toon outlined in the strategy is the promotion of targeted creation and expansion of

Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk 13 Mammal Research Digging for a living; a new anatomical insight

Martyn L Gorman, Reader in Zoology, University of Aberdeen

When the mole judges that enough spoil required. The resultant strength of small has been accumulated, it turns within the fossorial mammals is truly prodigious; tight confines of the tunnel. It then uses for example, the Eastern American mole one fore-limb in the manner of a bulldozer Scalopus aquaticus has been measured blade to push the spoil back down the exerting a force equivalent to 32 times its tunnel until it reaches a previously dug shaft own body weight and a 57 g golden mole is leading from the tunnel to the surface. The on record as having escaped from captivity soil is pushed up this sloping shaft and out by moving aside a 9.5 kg iron lid! onto the surface to create the molehill so As we have seen, moles dig with their beloved by all gardeners and green-keepers. forelimbs and it is these that show the most At some point of course, it becomes extreme anatomical changes (Figure 2). energetically sensible to The shoulder blades, the Figure 1. Gardeners, be afraid, be very, very afraid. dig a new lateral shaft As we have seen, moles scapulae, are long and thin An exceptionally large mole-hill. Photograph by to the surface rather and lie almost horizontally Martyn Gorman. than to push the spoil dig with their forelimbs along the mole’s back. The ever further down the and it is these that collar bones, the clavicles, The death of King William III in March 1702 lengthening tunnel. are short and robust so that is attributed to a fall from the King’s favourite The spoil from the new show the most extreme the shoulder joints lie very war horse, Sorrel, which had tripped on lateral shaft is packed anatomical changes. far forward, close together, a mole-hill, a pile of spoil brought to the into the previous, now and low down under the surface by a busily tunneling moldewarp redundant shaft. The neck. ). (Figure 1 result of all this unseen labour is a row of The upper arm bone, the humerus, is highly Moldewarps, an old name for the mole mole-hills marking the route of the tunnel. adapted and is a massively built bone with europaea, are highly accomplished miners You can see a video of mole digging at complex and strong muscle insertions. Its and within their solitary territories they www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/European_ orientation is as bizarre as is its morphology; dig a complex, branching, 3-dimensional Mole#p007qwt5. instead of hanging down from its articulation network of permanent tubular tunnels from Digging is prodigiously hard work and with the shoulder, as it does in most which they obtain their daily ration of soil energy consuming; digging 1 metre of mammals including ourselves, in the mole invertebrates. In an established territory tunnel can use, depending upon the soil it points upwards and outwards! The broad there can be hundreds of metres of tunnels conditions, 400-4000 times as much humerus is rather like a sagging door, at various depths in the soil column, some energy as walking the same distance on hinged only at the bottom and leaning out as deep as 1.5 metres. the surface. Little wonder then, that the at the top, away from the door-jamb. The When digging a new tunnel, the mole shears collective noun for a group of moles is a elbow joint is orientated so that the fore- the soil from the work face with alternate labour, and hardly surprising, that the mole arm sticks out sideways from the upper forepaws, its body being braced securely shows quite spectacular adaptations that (anatomically lower) end of the humerus, in the tunnel with the hind-limbs and the serve to enhance its digging capabilities. The with the hand held vertically and with the inactive fore-limb. The excavated soil is most striking of these are modifications to palm facing backward, ready to sweep swept back down the tunnel by the active the skeleton that serve to provide an efficient across the tunnel wall. fore-paw and by scrabbling movements of digging tool for shearing and shifting soil The major muscles responsible for the the hind-paws. and to provide the very high forces that are digging stroke are large and attach to the outer edge of the humerus or, to continue with our door analogy, to the edge with the door handle. The other ends of the muscles insert mainly on the breastbone and the shoulder blades. When the muscles contract they cause the humerus to rotate around its long vertical axis, exactly in the manner of opening a door. The result is that the forearm is pulled backwards in a horizontal, sweeping movement, delivering a powerful out-force to the hand for digging. The hand itself is very large, broad, thick and webbed, with the digits, apart from their powerful claws, largely hidden beneath the extremely thick and tough skin Figure 2. The fore-limb skeleton of the European mole. Photograph by Martyn Gorman. (Figure 3). The hand has an anatomical

