DOCSLIB.ORG

State of Britain's Mammals 2005

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
State of Britain's Mammals 2005 The fourth of the annual updates following the publication of Britain’s Mammals: The Challenge for Conservation for the launch of Mammals Trust UK in 2001 The State of Britain’s Mammals Written by David Macdonald and Sandra Baker Summary 1. The UK BAP (Biodiversity Action Plan) is undergoing revision in 2005; this involves updating the priority lists of species and habitats, and deciding, or revising, the targets for each. This is a mammoth undertaking: the original BAPs were published in 1995, and since then 427 UK action plans (31 for mammals) and 179 local BAPs have been produced. Knowledge has improved in this time and the review is essential to keep the BAP relevant. 2. We focus on one high profile BAP species, the water vole, and two less well-known priority species – Bechstein’s and barbastelle bats. We also highlight the pine marten, which, although not a priority for the BAP, raises tough conservation issues outside Scotland. l Water voles. Their decline is attributed to agricultural Pat Morris Pat intensification, and predation by American mink. Initiatives include National Key Sites, landscape-scale habitat restoration, are likely to be the main impacts of the Act on British mammals. raising public awareness, and potentially full legal protection of the The Act also repeals certain exemptions, for foxhunters, under the species. Protection of Badgers Act 1992. l Bechstein’s and barbastelle bats. A sudden increase in records for these rare woodland species is mainly the result of new 7. This year has seen much discussion of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) technologies. Priorities are to: maintain and improve connectivity in cattle, and the potential epidemiological role of badgers. In between woods; better adjust woodland management through November 2003, Defra halted the reactive treatment in their research on microhabitat use; and improve roosting opportunities ‘Krebs Trial’ following an apparent increase in cattle bTB under by retaining old trees and standing dead wood. that treatment. The trial will continue testing a proactive culling l Pine martens. The pine marten is Britain’s second rarest strategy against a no culling control until mid-2006. carnivore, and yet it is listed under the current UK BAP only as a Species of Conservation Concern. Martens have a few local BAPs, 8. The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) have but should be upgraded to priority species status nationally. awarded their first Wild Animal Welfare Award to Dr Jonathan Reynolds of the Game Conservancy Trust, for designing the GCT 3. The Tracking Mammals Partnership has launched its first report mink raft. The raft allows mink to be trapped efficiently while on species trends since 1995. Three native species, roe deer, reducing the risk of capturing non-target species. common pipistrelle and otter, are estimated to have increased by more than 50%. One, the water vole, is reported to have declined 9. In 2005, government payments to farmers are changing by this amount. fundamentally in ways that could presage profound impacts on the conservation of mammals in the countryside. 4. Surveying mammals killed on roads may provide useful l Subsidies are being decoupled from production, and linked information. We report on three surveys with different remits: instead to compliance with environmental, health, and animal l The MTUK/JNCC Mammals on Roads survey aims to detect welfare standards under the Single Payment Scheme. Farmers will relative changes in the abundance of different species. have greater freedom to farm to the demands of the market, and l The Vincent Wildlife Trust/Mammal Society survey of polecats environmentally-friendly farming will be better acknowledged and on roads is tracking their recovery across the UK. rewarded. l The National Deer Collisions Project records the scale and l In March, existing agri-environment schemes in England were location of road accidents involving deer in order to develop replaced with Defra’s new Environmental Stewardship Scheme, mitigation to reduce such incidents. including broad and shallow Entry Level Stewardship and Higher Level Stewardship, to deliver more focused environmental benefits. 5. We report three ingenious innovations in mammal monitoring. l The Game Conservancy Trust has developed a mink raft for 10. Research in Somerset suggests that hares would benefit from monitoring and trapping American mink. increased habitat heterogeneity, eg diversity of vegetation types, l Researchers from the University of Sussex have developed the within fields, to provide better year-round cover. Autobat, an ultrasound synthesiser that has revolutionised the monitoring of the rare Bechstein’s bat. 11. A radio-tracking study in Gloucestershire suggests that the l A retired forester from mid-Wales has devised a novel dormouse presence of cattle may be an important factor in foraging by lesser monitoring system, which may facilitate research on how dormice horseshoe bats. use the tree canopy. 12. Four years after its launch, MTUK has funded research on 6. Hunting wild mammals with dogs was banned in England and bats, red squirrels, water voles, dormice and otters. In January Wales under the Hunting Act from 18 February 2005. Elimination 2005, MTUK awarded over £88,000 for eight new projects, and of long chases, and of ‘digging out’ (eg of foxes from their earths), £4,000 internships to each of five graduates. 