<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[A beautiful tufty-eared tree climber thatΓÇÖs now found in only a few forests.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Squirrels have bushy tails and blunt faces. Ours live in trees.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Rusty red all over, but sometimes almost black. Smaller than its grey cousin, with tufty ears, except in summer. Size - 20 cm long (plus 18 cm tail).]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Forests. Squirrels are usually active during the day.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Nuts, seeds, berries, tree bark and sap.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="2">Grey squirrel</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="29">Stoat</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""/>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Red squirrels have lost out to greys across much of England, but because squirrels donΓÇÖt swim, a few still survive on our islands.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG=""></POO>
<PAWS IMG=""></PAWS>
<HOME IMG="Red_squirrel_1022415">Drey is a ball of leaves built close to the main trunk of a tree.</HOME>
<STATUS>2.5 million at start of breeding season.</STATUS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[Brought here from North America, this squirrel now lives in most parts of the UK.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Squirrels have bushy tails and blunt faces. Ours live in trees.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Much larger than red squirrel, and always grey or black and without ear tufts. Never reddish. Size - 25 cm long (plus 20 cm tail).]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Forests, woods, hedges and gardens with trees. Squirrels are usually active during the day.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Nuts, seeds, berries and other fruit, flowers, tree bark, leaves and shoots.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="1">Red squirrel</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="29">Stoat</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Unlike birds, grey squirrels donΓÇÖt like the taste of chilli ΓÇô useful if you donΓÇÖt want them eating your bird food.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG=""></POO>
<PAWS IMG=""></PAWS>
<HOME IMG="Grey_squirrel_1016551">Round ball of twigs and leaves built high in the branches of a tree.</HOME>
<HAIR IMG=""></HAIR>
<FOOD IMG="squirrel-NUT-4">Chewed and frayed pine cones ΓÇô if under a pine tree this lets you know that either a red or grey squirrel has been around. If they are elsewhere, such as around a fence post or a tree stump, it is most likely to be a grey squirrel.</FOOD>
<SOUNDS IMG="Grey_squirrel_1016551">Churrs, grunts, and yaps from up in the trees ΓÇô grey squirrels are on the move!</SOUNDS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[Beautiful, but hardly ever seen, this creature only comes out at night.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Small tree-dwelling mammals with furry tails.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Cute, ginger to grey fur, but rarely seen. Size - 7.5 cm long (plus 6.5 cm tail).]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Hedges and woods. Dormice are usually active at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Seeds, nuts (especially hazel), flowers and fruits (especially honeysuckle), pollen. Some insects.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="4">Bank vole</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="">Edible dormouse</MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Made famous for sleeping by Lewis Carroll in AliceΓÇÖs Adventures in Wonderland. Real dormice hibernate throughout the winter and emerge from their nests on spring and summer nights to feed in the tops of hazel trees.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG=""></POO>
<PAWS IMG=""></PAWS>
<HOME IMG="Dormouse_Chris_Shields">Summer nests of stripped bark, grass and leaves built higher off the ground than winter hibernating nest. This may be based on a birdΓÇÖs nest.</HOME>
<HAIR IMG=""></HAIR>
<FOOD IMG="dormouse-NUT-2">Hazel nuts ΓÇô if cracked longways they are likely to have been eaten by a squirrel; dormice leave a small, neat, round hole fringed with teeth marks; wood mice create a small hole neatly edged with teeth marks; bank voles leave no obvious teeth marks. </FOOD>
<STATUS>23 million at start of breeding season.</STATUS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[This is the vole you are most likely to see in a wood.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Small, blunt-nosed vegetarians with small ears and bare tails.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Small ears and eyes and a generally rounded nose. Chestnut brown on the back but paler underneath, with a tail around half the length of the body. Size - 9 cm long (plus 6 cm tail).]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Woods and hedges. Bank voles are usually active during the day.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Seeds, nuts, berries, plants and toadstools.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="5">Field vole</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="6">Water vole</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="7">Harvest mouse</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Although both sexes usually feed on the ground, males generally climb trees and hedges more than females.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG="Bank_vole_1024938">Narrower than wood mouse droppings but about the same length.</POO>
<PAWS IMG=""></PAWS>
<HOME IMG="Bank_vole_1024938">Runways through thick grass or small burrows disappearing underground.</HOME>