14 Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk Mammal Research

Figure 3. The right hand of a mole. The 6th ‘digit lies hidden beneath the webbed palm, to the right Figure 5. The right hind paw of a mole. The clawless 6th ‘digit’ can be clearly seen on the left side of the of the thumb. Photograph by Martyn Gorman. foot. Photograph by Martyn Gorman.

surprise in store – it appears to have six abductor pollicis longus and M. palmaris digits! The extra digit lies anterior to the longus muscles. thumb, to its outside and completely Many groups of vertebrates have accessory enclosed within the web, and serves to bony structures in their hands and feet, increase the surface area and rigidity of usually associated with the radius of the the spade-like hand and to reinforce the fore-leg or the tibia of the hind-leg. In the edge lying on the soil, thus increasing its case of the mole, the extra thumb-like efficiency as a digging apparatus. skeletal element in the hand is a massively Most pawed mammals are, of course, enlarged sesamoid bone associated with pentadactyl with 5 digits on each paw. the radius bone where it articulates with Polydactyly, the possession of extra digits the wrist bones. (A sesamoid bone is does occur in many species, including normally a small bone that functions to humans, but only as a relatively rare genetic anchor tendons.) The mole’s radial sesamoid syndrome. Among the talpid moles of the develops later than true digits but during northern continents, however, an extra embryonic development it becomes ‘thumb’ on each hand is the norm rather incorporated into the normal series of digits. than a developmental anomaly. Recent There is a final twist to this tale! The research research has now thrown new light on the has revealed that the mole’s rear paws are intriguing question of how talpid moles have similarly adapted and equipped with an managed to overcome the almost universal extra un-jointed ‘toe’ (Figure 5) that helps pentadactyl constraint. An international team the mole to firmly anchor itself within its of researchers headed by Marcelo Sánchez- tunnel whilst digging! Again, the extra ‘digit’ Villagra, a professor of paleontology is an enlarged sesamoid bone but this time at the University of Zurich, have used one associated with the tibia. molecular markers to study the origin and In essence, by recruiting their wrist and embryological development of the mole’s ankle sesamoids to act as honorary digits, extra ‘thumb’. moles have successfully circumvented the Unlike the other fingers on the mole’s otherwise almost universal constraint of hand, the extra thumb consists of a single, 5 digits per paw in an evolutionary bid to sickle-shaped bone, without moving joints maximise the efficiency with which they dig. (Figure 4). The bone is variously known as the os externum or the prepollex, but References: more usually as the os falciforme. It has Christian Mitgutsch, Michael K. Richardson, no claw, and it lies completely encased Rafael Jiménez, José E. Martin, Peter within the skin of the hand. Although Kondrashov, Merijn A. G. de Bakker, and un-segmented the falciform bone can be Marcelo R. Sánchez-Villagra. Circumventing Figure 4. Micro-tomography scans of the right hand and foot of a talpid mole. The radial and moved independently around its articulation the polydactyly ‘constraint’: the mole’s tibial sesamoids are shown in a darker colour. with the wrist, just like a normal digit, so ‘thumb’. Biol. Lett. February 23, 2012 8 Courtesy of the University of Zurich. as to widen the hand, using the Musculus (1) 74-77.

Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk 15 A Natterer’s bat (Myotis nattereri) with its unique Mammal Research aluminium forearm ring. Photo by Keith Cohen Exploringsocial networks bats’ Written by Tom August, Co-authors: Miles Nunn, Danielle Linton and Fiona Mathews