2 The State of Britain’s Mammals 2005 Preface IT HAS BEEN FOUR YEARS since publication of the report amongst animal welfare issues, the political tumult that has Britain’s Mammals: The Challenge for Conservation. Although much surrounded the debate about fox hunting can leave no doubt about useful work has been done in the meantime, all the major issues just how philosophically central wildlife issues can be to society (see highlighted in 2001 remain current. That said, the fact that the p12-13). same issues remain topical - monitoring, farming and wildlife, predator control, diseases, planning and development, welfare, These two examples of very different facets of British conservation pesticides, etc - does not suggest that nothing has changed or been in 2005 meet, so to speak, on farmland. Radical upheavals in accomplished. Indeed, 2005 sees major punctuation marks in the farming policy are now set to alter the countryside and its unfolding of various significant episodes in the history of mammals management for British and their management in the UK. The entire script for British mammals. Nobody could conservation has changed within a decade or so, so much so that it fail to see, in this topic, is literally now written in a new language. the link between wildlife, the lives of individual In the pages that follow we suggest that the current diversity of citizens, and grand high-level political initiatives indicates that there may be increasing politics. The desire to focus on mammal-based (indeed, biodiversity-based) definitions of join up nature sustainable development in Britain. Thus questions are being asked conservation and the not only about how land management contributes towards the rest of society’s production of food, but also about how it can contribute to (especially rural) safeguarding wildlife and people’s enjoyment of wildlife. enterprises resonates in the Draft Natural First, there is the decennial review of the UK’s BAP and of the Environment and profusion of species, habitat and local BAPs that cascade from it. Rural Communities Bill The BAPs are remarkable for several different reasons. Foremost is (February 2005). That bill that these plans were only conceived in 1992 as the procedural seeks to integrate English Whittaker Terry fruits of the Rio Convention on Biological Diversity, and yet Nature, The Countryside already they are a widely understood and completely embedded Agency and the Rural warp and weft to the fabric of conservation. In little over ten years Development Service in a new the very word "biodiversity" has become general parlance, agency called Natural England. illustrating how central an issue conservation has become to society. A huge, inter-linked machinery of government and non- By next year conservation could governmental organisations, and associated national and be carried out in a countryside international processes, now underlie the BAP process and its governed by a very different, and review, as explained on p4-5. integrated, agency. It will remain important, nonetheless, that A second punctuation mark this year has been the enactment of policy is appropriately informed the Hunting Bill in England and Wales. While many may once by the research and observations have thought (and may still do so) that on the stage of of the conservation community. international wildlife issues, hunting with dogs in Britain had little direct relevance to conservation, and was somewhat parochial David Macdonald & Sandra Baker Acknowledgements We are very grateful to the following, who graciously gave of their time and expertise: Nida Al-Fulaij (PTES), Rob Atkinson (RSPCA), Jessa Battersby (Tracking Mammals Partnership), Johnny Birks (Vincent Wildlife Trust), Laura Bonesi (WildCRU, University of Oxford and University of Newcastle), Colin Booty (RSPCA), Clare Bowen (PTES), Paul Bright (Royal Holloway, University of London), Hugh Brown (Scottish Natural Heritage), Fiona Caryl (University of Stirling), Colin Catto (Bat Conservation Trust), Andrew Cooke (defra), Dave Cowan (Central Science Laboratory), Ruth Cox (WildCRU, University of Oxford), Allison Crofts (The Wildlife
Load more

Recommended publications
  • MINNESOTA MUSTELIDS Young
    By Blane Klemek MINNESOTA MUSTELIDS Young Naturalists the Slinky,Stinky Weasel family ave you ever heard anyone call somebody a weasel? If you have, then you might think Hthat being called a weasel is bad. But weasels are good hunters, and they are cunning, curious, strong, and fierce. Weasels and their relatives are mammals. They belong to the order Carnivora (meat eaters) and the family Mustelidae, also known as the weasel family or mustelids. Mustela means weasel in Latin. With 65 species, mustelids are the largest family of carnivores in the world. Eight mustelid species currently make their homes in Minnesota: short-tailed weasel, long-tailed weasel, least weasel, mink, American marten, OTTERS BY DANIEL J. COX fisher, river otter, and American badger. Minnesota Conservation Volunteer May–June 2003 n e MARY CLAY, DEMBINSKY t PHOTO ASSOCIATES r mammals a WEASELS flexible m Here are two TOM AND PAT LEESON specialized mustelid feet. b One is for climb- ou can recognize a ing and the other for hort-tailed weasels (Mustela erminea), long- The long-tailed weasel d most mustelids g digging. Can you tell tailed weasels (M. frenata), and least weasels eats the most varied e food of all weasels. It by their tubelike r which is which? (M. nivalis) live throughout Minnesota. In also lives in the widest Ybodies and their short Stheir northern range, including Minnesota, weasels variety of habitats and legs. Some, such as badgers, hunting. Otters and minks turn white in winter. In autumn, white hairs begin climates across North are heavy and chunky. Some, are excellent swimmers that hunt to replace their brown summer coat.
