Mammals in your garden

The grey squirrel was introduced into the UK in the 1800s. It provides an easy encounter with wildlife for many people, but can be…

Considered a gardener’s best friend, hedgehogs will happily hoover up insects roaming in vegetable beds. Famously covered in spines,…

Famed for their cunning and stealth, these orangey-red dogs with their bushy tails can be seen in towns and the countryside. They come…

The tiny, brown wood mouse is one of our most common rodents and is very likely to be found in the garden. It is similar to the house…

The tiny, grey-brown house mouse is one of our most successful mammals. It thrives around buildings but is less likely to be found in…

The chestnut-brown bank vole is our smallest vole and can be found in hedgerows, woodlands, parks and gardens. It is ideal prey for owls…

With a population of 75 million, the field vole is one of the UK's most common mammals. Hidden among the vegetation of grassland,…

The diminutive common shrew has a distinctively pointy nose and tiny eyes. It lives life in the fast lane, eating every 2-3 hours to…

The diminutive pygmy shrew has a distinctively pointy nose and tiny eyes. It lives life in the fast lane, eating every 2-3 hours to…

The brown rat has a bad reputation, but it mostly lives side-by-side with us without any problems. It can be seen in any habitat.

Who doesn’t love spotting rabbits hopping through long grass during a walk in the countryside? They are a common sight but it is always…

Badgers are the UK’s largest land predator and are one of the most well-known British species. They are famed for their black and white…

Weasels may look adorable, but they make light work of eating voles, mice and birds! They are related to otters and stoats, which is…

The stoat is a small mustelid, related to the weasel and otter. It has an orange body, black-tipped tail and distinctive bounding gait.…

Known for its bandit-like appearance, the polecat was once so persecuted it was on the brink of extinction in the UK. Thankfully,…

The brown hare is known for its long, black-tipped ears and fast running - it can reach speeds of 45mph when evading predators.

Hazel dormice are hard to spot – not only do they only come out at night, but they are also only found in very few places in the UK.…

The harvest mouse is tiny - an adult can weigh as little as a 2p piece! It prefers habitats with long grass, but you are most likely to…

The attractive roe deer is native to the UK and widespread across woodland, farmland, grassland and heathland habitats. Look for its…

Although introduced by the Normans, the fallow deer has been here so long that it is considered naturalised. Look out for groups of…

The muntjac deer was introduced into the UK from China in the 20th century. It has gained a stronghold in southeast England, where it…

This stocky, brown mammal spends its life burrowing underground with its spade-like paws, hunting for earthworms to eat.

The sinuous otter is an excellent swimmer and can be seen hunting in wetlands, rivers and along the coast - try the west coast of…

The large, dark grey water shrew lives mostly in wetland habitats. It's a good swimmer that hunts for aquatic insects and burrows…