A box full of Natterer’s bats in Wytham Woods. Photo by Fiona Mathews

Each night during the summer, bats leave Woods in Oxfordshire, we tried to investigate What makes Wytham a unique study site for their roosts shortly after sunset to forage for just this. What is the social structure of a bats is the sheer number of potential roost their insect prey, returning once they have bat population? Who hangs out with whom? sites that can be easily studied. Woodcrete eaten their fill or the dawn approaches. And do different social groups keep their bird boxes put up over the past 60 years, Tree-dwelling bats typically change where distance from one another? for the study of blue tits and great tits, they roost every few days, making it difficult Wytham is a 400-hectare semi-natural have become regular roost sites for bats, to study their roosting behaviour. They ancient woodland, owned by The University particularly Daubenton’s (Myotis daubentonii) typically come together in groups of tens of Oxford. It is one of the most intensively and Natterer’s bats (M. nattereri). to hundreds of individuals and it has been studied ecosystems in the UK, if not the Over the past six summers, researchers suggested that when they change roosts, world, and is home to famous studies, of from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology they do so as a group. passerine birds and tawny owls as well as in Wallingford, The University of Exeter and During five years of research at Wytham small mammals, badgers and deer. The University of Oxford regularly checked the boxes for bats, with help from local volunteers. When we found one, we fitted an aluminium ring with a unique identification number on its forearm before returning it to its box. By monitoring where each bat was found and with whom it was found, we could explore the social networks of the Daubenton’s and Natterer’s bat populations, building up a picture of which bats were continually found together and which seemed to avoid each other. This kind of social network analysis is more often used on human populations, for purposes like predicting who might be infected during a disease outbreak. It’s also behind the study that gave us the idea of ‘six degrees of separation’, whereby any two people in the world can on average be connected to each other through six other people in a ‘friends of friends’ chain. Lorraine Broaders examines the wing membrane and ring of a bat in Wytham. Photo by Christos Astaras Social network analysis has only recently

16 Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk Mammal Research

Daubenton’s bats showed this structure to different species overlapped considerably. only among females, which formed four To check our results from box checks, we social groups. Male Daubenton’s are known radio tracked a few bats and monitored their to spend much of their time roosting away movements. Reassuringly, the bats spent from females in bachelor colonies, and the the majority of their time roosting within, research at Wytham found that while these or close to, their group’s area as previously males did occasionally roost identified through the social with females, particularly What makes Wytham network analysis. during the autumn, most These results highlight were not faithful to a single a unique study site a number of important female group. for bats is the sheer features of the ecology The tight-knit social groups of these bat populations. we found probably have number of potential They break down into social a number of benefits for roost sites that can groups with restricted their members. These may be easily studied. membership. This supports include grooming, avoiding the current practice of predators and sharing body ensuring rescued bats are heat or information about where to find food released near where they were found so or roosts. It is possible that the individuals in that they can rejoin their social group. a group are related, so by helping each other Groups also use relatively small areas for they are helping their kin. their roosting needs, compared to the The Wytham study didn’t stop at social distances they will fly at night to forage and structure. Using the data on which boxes the size of Wytham Wood. This reliance on individuals were found in, we mapped the a network of roosts in a small area means roosts used by each social group. By these groups might be vulnerable to what A bird box hanging on one of the many old doing this it was possible to get an idea seem like minor habitat changes. The needs trees in Wytham Wood. Photo by Danielle Linton of the area of woodland used by a social of bat social groups should therefore be group for roosting. considered when altering their habitat to been applied to the study of wildlife The area used for roosting by each of the six ensure minimal impact. populations but is already producing groups of Natterer’s bats rarely overlapped. These kinds of investigation into bats’ fascinating results. These group-specific roosting areas were social structure are allowing us to ask Our Wytham study found that both relatively small, with the average territory new questions about their ecology. How Daubenton’s and Natterer’s bats form measuring only 23 hectares (though this is do diseases spread through their complex social networks, but that the probably an underestimate). Similarly, the populations? What are the foraging and structure of these networks differed roosting areas used by the female social roosting requirements of a social group? between species. groups of Daubenton’s bats were also small, Why do different species have different Natterer’s bats formed well defined social averaging 17 hectares, with little overlap. social structures? groups – collections of individuals of both The groups of both species probably Work on bat social networks has sexes who were repeatedly found roosting foraged over much larger areas than they undoubtedly raised more questions with each other. Within the wood were six chose to roost in. than answers. However, with continued social groups, and while individuals from the There did not seem to be any competition technological advances in GPS and radio same group were regularly found roosting between the two species. While social tracking devices and developments in the together, individuals from different social groups within species did not have statistical analysis of social networks, the groups were very rarely seen together. overlapping roosting areas, groups belonging future of this field looks exciting.