<STATUS>75 million at start of breeding season.</STATUS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[Once called the short-tailed vole for a very good reason!]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Small, blunt-nosed vegetarians with small ears and bare tails.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Small, grey-brown with blunt nose, small ears and eyes, and a tail no more than a quarter of its body length. Size - 10 cm long (plus 4 cm tail).]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Grass fields, hedges, moors and woods. Field voles can be seen during the day and at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Mostly grasses. Some moss.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="4">Bank vole</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="8">Wood mouse</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="6">Water vole</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="7">Harvest mouse</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="9">House mouse</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="">Yellow-necked mouse</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="">Orkney and Guernsey vole</MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Despite the fact that these voles can be heard chattering away to one another in the grass, their sense of smell is probably the most important way they communicate with each other.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG="Field_vole_00090001">Oval and 6 mm long. Typically green from the grass in their diet.</POO>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[This grass-nibbler of slow-flowing streams and rivers has become much rarer.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Small, blunt-nosed vegetarians with small ears and bare tails.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Rat-sized, but rounder, darker and more chubby than a rat. Often seen swimming away having plopped into the water. Size - 20 cm long (plus 12 cm tail).]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Ponds, ditches and slow-moving rivers. Water voles are usually active during the day.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Grasses, sedges and other waterside plants.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="10">Brown rat</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[This delightful little creature was the inspiration for Ratty in The Wind in the Willows.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG="Water_vole_Cygnus_illustration">Smooth, cigar-shaped 1-1.2 cm long and often in great numbers near feeding areas.</POO>
<PAWS IMG="Water_vole_Cygnus_illustration">Always near water, and with a shorter heel print than brown rat. Front footprint is star shaped.</PAWS>
<HOME IMG="Water_vole_Cygnus_illustration">Close-cropped grass around 8 cm tunnel entrances at various heights on riverbanks.</HOME>
<HAIR IMG="Water_vole_Cygnus_illustration">Small mammal bones ΓÇô it is possible to identify mice, voles and shrews from their teeth and skull bones found in owl pellets.</HAIR>
<STATUS>1.5 million at start of breeding season.</STATUS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[This ace climber uses its tail to hang on to plant stems.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Small, bare-tailed mammals with long faces and large ears.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[The smallest British mouse, this has hairy ears and a tail as long as its head and body combined. It uses this tail as an extra limb. Size - 6.5 cm long (plus 6.5 cm tail).]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Hedges and tussocky grass at the edges of fields. Harvest mice can be seen during the day and at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Seeds, cereal grains, grass shoots, insects and fruit.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="4">Bank vole</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="5">Field vole</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="8">Wood mouse</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="6">Water vole</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="9">House mouse</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="">Yellow-necked mouse</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="">Orkney and Guernsey vole</MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Harvest mice are the only mice that make a nest above ground ΓÇô itΓÇÖs a woven grass ball up to 10 cm in diameter.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG=""></POO>
<PAWS IMG=""></PAWS>
<HOME IMG="Harvest_mouse_01175822">Perfect grass ball nest, either in long grass or reeds.</HOME>
<STATUS>Numbers reach 115 million by autumn.</STATUS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[The little mouse that shelters in your garden shed during winter is probably a wood mouse.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Small, bare-tailed mammals with long faces and large ears.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Dark brown to ginger fur on the head and back, paler underneath. Long tail and large ears. Very skippy! Size - 9.5 cm long (plus 10 cm tail).]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[All sorts of habitats in town and country. Wood mice are usually active at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Seeds, fruits, buds, insects, worms, centipedes, snails and toadstools.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="4">Bank vole</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="5">Field vole</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="7">Harvest mouse</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="9">House mouse</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="">Yellow-necked mouse</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="">Orkney and Guernsey vole</MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Wood mice bury a lot of seeds to keep them through the winter. The ones they forget about may grow into new trees.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG="Wood_mouse_1016599">Pale brown, but darkening as they dry, rounded and about 8 mm long. Often in groups near remains of food.</POO>
<PAWS IMG="woodmouse-fore"></PAWS>
