Understanding British Mammals: Insectivores, Rodents and Lagomorphs

Overview

This course is one in a series on British mammals and focuses on insectivores, rodents and lagomorphs. It gives a thorough introduction to these mammals including shrews, moles, hedgehogs, mice, voles, rats, squirrels, beaver, rabbits and hares. This course also covers non-native and invasive species.

Key features of species identification will be covered including skull and bone examination, population monitoring techniques, the dissection of owl pellets in addition to field surveys which will include ‘long-worth trapping’.

Practical and field exercises will involve characteristic field-signs, with a guide to tracks and trails, feeding remains, droppings, nests and burrows. Life cycles, habits and habitats will be also covered in the workshops. The distribution and status of these mammals, including BAP species and wildlife law, will be discussed in relation to their individual conservation requirements.

The course will consist of online learning through lectures and seminars as well as a compulsory two-day field session in west Wales.

Programme

Unit 1: Insectivores.
• Introduction to the range of British insectivores: common shrew, water shrew, pygmy shrew, greater white-toothed shrew, lesser white-toothed shrew, European mole and hedgehog.

Unit 2: Rodents
• Introduction to the range of British rodents: yellow-necked mouse, wood mouse, harvest mouse, house mouse, hazel dormouse, edible dormouse, water vole, bank vole, field vole, brown rat, black rat, grey squirrel, red squirrel and Eurasian beaver.

Unit 3: Lagomorphs
• Introduction to the range of British lagomorphs: European rabbit, brown hare and mountain hare.

All three units will cover:

• Observe and identify a range of British mammal species from the three units above.
• Use identification guides and other publications
• Use of the correct terminology
• Investigate their characteristic general behavior, field-signs, tracks, trails, feeding remains and droppings.
• Nests, burrows, breeding life cycles and behavior.
• Habitats, distribution and ecology
• Population monitoring techniques
• Conservation status of British mammal species
• Development of observational skills and recording observations

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify a range of British mammal species (insectivores, rodents and lagomorphs), 
   demonstrating knowledge of their morphology, diagnostic features, habitat and field-signs.
2. Explain the general behaviour and distribution, habitat requirements and conservation 
   status of a selection of mammal species (insectivores, rodents and lagomorphs).
3. Describe population monitoring techniques for a range of mammal species (insectivores, rodents and 
   lagomorphs).

Assessments

• Written Assignment (1500 words) 70%
• In class Test (2 hours) 30%

Reading Suggestions

Reading suggestions will be offered throughout the course. 

Entry Requirements

This course is for everyone. No previous experience is needed and there are no formal entry requirements. 

What Do I Need?

As this is an online course, you would need the following:

• Internet access.
• Access to a laptop or computer with a web camera and microphone; the use of headphones might also benefit.
• Use of the Chrome web browser where possible.