A group of very happy volunteers... and one lucky man! Photo by Stuart Jenkins Volunteers in Wytham Woods. Photo by Andrew Harrington

Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk 17 Hibernating dormouse. Mammal Research Photo by Paul Chanin

Nineteen out of twenty

Paul Chanin, Mammal Ecologist dormice... There are many things we should thank Pat sliding a plywood tray inside with a vertical Morris for – devising and producing the end piece to make a cavity, and attaching Mammal Society Newsletter for many years these to branches, they created a cheap is one (the precursor to Mammal News), not (and light) alternative to the solid wood nest to mention encouraging Annabel Whittet boxes normally used. They were quite large to publish a series of excellent books on (about 80mm x 80mm x 600mm) but proved mammals and contributing two himself. to be very effective. However, for me, the most helpful thing he The design was readily adapted for hazel ever did was to invent dormouse nest tubes. dormice by using smaller tubes and inserts Originally intended for edible dormice Pat (ca 50mm x 50mm x 250mm) and these are and Ruth Temple devised and tested nest now mass produced in kit form and sold via tubes based on the plastic guards used to the Mammal Society Shop – at the bargain prevent browsing damage to young trees. By price of £2 each. Nest tubes, together with nest boxes form the basis for collecting a great deal of Nesting material. Photo by Paul Chanin interesting information about dormice. Tubes are particularly good for doing dormouse In 2002 Michael Woods and I organised a surveys and are widely used by consultants survey of over a hundred sites in southwest to answer the question ‘Are dormice England, using volunteers to install and present?’. Nest boxes are best suited to inspect tubes. We found dormice in about long term studies of dormouse ecology, a third of these sites, including some most notably within the National Dormouse apparently unlikely ones such as conifer Monitoring Programme (NDMP). plantations and heavily managed hedges. I have 3-400 tubes in a shed at the bottom One interesting finding was that dormice of my garden which get used for surveys were detected in three out of seven during the summer. They are light and coniferous woods but only three out of 20 easy to carry – 100 at a time is not difficult, deciduous woods. We suspected that this quick to put up and quick to inspect. was because there are a lot more natural Nestbox position. Photo by Paul Chanin Thank you Pat! nest sites in deciduous woodland so