<HOME IMG="Wood_mouse_1016599">Chewed food remains near a small hole in a tree stump or old birdsΓÇÖ nest.</HOME>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[Wherever there are people, there are house mice.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Small, bare-tailed mammals with long faces and large ears.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Dull, dark brown mice. Slower moving and with smaller ears than wood mice. Size - 8 cm long (plus 8 cm tail).]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Mostly around buildings where people live. House mice are usually active at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Eats anything edible, especially seeds and grains.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="4">Bank vole</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="5">Field vole</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="8">Wood mouse</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="6">Water vole</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="">Yellow-necked mouse</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="">Orkney and Guernsey vole</MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Except for humans, house mice probably live in more places than any other mammal, and thatΓÇÖs because they follow people to everywhere they live.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG="House_mouse_Chris_Shields_1016562">Black, cylindrical and about 2 mm long, often in groups.</POO>
<PAWS IMG="House_mouse_Chris_Shields_1016562">Four toes on the front foot and five for the back, and usually with the tail dragging between them.</PAWS>
<HOME IMG="House_mouse_Chris_Shields_1016562">May make nest of chewed up paper or straw in a building, with untidy paths littered with food leading to it.</HOME>
<HAIR IMG=""></HAIR>
<FOOD IMG=""></FOOD>
<SOUNDS IMG="House_mouse_Chris_Shields_1016562">Assorted squeaking, scrabbling and chewing noises that can be quite loud and angry, especially when they fight.</SOUNDS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[As dusk falls, these animals steal out to feed on the grass.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Rabbits have long ears, huge back feet and short tails.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Smaller than hares and more rounded over all, with no black tips to the ears. White underside of the tail obvious as it bounds away. Size - Male 48 cm long. Female slightly smaller.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Anywhere that they can find food and burrow into the soil. Rabbits are usually active at dawn and dusk.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Grasses and leaves of all sorts of plants.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="12">Brown hare</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="13">Mountain hare</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[On Portland, in Dorset, seeing or even mentioning rabbits is thought to be unlucky, because their digging was blamed for undermining stone quarries and causing accidents.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG="Rabbit-poo-1024928">Round, black or dark brown pellets, often either around a burrow entrance or on bare ground nearby.</POO>
<PAWS IMG="rabbit-fore"></PAWS>
<HOME IMG="Rabbit_1016583">Round, shallow burrow entrances, usually 12-15 cm across on a grassy slope. Short pathways through the grass may lead to them. Path often interrupted by branches (rabbit bounds over), unlike badger paths.</HOME>
<STATUS>1.5 million at start of breeding season.</STATUS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[This is the UKΓÇÖs fastest mammal, reaching speeds of up to 45 mph (72 kmph).]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Hares have long ears, huge back feet and short tails.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Larger than rabbits, with longer, black-tipped ears and bigger feet. Runs away very quickly in open fields, showing a dark tail. Size - 55 cm long.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Open grassy fields. Brown hares are usually active during the day.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Mainly plant shoots and flowers in summer, and grass in winter.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="11">Rabbit</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="13">Mountain hare</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[The ΓÇÿmadΓÇÖ March hare that boxes in spring fields is a female trying to stave off a maleΓÇÖs amorous advances!]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[In places where it changes colour in winter, it is sometimes called the blue hare.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Hares have long ears, huge back feet and short tails.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Smaller and greyer than brown hares in summer, and white or blotchy in winter. In Ireland, they stay brownish all year. Size - 50 cm long.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Heather moors. Mountain hares can be seen during the day and at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Heather, bilberry, gorse, juniper, rushes and cotton grass.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="11">Rabbit</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="12">Brown hare</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[These are the only members of their family that are native to the UK. Brown hares and rabbits were both brought here by people.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<STATUS>Less common these days and declining. 1.5 million at start of breeding season.</STATUS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[These prickly creatures may come into your garden at night without you even noticing.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Our only spiny mammal</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[About the same size as a guinea pig, but unmistakably covered with sharp spines. Size - 25 cm long.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[All kinds of habitats. Hedgehogs are usually active at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Beetles, worms, slugs and snails.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Hedgehogs can swim!]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG="hedgehog-poo">cylindrical, glossy black and 2-4 cm long. Nearly always has shiny beetle shells.</POO>