    [Show full text]
  • English Legal System – an Overview
    1 English legal system – an overview Learning objectives By the end of this chapter you should: • appreciate the characteristics of law; • be able to identify sources of law and explain the different processes of law- making; • understand the various meanings of the term common law; • know in outline the structure, composition, and jurisdiction of the courts; • be able to explain the impact of membership of the European Union and the European Convention on Human Rights; and • have an overview of the bodies and personnel of the law. Introduction The study of the English legal system involves two different, but related processes. First, as a law student, you must learn a large body of factual material about the fundamental concepts of law, the sources of English law, and the institutions and the personnel of the law. You will encounter the material in this chapter during your study of the English legal system but you will fi nd that the material also underpins an understanding of other substantive modules, such as Contract, Tort, and Criminal law. This information contains the ‘basic tools’ that a law student needs to start to understand law and how it operates. Second, such knowledge is essential to the next process which involves a critical evaluation of the operation of law and its institutions; it is one thing to say what the law is, but quite another to explain if the law or an institution is operating effect- ively. A sound knowledge base is needed to found critical studies of the legal system or of the ‘law in action’.
    [Show full text]
  • Species Assessment for the Humboldt Marten (Martes Americana Humboldtensis)
    Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office Species Assessment for the Humboldt Marten (Martes americana humboldtensis) R. Hamlin, L. Roberts, G. Schmidt, K. Brubaker and R. Bosch Photo credit: Six Rivers National Forest Endangered Species Program U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, California 95521 (707) 822-7201 www.fws.gov/arcata September 2010 i The suggested citation for this report is: Hamlin, R., L. Roberts, G. Schmidt, K. Brubaker and R. Bosch 2010. Species assessment for the Humboldt marten (Martes americana humboldtensis). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office, Arcata, California. 34 + iv pp. ii Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1 BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION .......................................................................................... 1 Species Description ................................................................................................... 1 Taxonomy.................................................................................................................. 1 Life History ............................................................................................................... 4 Reproduction .................................................................................................. 5 Diet ................................................................................................................ 5 Home Range
    [Show full text]
  • Ifaw-Trail-Of-Lies-Full-Report.Pdf
    Trail of Lies Report on the role of trail hunting in preventing successful prosecutions against illegal hunters in the UK By Jordi Casamitjana Table of Contents 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................................5 2. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................8 2.1. Hunting with dogs.................................................................................................................................8 2.1.1. A typical foxhunting day ............................................................................................................ 11 2.1.2. Cub hunting ............................................................................................................................... 16 2.1.3. Hunting roles ............................................................................................................................. 18 2.2. Drag hunting and bloodhounds hunting ........................................................................................... 22 2.3. The hunting ban ................................................................................................................................. 30 2.4. Enforcement of the hunting ban ....................................................................................................... 36 2.5. The NGOs’ role in the enforcement of the ban ................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Amending the Hunting Act 2004
    BRIEFING PAPER Number 6853, 13 July 2015 Amending the Hunting By Elena Ares Act 2004 Inside: 1. The Hunting Act 2. Proposals to amend the Act 3. Reactions to the proposals www.parliament.uk/commons-library | intranet.parliament.uk/commons-library | [email protected] | @commonslibrary Number 6853, 13 July 2015 2 Contents Summary 3 1. The Hunting Act 4 1.1 The legislation in practice 4 England and Wales 4 Scotland 6 1.2 Public opinion on fox hunting 7 2. Proposals to amend the Act 7 2.1 Procedure to amend the Act 8 2.2 July 2015 announcement 8 2.3 Proposed amendments to Schedule 1 9 Passage through Parliament 9 3. Reactions to the proposals 11 Contributing Authors: Author, Subject, Section of document Cover page image copyright: Chamber-051 by UK Parliament image. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 / image cropped. 3 Amending the Hunting Act 2004 Summary Hunting with dogs was banned in England in 2004 under The Hunting Act. The legislation includes several exemptions which allow the use of a maximum of two dogs for certain hunting activities, including stalking and flushing. The exemptions under the Act can be amended using a statutory instrument with the approval of both Houses. The Conservative Government included a manifesto commitment to repeal the Hunting Act. However, in July 2015 the Government announced that it intended to amend the legislation to remove the limit on the number of dogs, and instead replace it with a requirement that the number of dogs used is appropriate to the terrain and any other relevant circumstance.
    [Show full text]
  • Decayed Trees As Resting Places for Japanese Dormouse, Glirulus Japanicus During the Active Period
    Decayed trees as resting places for Japanese dormouse, Glirulus japanicus during the active period HARUKA AIBA, MANAMI IWABUCHI, CHISE MINATO, ATUSHI KASHIMURA, TETSUO MORITA AND SHUSAKU MINATO Keep Dormouse Museum, 3545 Kiyosato, Takane-cho, Hokuto-city, Yamanashi, 407-0301, Japan Decayed trees were surveyed for their role as a resting place for non-hibernating dormice at two sites, at southwest of Mt. Akadake in Yamanashi Prefecture (35°56’N, 138°25’E). A telemeter located three dormice, which frequently used decayed trees in the daytime, with two at more than 50% of the times. The survey also showed decayed trees made up only about one fourth of all trees present in various conditions in habitat forests. These two data indicated that decayed trees are an important resting place for non-hibernating dormice in the daytime and provide favorable environmental conditions for inhabitation. Using national nut hunt surveys to find protect and raise the profile of hazel dormice throughout their historic range NIDA AL FULAIJ People’s Trust for Endangered Species (list of authors to come) The first Great Nut Hunt (GNH), launched in 1993 had 6500 participants, identifying 334 new sites and thus confirming the presence of dormice in 29 counties in England and Wales. In 2001, 1200 people found 136 sites with positive signs of hazel dormice. The third GNH started in 2009. Over 4000 people registered and to date almost 460 woodland or hedgerow surveys have been carried out, in conjunction with a systematic survey of 286 woodlands on the Isle of Wight. Of the 460 surveys carried out by the general public, 74 found evidence of dormice.