18 Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk Mammal Research

without occupants but it was much less setts. I once found six nests in tubes along frequent and in some cases we found that a distance of only 120m beside a road and they were occupied at a later date – which four consecutive tubes – spaced out at didn’t happen with tubes. This suggests that 15m intervals – all had nests in at one time tubes might be used for shorter periods of or another during the season. It seems time than boxes. extremely unlikely to me that this was four The numbers were too low for statistical different dormice but quite plausible that analysis but we did find that tubes were they had found a good food supply in a used mainly in April, May and September tree or shrub with a nest tube nearby and whereas boxes were used throughout the simply set up camp there for a while, as they year with a peak in May. We also found polished off the goodies. that dormice were more likely to use tubes This emphasises the point that, where there in one of our habitat fragments than the is a choice, dormice might use boxes for others. There were no detectable differences preference but we shouldn’t conclude that between the sexes but we didn’t find any tubes are useless for surveying. In fact tubes Nestbox in use. Photo by Paul Chanin juvenile dormice in tubes. have a number of advantages. We can conclude then that dormice use Their cheapness and lightness mean that dormice are less likely to use the tubes in boxes and tubes in different ways and it is much easier to survey large areas with that habitat. also that given a choice, dormice will them than with boxes. More important is the Since nest boxes are readily used in normally use the larger boxes. This must be fact that we have a well established protocol woodland and are also frequently used particularly important for females rearing for using tubes which enables us to provide for breeding (unlike tubes) it seems that young when space will be at a premium a measure of survey effort. We know that dormice use tubes and boxes in different as the young develop. Certainly reports of tubes are used more in some months than ways. The pattern of use of tubes is such litters of dormice in tubes are extremely rare. others so by giving a weighting for each that they are mainly used during May before You can get more adults in too – Leo and I month we can assign a score to a survey the main breeding season and in August and once found an adult male with three females based on timing and the number of tubes. September when young from the first litters in a box – though I have never seen more I for one will continue to use tubes for are dispersing. than two adults in a tube. surveys and continue to thank Pat for this In 2007, Leonardo Gubert and I started a I suspect that dormice use the tubes as simple, but very effective, solution to the four year study of dormice living beside temporary camps rather like badger outlying problem of finding out where dormice live. and on the central reservation of the A30 in Cornwall. First discovered by Matt Pickard, who ignored suggestions that it was a silly place to look, these dormice live in a highly fragmented landscape with rather small patches of habitat split up by roads. Leo and I felt that it would be a good place to find out how they manage this and were able to persuade English Nature and the Highways Agency to support a study there. We put up 100 nest boxes but, because it was easy to do and might provide additional or different information, we also put up 200 tubes interspersed with the boxes at 10m intervals. It wasn’t our intention at the start but we eventually realised that we were also conducting a choice experiment to see whether dormice preferred boxes to tubes and whether this changed through the year. Over the four years of our study we marked 62 dormice (using microchips) and had nearly 50 ‘recaptures’ of them. Only thirteen captures were in tubes and since there were twice as many tubes as boxes, the suggestion that ‘When asked, nineteen out of twenty dormice preferred nest boxes to nest tubes’ is a fair approximation. However that picture does not represent the full story. As well as the 13 dormice found in tubes, we recorded 17 empty dormouse nests which shows that dormice had used them but doesn’t tell us which dormice. We sometimes found dormouse nests in boxes Nestbox accessibility. Photo by Paul Chanin

Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk 19 Mammal Research The European mink Reintroduction of a critically endangered mustelid

European mink. Christian Seebass, EuroNerz e.V., Borgloher Str. 13, 49176 Hilter a.T.W.; Photo by Florian Moellers E-Mail: [email protected]; Internet: www.euronerz.de Elisabeth Peters, Kurze Str. 12, 49080 Osnabrück; E-Mail: [email protected]; Internet: www.nerzforschung.de

especially highly reproductive, facilitating reintroductions, in producing the founder a rapid spread into new regions. Thus, animals for release. in comparison to the European mink, In 2006, together with several partners, the American mink is a more successful we started a reintroduction of European colonizer, even of harsh, rocky shores mink in south-western Germany. The like in Iceland. non-profit association EuroNerz e.V. (www.euronerz.de) is a member of the It sounds strange – reintroduction of mink in EEP. It maintains a breeding stock of 70 Europe? The invasive North America species European mink and provides the founder originally escaped (or was released illegally) animals. Our first aim is to re-establish a from -farms and nowadays is considered population of European mink. In addition, to be a . The similarities in appearance we still need to know more about its and way of life led to the North American behaviour and habitat use as well as the species and the native European mink optimal methods for release and monitoring. Mustela lutreola being confounded. This has Therefore, intensive scientific research to resulted in the European mink becoming one accompany the project is being led of the most endangered and least-known by Elisabeth Peters and Ina Klaumann mammals on the European continent. (www.nerzforschung.de). The project is The European mink belongs to the group funded by the Ministry of Environment of of small mustelids. With a head-body length The alien American mink. Photo by Florian Moellers the Saarland, the Saartoto GmbH and the of 30 - 43 cm and body mass of 500 – HIT-Umweltstiftung. 1000 g, its size places it between the ermine The habitat-specialisation of the European M. erminea and the polecat M. putorius. mink became its doom. Human clearing Its fur is uniformly dark-brown, with white of riparian forests, drainage of wetlands marks on both upper and lower lips. As a and regulation of rivers seems to have semi-aquatic habitat-specialist, it settles been the main reasons why it was already reported as uncommon at the middle of the 19th century. Today, only small, widely- scattered populations persist, in Spain, France, Belarus, Romania and . Now awareness of the need to preserve and expand riparian and wetland habitats should assist the European mink. However the introduction and spread of the American mink in Europe is now the main threat. Being Reintroduction in south-western Germany: a larger and a stronger competitor, it can Undisturbed streambanks with much shelter and displace the native mink. prey. Photo by Florian Moellers The rapid decrease of European mink is ongoing. Recently, its status was further The core-site for the reintroduction is a Characteristics of the European mink: A uniformly tightened to ‘critically endangered’ nature reserve, formed by a network of dark-brown fur and white marks of upper and (www.iucnredlist.org). Even such about 140 km of watercourses, the river Ill lower lips. Photo by Florian Moellers well-known threatened species like the and its tributary streams. Here, especially Amur-tiger are still only considered as the bank-zones are protected and left almost in near-natural banks of small rivers and ‘endangered’. If we do not want to lose the undisturbed. Moreover, the successfully creeks, lake-shores, in fens and carrs and European mink in the near future, combined reintroduced beaver Castor fiber albicus requires a large variety of shelter and prey recovery and conservation measures are increases the diversity of habitat, shelter and (small mammals, fish, amphibians and urgently required. One measure being prey also for the European mink by building invertebrates) to sustain it. Its non-native undertaken is their breeding in captivity dams and retaining streams. counterpart – the American mink Neovison within the European Endangered species Prior to release, all European mink are vison – is larger than the European mink, Programme EEP (see www.lutreola.ee). individually marked with microchips for more flexible in habitat selection and This is also the basic requirement for identification at re-trapping or if they are

