What mammals can we find in Tisbury and surrounding areas?

picture and text by Ines Lopez-Doriga
Did you know that there are a total of 107 species of mammal in and around the UK? You can have a look at the full species list on the Mammal Society dedicated website. As Wiltshire does not have any sea, the mammal species list is severely reduced by at least 30 cetacean species. You can find more information on the Wiltshire mammals by having a look at the Wiltshire Mammal Atlas, published in 2017.

​In this page, we have compiled a list of the known wild mammals (N = native, I = Introduced) that we can find in our area. We have left behind humans and other domesticated mammals, whether feral or captive! If we have missed any other interesting mammals, we would love to hear about it, please let us know.
Terrestrial and aquatic mammals

So far, 29 species of mammal (excluding bats) have been recorded in the area of Tisbury and surroundings:
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  • American mink – Neovison vison (I)
  • Badger – Meles meles (N)
  • Bank vole – Myodes glareolus (N)
  • Brown hare – Lepus europaeus (I)
  • Brown rat – Rattus norvegicus (I)
  • Common vole – Microtus arvalis
  • European mole – Talpa europaea (N)
  • European rabbit – Oryctolagus cuniculus (I)
  • Common shrew – Sorex araneus (N)
  • Fallow deer – Dama dama (I)
  • Field vole – Microtus agrestis (N)
  • Grey squirrel – Sciurus carolinensis (I)
  • Harvest mouse – Micromys minutus (N)
  • Hazel dormouse – Muscardinus avellanarius (N)
  • Hedgehog – Erinaceus europaeus (N)
  • House mouse – Mus musculus (N)
  • Muntjac deer – Muntiacus reevesi (I)
  • Otter – Lutra lutra (N)
  • Polecat – Mustela putorius (N)
  • Pygmy shrew – Sorex minutus (N)
  • Red deer – Cervus elaphus (N)
  • Red fox – Vulpes vulpes (N)
  • Roe deer – Capreolus capreolus (N)
  • Stoat – Mustela erminea (N)
  • Water shrew – Neomys fodiens (N)
  • Water vole – Arvicola amphibius (N)
  • Weasel – Mustela nivalis (N)
  • Wood mouse – Apodemus sylvaticus (N)
  • Yellow-necked mouse – Apodemus flavicollis (N)
Bats

Did you know that almost all 17 species of bat present in the UK have been recently found in surveys in Tisbury?
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  • Greater horseshoe bat – Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
  • Lesser horseshoe bat – Rhinolophus hipposideros
  • Whiskered/Brandt's bat – Myotis mystacinus/brandtii
  • Bechstein’s bat – Myotis bechsteinii
  • Daubenton’s bat – Myotis daubentonii
  • Natterer’s bat – Myotis nattereri
  • Serotine bat – Eptesicus serotinus
  • Leisler’s bat – Nyctalus leisleri
  • Noctule bat – Nyctalus noctula
  • Common pipstrelle bat – Pipistrellus pipistrellus
  • Soprano pipistrelle bat – Pipistrellus pygmaeus
  • Barbastelle bat – Barbastella barbastellus
  • Brown/grey long-eared bat – Plecotus auritus/austriacus
​Our society and several of our committee members and regular members take part at different levels in mammal recording and surveying, in collaboration with or for schemes for different organisations such as the Wiltshire Mammal Group, the Mammal Society and the People's Trust for Endangered Species. If you would like to get involved with mammal recording in our area, please get in touch.