    [Show full text]
  • Wild Mammals of the Annapurna Conservation Area Cggk"0F{ ;+/If0f If]Qsf :Tgwf/L Jgohgt' Wild Mammals of the Annapurna Conservation Area - 2019
    Wild Mammals of the Annapurna Conservation Area cGgk"0f{ ;+/If0f If]qsf :tgwf/L jGohGt' Wild Mammals of the Annapurna Conservation Area - 2019 ISBN 978-9937-8522-8-9978-9937-8522-8-9 9 789937 852289 National Trust for Nature Conservation Annapurna Conservation Area Project Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal Hariyo Kharka, Pokhara, Kaski, Nepal National Trust for Nature Conservation P.O. Box: 3712, Kathmandu, Nepal P.O. Box: 183, Kaski, Nepal Tel: +977-1-5526571, 5526573, Fax: +977-1-5526570 Tel: +977-61-431102, 430802, Fax: +977-61-431203 Annapurna Conservation Area Project Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.ntnc.org.np Website: www.ntnc.org.np 2019 Wild Mammals of the Annapurna Conservation Area cGgk"0f{ ;+/If0f If]qsf :tgwf/L jGohGt' National Trust for Nature Conservation Annapurna Conservation Area Project 2019 Wild Mammals of the Annapurna Conservation Area cGgk"0f{ ;+/If0f If]qsf :tgwf/L jGohGt' Published by © NTNC-ACAP, 2019 All rights reserved Any reproduction in full or in part must mention the title and credit NTNC-ACAP. Reviewers Prof. Karan Bahadur Shah (Himalayan Nature), Dr. Naresh Subedi (NTNC, Khumaltar), Dr. Will Duckworth (IUCN) and Yadav Ghimirey (Friends of Nature, Nepal). Compilers Rishi Baral, Ashok Subedi and Shailendra Kumar Yadav Suggested Citation Baral R., Subedi A. & Yadav S.K. (Compilers), 2019. Wild Mammals of the Annapurna Conservation Area. National Trust for Nature Conservation, Annapurna Conservation Area Project, Pokhara, Nepal. First Edition : 700 Copies ISBN : 978-9937-8522-8-9 Front Cover : Yellow-bellied Weasel (Mustela kathiah), back cover: Orange- bellied Himalayan Squirrel (Dremomys lokriah).
    [Show full text]
  • Diet and Microhabitat Use of the Woodland Dormouse Graphiurus Murinus at the Great Fish River Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa
    Diet and microhabitat use of the woodland dormouse Graphiurus murinus at the Great Fish River Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa by Siviwe Lamani A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE (ZOOLOGY) in the Faculty of Science and Agriculture at the University of Fort Hare 2014 Supervisor: Ms Zimkitha Madikiza Co-supervisor: Prof. Emmanuel Do Linh San DECLARATION I Siviwe Lamani , student number 200604535 hereby declare that this dissertation titled “Diet and microhabitat use of the woodland dormouse Graphiurus murinus at the Great Fish River Reserve , Eastern Cape, South Africa” submitted for the award of the Master of Science degree in Zoology at the University of Fort Hare, is my own work that has never been submitted for any other degree at this university or any other university. Signature: I Siviwe Lamani , student number 200604535 hereby declare that I am fully aware of the University of Fort Hare policy on plagiarism and I have taken every precaution on complying with the regulations. Signature: I Siviwe Lamani , student number 200604535 hereby declare that I am fully aware of the University of Fort Hare policy on research ethics and have taken every precaution to comply with the regulations. The data presented in this dissertation were obtained in the framework of another project that was approved by the University Ethics committee on 31 May 2013 and is covered by the ethical clearance certificate # SAN05 1SGB02. Signature: ii SUPERVISOR’S FOREWORD The format of this Master’s dissertation (abstract, general introduction and two independent papers) has been chosen with two purposes in mind: first, to train the MSc candidate to the writing of scientific papers, and second, to secure and allow for a quicker dissemination of the scientific knowledge.