20 Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk Mammal Research

autumn of their year of birth; this is designed to encourage them to establish their own territory for overwintering. After release, the real work starts. The post-release monitoring aims to collect scientific data and to check if the animals are able to survive. From 2006 to 2009 we used mainly radio-tracking and live-trapping. Both methods need considerable time and manpower. Therefore, since 2009 we have shifted towards the detection of European mink presence. Now we use special wildlife By building lodges and retaining streams beavers cameras (Cuddeback® Capture) and baited A handful of hope: Three week old cubs born improve habitats for European mink. within the EEP captive breeding program. Photo by Florian Moellers hair-traps, where mammals leave hairs Photo by Florian Moellers on sticky tape while taking the bait. The found dead. Some are also equipped hairs are then identified to species level by minks used these dens for a long time with implanted radio-transmitters to track light-microscopy, as described by García after their release. In addition to the dens, them after release. and Mateos (2009) in Small Carnivore additional shelters are available which Reintroduction attempts often face the Conservation. are small enough for the mink to escape problem that released animals tend to From 2006 to 2011, a total of one hundred potential attacks by their main predator, the disperse quickly over long-distances, and twenty-five European mink were red fox Vulpes vulpes. exploring their new environment for released (56 males, 69 females). Fifty-nine This leads us to consider the problems food, shelter, conspecifics and potential animals were radio-tracked. Of these, at which every re-introduction scheme can harassment. This behaviour puts such least twenty animals were able to establish expect and have to cope with. Released animals at high risk of being killed by traffic a territory. Also, in winter, several European animals suffer from an increased risk of or predators. Therefore, release methods mink were present in the project area. The mortality. Even in wild populations, the should aim to create a ‘sense of home’ in females released during pregnancy gave European mink is vulnerable to predation. the animals to prevent early migration. birth to at least eighteen cubs. In 2008, Of our animals, at least 16 were killed by One important aspect is a period of a female cub without a microchip was red fox, which we suspect is more a case of adjustment before release. During a 14 caught, most probably born to a female ‘competitor-exclusion’ rather than hunting day phase we condition the European which had been settled in the area since behaviour. To mitigate this predation, we plan mink in enclosures directly at what will 2007. It was one of the first cubs sired and to further increase the diversity and number become their release site. They are able born in the wild. All these data are minimal of available shelters on the river banks. to get used to the conditions, sounds and numbers, because only half of the released Another problem concerns the monitoring, smells of the region and are given the animals were radio-tracked. In addition, which is essential to check the success of opportunity to catch their natural prey. After the monitoring of such a small, cryptic a reintroduction. However, radio-tracking of the adjustment period they are released species is not easy, even with technical European mink is usually only successful either directly from the enclosure or by using help (see below). over relatively short ranges. Only small artificial dens set up on the river banks. A The monitoring revealed that the European radio-transmitters can be used and the European mink is placed into a den, which mink were able to adapt to the conditions animals move near to the ground, so is opened after 1 or 2 hours. This allows the contact can be lost easily if a European animals to calm down and accept the den mink covers long distances. Live-trapping, as a secure shelter. even in wild populations of European mink, A second aspect is the choice of animal has limited success. This has held true and season for release. In our project, we for our project, due to the obvious (and released pregnant female European mink in desirable) independence of our released the spring, when they should be hormonally animals. With the use of wildlife cameras motivated to settle down. With the aim of and hair-traps we therefore aim to establish inducing a social relationship, we released a more standardised protocol for monitoring mated couples in the spring. In the late European mink. These methods should summer mothers with their almost full-grown provide reliable data while being cost- litters were released. Since 2009, almost effective and enabling the integration of A European mink inspects a hair-trap at a volunteers into long-term monitoring. Other full-grown cubs have been released in monitoring site (with additional wildlife camera and cage-trap. Photo by Wildkamera monitoring projects of small carnivores Cuddleback® Capture could benefit from the development of a standardised protocol. in the wild – which is not self-evident for animals derived from captive breeding. They showed typical behaviour and were able to feed on their own. We observed for example several individuals preying successfully on fish and rats. In addition, all European mink which were re-captured showed a good body condition. Up to now, the release of pregnant females and full grown cubs would seem to be the After giving birth to its litter in the wild, a most successful methods. Also, the use of female European mink leads its cubs to one artificial dens seems successful. Wildlife The red fox is the main predator for European of their first excursions. Photo by Wildkamera minks is our project area. Photo by Wildkamera Cuddleback® Capture cameras demonstrated that the European Cuddleback® Capture

Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk 21 Consultants’ page

Through The Tree-Hole Who lives in a tree like this? Input needed to a provisional key to bat roost features in trees

Henry Andrews MSc MIEEM [email protected]

As an ecological consultant I spend the greater part of my working life in pretty ho-hum habitat with just enough time to identify and describe the interest, such as it is, as I race from site to site staying just far enough ahead of the weather to achieve each objective. I’m a botanist by choice but, in order that my family eat regularly, I have year by year found myself segueing into the world of protected species survey and more and more into the shadowy black-art of bat survey, even learning how to climb trees as a result. In the course of my bat surveys I have climbed several hundred trees to inspect potential bat roost features but, as I inspect the greater percentage of the trees as part of bat surveys to inform planning applications, I often don’t get to return to them and make repeated inspections in order to further investigate my suspicions. Instead, I have to make an assessment A pedunculate oak which holds three brown long-eared bat roosts in different branches. of which species might use the feature, and for what Photo by Henry Andrews at Woodlands Hill, Somerset. purpose, based on the habitat, form of the feature, its location on the tree, and the internal characteristics. In order to do this, in addition to my own experience, I have built up a bank of reference material from which I draw. As the number of variables involved is high these assessments are time-consuming, particularly as information is distributed widely in journals and books. There is also the added complication that even individual species accounts in the same publication may be written by different authors, and differ in format and layout between species. I had begun thinking about assessment criteria for unoccupied potential tree roost features several years ago, but in the winter of 2009 I found myself with a desperate need for something to occupy my mind. So I began compiling all that was known about the tree roost preferences of the UK’s bats into a series of species accounts with the same layout and format. This also highlighted what was not known, a valuable exercise in itself. It’s clear that our tree roosting bat species are nomadic and may use different tree roosts for different purposes at different times. I therefore concluded that for the assessment criteria to be readily applicable it would Henry Andrews inspecting a noctule roost. Photo by Tom Staton at Povington Ranges, Dorset. be sensible to focus on the attributes of the tree and