<PAWS IMG="hedgehog-fore">five toes on each foot, with the feet turned out slightly. Front and back feet about 10 cm apart.</PAWS>
<HOME IMG=""></HOME>
<HAIR IMG=""></HAIR>
<FOOD IMG=""></FOOD>
<SOUNDS IMG="Hedgehog_1016555">Grunting and snuffling sounds ΓÇô if you canΓÇÖt see the creature, it is probably a hedgehog shuffling along underneath a hedge out of sight.</SOUNDS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[This champion digger can shift its own weight in soil in just 15 minutes.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Tube-like body, large, strong spade like front legs and a short tail.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Black, with short, velvety fur, and long, pink snouts. Rarely seen except occasionally poking out from fresh molehill. When tunnels flooded out, runs surprisingly fast. Size - Male 15 cm long. Female slightly smaller.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Fields, meadows, large gardens. Moles are usually active at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Earthworms. Insect grubs in summer.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Moles spend almost all of their lives underground on their own ΓÇô can you imagine living like that?]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG=""></POO>
<PAWS IMG=""></PAWS>
<HOME IMG="Mole_1016573">Mounds of bare earth ΓÇô the spoils from tunnel digging ΓÇô mark the pathways. In shallow soil, the path almost breaks the surface.</HOME>
<STATUS>9 million at start of breeding season.</STATUS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[This mini-mammal will starve to death if it goes more than two hours without eating.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Hyperactive little predators, with long, pointed snouts and short legs.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Smaller and darker than common shrew, with less contrast between its back colour and that of its underside. Its tail looks longer and thicker, too. Size - 6.5 cm long (plus 4 cm tail).]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Fields and forests. Shrews can be seen during the day and at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Woodlice, spiders, beetles and insect grubs.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="5">Field vole</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="8">Wood mouse</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="16">Common shrew</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="18">Water shrew</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[This is our smallest mammal, but plays host to our largest flea.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG=""></POO>
<PAWS IMG=""></PAWS>
<HOME IMG=""></HOME>
<HAIR IMG=""></HAIR>
<FOOD IMG=""></FOOD>
<SOUNDS IMG="Pygmy_shrew_00036474">High-pitched rhythmic squeaks and pips - often on the limit of human hearing - will let you know that shrews are around, but pygmies are quieter than commons.</SOUNDS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[Sometimes called the water bat, this animal scoops up insects off the surface of a lake.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Winged, insect-eating mammals that flutter more than any bird.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Pink face and huge feet for a small bat. Usually seen flying steadily over still water, such as ponds, reservoirs and canals. Size - 4.5 cm long. Wingspan 25 cm.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Wherever there are trees and water together. Bats are usually active at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Flying insects, including gnats and mosquitoes.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<STATUS>Four million common and soprano pipistrelles.</STATUS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[The UKΓÇÖs pipistrelles swoop and soar in a never-ending chase after insects.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Winged, insect-eating mammals that flutter more than any bird.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Our smallest bat, with a body smaller than the bowl of a teaspoon. When it flies, it looks about as big as a starling because of its big wings. Size - 3.5 cm long. Wingspan 22 cm.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Flies over all sorts of habitats. Bats are usually active at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Flying insects, including gnats and tiny moths.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[We thought there was only one species of pipistrelle until about 10 years ago, when scientists found that different pipistrelles called at different pitches. On closer look, there seem to be three species in the UK.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG="bat5_pipistrelle">Heaps of tiny dry, odourless black droppings below an access hole to a roost.</POO>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[These bats fly so close to trees that they are very hard to see.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Winged, insect-eating mammals that flutter more than any bird.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Medium-sized bat with ridiculously long ears ΓÇô almost three-quarters its body length! Size - 4.5 cm long. Wingspan 25 cm.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Hunts in woods and forests. Avoids big open spaces. Bats are usually active at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Flying insects, as well as caterpillars and spiders plucked off tree leaves.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[They often return to the same perch to feed, and you can sometimes find piles of discarded moth wings underneath.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG=""></POO>
<PAWS IMG=""></PAWS>
<HOME IMG=""></HOME>
<HAIR IMG=""></HAIR>