    [Show full text]
  • 2021 Fur Harvester Digest 3 SEASON DATES and BAG LIMITS
    2021 Michigan Fur Harvester Digest RAP (Report All Poaching): Call or Text (800) 292-7800 Michigan.gov/Trapping Table of Contents Furbearer Management ...................................................................3 Season Dates and Bag Limits ..........................................................4 License Types and Fees ....................................................................6 License Types and Fees by Age .......................................................6 Purchasing a License .......................................................................6 Apprentice & Youth Hunting .............................................................9 Fur Harvester License .....................................................................10 Kill Tags, Registration, and Incidental Catch .................................11 When and Where to Hunt/Trap ...................................................... 14 Hunting Hours and Zone Boundaries .............................................14 Hunting and Trapping on Public Land ............................................18 Safety Zones, Right-of-Ways, Waterways .......................................20 Hunting and Trapping on Private Land ...........................................20 Equipment and Fur Harvester Rules ............................................. 21 Use of Bait When Hunting and Trapping ........................................21 Hunting with Dogs ...........................................................................21 Equipment Regulations ...................................................................22
    [Show full text]
  • The Status and Distribution of Mediterranean Mammals
    THE STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION OF MEDITERRANEAN MAMMALS Compiled by Helen J. Temple and Annabelle Cuttelod AN E AN R R E IT MED The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ – Regional Assessment THE STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION OF MEDITERRANEAN MAMMALS Compiled by Helen J. Temple and Annabelle Cuttelod The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ – Regional Assessment The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN or other participating organizations, concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN or other participating organizations. Published by: IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK Copyright: © 2009 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Red List logo: © 2008 Citation: Temple, H.J. and Cuttelod, A. (Compilers). 2009. The Status and Distribution of Mediterranean Mammals. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK : IUCN. vii+32pp. ISBN: 978-2-8317-1163-8 Cover design: Cambridge Publishers Cover photo: Iberian lynx Lynx pardinus © Antonio Rivas/P. Ex-situ Lince Ibérico All photographs used in this publication remain the property of the original copyright holder (see individual captions for details).
