mammalwww.mammal.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 foxes • Hedgehog survey update • Muntjac encounter THIS ISSUE: • Moles: digging for a Mammalliving; Newsa new Summer anatomical 2012 • www.mammal.org.uk insight • Dormouse nesting tubes Mammals 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 species. 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 fox 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 animals, 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 raccoon dog. 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.