22 Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk Consultants’ page

many atypical forms have escaped my own experiences and published accounts and, finally, the key needs rigorous testing. This article is therefore a long-winded call for help from Mammal Society members. You represent a huge resource of experience I wish to tap. So, if you’re interested in bats, or trees, or both, I’ve put the key and some rather more detailed instructions than I had originally envisaged, on the company website. Just go to www.aecol.co.uk, look in the top right corner for the ‘downloads’ A Noctule in a rot-hollow. Photo by Henry Andrews Barbastelle roost in sessile oak (bat pictured at Five Lords, Somerset. in Pic 4). Photo by Henry Andrews at Ladies Combe, Somerset. potential roost feature (which don’t move winter months (it’s a great way to entertain and are visible) rather than the bats (which the kids on a winter walk; jelly-baby for do move and are, more or less, invisible). each PRF found) but, most importantly, We botanists use dichotomous keys as our I hope it will result in the identification of primary reference material, so I began toying a lot of new tree roosts in order that they with the idea of a dichotomous key that are safeguarded for the benefit of the bats would enable a simple set of Potential Roost themselves. Feature (PRF) attributes to be processed in So please, if you can fill in any of the gaps, order to achieve a robust conclusion about if you find the key mechanics have a fault, the likelihood of a bat roost being present, if you have found a bat roost in a tree that and the bat species most likely to occupy it. A Noctule in a frost-crack. doesn’t tie in with the relevant conclusion in Photo by Henry Andrews at Five Lords, Somerset. the key, or if you have found a bat roost of a tab, hit that, read the four or five lines of form that simply isn’t considered, then do let blurb and the two PDF are available below. me know ([email protected]). All I trust you will note that the key is not for contributions will be appropriately credited my own financial gain, and is free to anyone and acknowledged (I’ve had lots of fantastic who wants a copy. information from Scotland, some superb The idea is to collect all the comments information from London, but it would be and corrections over the next year, update great to hear of the sessile oak woods of as necessary in the autumn of 2012, and Wales and the of Ireland). re-release a revised version in the winter for And yes it will always be free. anyone who wants it. I’m not leaving it all I am confident there is a huge volume of up to you, however, but am also enlarging experience out there that never makes it to the instructions to include everything I can A Barbastelle in a frost-crack in a sessile oak. print. Most naturalists only encounter tree Photo by Henry Andrews at Ladies Combe, Somerset. find out about which trees are most likely to roosts very rarely. As a result their existence develop which roost features, where (on the only gets as far as the dining-room table Having defined what I concluded were the tree and in which habitat), and how long they over the Sunday roast, or a consultancy six principal roost types, I worked through report that receives limited distribution or the structure of the tree and out into the (and I was guilty of this one myself) lost habitat, losing over a year of my life and as a pencil note in a notebook where the driving everyone else who crossed my path principal subject matter is not bat-related. mad with my constant wittering. Finally, I’m confident that tree roosts are But finally the key was finished. not half so hard to find as people think. Or was it..? Certainly, the more I find, the luckier I seem As I mentioned earlier, there are gaps in my to get at finding them… knowledge and in published accounts. As Happy-hunting! a result, many couplets lead to dead-ends for which I have no data. I am sure that

Natterer’s bat in a frost-crack. Photo by Henry Andrews at Five Lords, Somerset.

can be expected to last. It is my earnest hope that by compiling all this information in one location, and providing it free of charge, it will encourage foresters and tree-surgeons to look more closely for themselves, assist inexperienced junior field-surveyors in their training, give a little nudge to PhD students as to which areas might be worth exploring (particularly Low-level noctule roost in dead A Natterer’s bat in a rot-hollow. Photo by Henry if they disagree with any of the conclusions!), sessile oak. Photo by Henry Andrews at Five Andrews at Ladies Combe, Somerset. entertain naturalists during those boring Lords, Somerset.

Mammal News Summer 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk 23 Don’t miss our bargain mammal tours!

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