    [Show full text]
  • Mammalian Predators Appropriating the Refugia of Their Prey
    Mamm Res (2015) 60:285–292 DOI 10.1007/s13364-015-0236-y ORIGINAL PAPER When prey provide more than food: mammalian predators appropriating the refugia of their prey William J. Zielinski 1 Received: 30 September 2014 /Accepted: 20 July 2015 /Published online: 31 July 2015 # Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland (outside the USA) 2015 Abstract Some mammalian predators acquire both food and predators) may play disproportionately important roles in their shelter from their prey, by eating them and using the refugia communities. the prey construct. I searched the literature for examples of predators that exhibit this behavior and summarize their taxo- Keywords Predator–prey . Dens . Herbivore . Behavior . nomic affiliations, relative sizes, and distributions. I hypothe- Habitat . Resting . Foraging sized that size ratios of species involved in this dynamic would be near 1.0, and that most of these interactions would occur at intermediate and high latitudes. Seventeen species of Introduction Carnivorans exploited at least 23 species of herbivores as food and for their refugia. Most of them (76.4 %) were in the Mammals require food and most require shelter, either to pro- Mustelidae; several small species of canids and a few tect them from predators or from thermal stress. Carnivorous herpestids were exceptions. Surprisingly, the average mammals are unique in that they subsist on mobile food predator/prey weight ratio was 10.51, but few species of pred- sources which, particularly if these sources are vertebrates, ators were more than ten times the weight of the prey whose may build their own refuges to help regulate their body tem- refugia they exploit.
    [Show full text]
  • Identification of Hungarian Mustelidae and Other Small Carnivores Using Guard Hair Analysis
    Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 48 (3), pp. 237–250, 2002 IDENTIFICATION OF HUNGARIAN MUSTELIDAE AND OTHER SMALL CARNIVORES USING GUARD HAIR ANALYSIS M. TÓTH A. Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology of the Eötvös Loránd University Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary, E-mail: [email protected] The characteristics of the guard hairs of all the mustelids in Hungary and Vulpes vulpes and Felis silvestris were examined for diagnostic characters. The analysis of hair samples taken from guts, scats, burrows, nests and bait sites can serve as an easy and quick method for faunistic research. The difficulties of hair determination are the similar appearance, overlap- pingcharacters and often the low number of samples, but some relevant characters of hair could be used to develop more detailed and specific identification. Otter and Badger differ markedly from the other mustelids while separatingthe hair of the other six species livingin Carpathian Basin (Polecat, Steppe Polecat, Stoat, Weasel, Pine Marten and Stone Marten) de- manded statistical analysis. Separatingthe two “twin-pairs” of species (Stoat and Weasel, Polecat and Steppe Polecat) is not probable by this technique. Key words: small carnivores, Mustelidae, hair, identification, Carpathian Basin INTRODUCTION There are eight species of Mustelidae in the Carpathian Basin, all indigenous: Weasel (Mustela nivalis), Stoat (Mustela erminea), Polecat (Mustela putorius), Steppe Polecat (Mustela eversmannni), Stone Marten (Martes foina), Pine Marten (M. martes), Badger (Meles meles) and Otter (Lutra lutra). The European Mink (Mustela lutreola) is only a rare, lonely rambling(U JHELYI 1994). Mustelids are regarded as important top predators, because the Wolf (Canis lupus) and Lynx (Lynx lynx) are scarce, though their gradual return to the fauna is occurring through to their natural re-expansion.
    [Show full text]