<FOOD IMG="bat2_brown_long_eared">Moth wings ΓÇô under favoured feeding trees suggest that long-eared bats may have been around. They eat the bodies and spit the wings out. Use mammal image.</FOOD>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[This is probably the hardest mammal to see in the UK. Wildcats are incredibly wary of humans.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Short face, large front-facing eyes with big ears.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Larger than most domestic tabby cats, with longer legs and black-tipped bushy tail. Rarely has much white in its fur. Size - 90 cm long (plus 30 cm tail).]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Remote areas of the Scottish Highlands. Wildcats are usually active at dawn and dusk.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Hares, rabbits, mice, voles and small birds.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Wildcats are threatened by people who may want to kill them to protect gamebirds and by domestic cats that interbreed with them.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG=""></POO>
<PAWS IMG="Wildcat_00103904">Four toes and a three-lobed pad, but no claws. Domestic cat looks similar, but smaller.</PAWS>
<HOME IMG=""></HOME>
<HAIR IMG=""></HAIR>
<FOOD IMG=""></FOOD>
<SOUNDS IMG="Wildcat_00103904">The adults give a deep, cross hiss when they feel threatened, but mostly they are silent.</SOUNDS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[Slipping out into the open at dusk, a fox is a fabulous sight.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Wild dogs are slender carnivores with long legs and bushy tails.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Reddish-brown, medium dog-sized, with long bushy tail. Size - 66 cm long (plus 38 cm tail).]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Found throughout the countryside as well as in towns and cities. Foxes are usually active at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Varied diet includes voles, rabbits, beetles, worms and berries.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Half of all adult foxes are killed by cars.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG="fox-poo">About 8 cm long and full of hair with a characteristic ΓÇ£tailΓÇ¥, often twisted. Strong smell that is sharper than dog poo.</POO>
<PAWS IMG="fox-fore">Only four toes show in the tracks, even though the animal has five toes on each foot. Slimmer than dog prints, with the heel and toe pads around the same size ΓÇô the heel pad for dog prints is larger.</PAWS>
<HOME IMG="Fox_1016546">Large, tall hole is the entrance to a foxΓÇÖs earth. There are often food remains, such as bones, around it and a distinct, sharp, foxy smell.</HOME>
<HAIR IMG="Fox_1016546">Stiff red hair on a fence ΓÇô probably from a fox.</HAIR>
<FOOD IMG="Fox_1016546">Dead birds ΓÇô if the wing and breast feathers are bitten through, it will have been eaten by a fox. With the breast plucked, it will have been taken by a bird of prey.</FOOD>
<SOUNDS IMG="Fox_1016546">Staccato dog bark</SOUNDS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[An excellent sense of smell and hearing usually allow this common animal to avoid humans.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Small to medium-sized short-legged carnivores.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Grey body and black underside, with black-and-white striped head make badgers unique. Size - 76 cm long (plus 15 cm tail).]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Countryside throughout the UK. Badgers are usually active at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Worms and beetles, plus seasonal food such as berries, wasp grubs, baby rabbits and birdsΓÇÖ eggs.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[An old name for the badger is brock.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG="Badger-poo-1024936">Dog-like, grey or black and dropped in a latrine ΓÇô small pits dug some distance from the sett.</POO>
<PAWS IMG="badger-fore">Five long claws on each foot, with hind foot tracks usually on top of the front feet.</PAWS>
<HOME IMG="Badger_1016520">Sett is a group of large, flattened holes, with big heaps of soil outside. Grass or straw bedding outside the holes may be obvious. Extensive network of well-worn uninterrupted paths (badgers push under branches or go around them, rather than jumping over obstacles) lead away from the sett.</HOME>
<HAIR IMG="Badger_1016520">Course pale hair with a broad black band towards the tip. Oval in cross section so doesnΓÇÖt roll smoothly between the fingers. Often caught on a fence or bramble with a pathway underneath. Bones in a badgersΓÇÖ sett spoil heap may be from badgers that died underground. If you find a large skull with a pronounced ridge on it, thatΓÇÖs a badger.</HAIR>
<FOOD IMG=""></FOOD>
<SOUNDS IMG="Badger_1016520">As well as the strange, deep gurgling sound you can hear on this CD-ROM, listen for scratching and brushing noises in the woods as badgers clean themselves of troublesome ticks and fleas.</SOUNDS>
<STATUS>13,000. Increasing slowly after falling to very low numbers in the 1970s.</STATUS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[Tracks and poo are usually the only traces you will find of this shy hunter.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Small to medium-sized short-legged carnivores.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[The size of a small dog, but dark brown with a long tapered tail. On land, otters look hump-backed, but they are low and elegant when swimming. Size - 90 cm long (plus 40 cm tail).]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Rivers, lakes and some coasts of western Scotland. Otters are usually active at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Fish. Frogs in spring.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="32">Mink</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Otters may look lovely, but they have very smelly breath!]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG="otter-poo">Placed deliberately on bare stones, tree roots or similar places where other otters will see and smell it. They are green or black with obvious fish scales, fins or bones sticking out.</POO>
<PAWS IMG="otter-fore">Front paw print is almost circular, but the rear is wider. Webs between toes show up only on very soft ground.</PAWS>
<HOME IMG="otter">Its den, called a holt, is usually under a riverside tree root, but they keep them well hidden. Well-worn paths leading into water ΓÇô otters make these paths. They may also have flattened the bankside plants as they roll about cleaning themselves.</HOME>
<HAIR IMG=""></HAIR>
<FOOD IMG=""></FOOD>
<SOUNDS IMG="otter">If you hear a squeaky toy on a river bank, you may just have come across a mother otter calling to her cubs, but she will probably then slip away, unseen.</SOUNDS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[Despite its name, this night hunter spends most of its time foraging on the ground.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Small to medium-sized short-legged carnivores.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Chestnut brown with paler, yellowy throat and big, rounded ears. Very agile, running along branches with ease. Size - 45 cm long (plus 23 cm tail).]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Large forests and moorland. Pine martens are usually active at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Mice and voles, plus seasonal food such as blueberries, caterpillars and birdsΓÇÖ eggs.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="29">Stoat</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="31">Polecat</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="">Ferret</MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[A few lucky people in Scotland have pine martens visiting their gardens to feast on jam or peanut butter sandwiches.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[This animal is a lightning-fast pursuer of rabbits and other small mammals.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Small to medium-sized short-legged carnivores.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Short-legged, long body. Ginger on top and pale cream-coloured underneath, with an obvious black tip to the tail. Some northerly stoats turn white in winter, but retain their black tail tip. Size - 25 cm long (plus 7.5 cm tail).]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Woods, hedges and farm fields. Stoats are usually active at night during the winter, and active by day during the summer.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Rabbits, rats, mice and voles.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="30">Weasel</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="31">Polecat</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="28">Pine marten</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="">Ferret</MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[If you make squeaking noises through pursed lips to a stoat it may well come closer to investigate you.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG=""></POO>
<PAWS IMG=""></PAWS>
<HOME IMG=""></HOME>
<HAIR IMG=""></HAIR>
<FOOD IMG="Stoat_Chris_Shields">Dead animal with the back of its head bitten out ΓÇô characteristic of a stoat kill. Wait quietly ΓÇô the stoat may come back for it!</FOOD>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[This ferocious predator sometimes catches and kills animals that weigh more than it does.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Small to medium-sized short-legged carnivores.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Much smaller than the similar stoat, with a shorter tail without a black tip. Runs so fast you can hardly see its legs! Size - 20 cm long (plus 5 cm tail).]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Wide range of habitats. Weasels are usually active during the day.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Voles, mice and rats.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="29">Stoat</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="32">Mink</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="">Ferret</MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[A small adult weasel can slip through a wedding ring ΓÇô if its skull can get through, then so can the rest of the animal.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<STATUS>65,000. Numbers rising as range expands.</STATUS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[Once hunted to near extinction, this predator is making a comeback.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Small to medium-sized short-legged carnivores.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Dark outer hairs cover a much paler body. If it has a pale throat patch, it is probably an escaped ferret, which is the domesticated form of the polecat. Size - 38 cm long (plus 14 cm tail).]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Farm fields. Polecats are usually active at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Mice, voles, rabbits and hares, frogs, worms.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="29">Stoat</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="28">Pine marten</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="27">Otter</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="">Ferret</MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Once known as the foul-mart, this animal has marble-sized stink glands that mark its territory boundaries with a smelly scent.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<STATUS>37,000. Numbers falling as otters recover.</STATUS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[This ferocious little hunter originally came from North America.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Small to medium-sized short-legged carnivores.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Dark brown or almost black, but often with white patch on chin or elsewhere on underside. Much smaller than otter. Size - 40 cm long (plus 12.5 cm tail).]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Rivers, lakes and streams, but also roams away from water. Minks are usually active at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Fish, rabbits, voles, water birds.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="29">Stoat</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="28">Pine marten</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="27">Otter</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="31">Polecat</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="">Ferret</MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Mink are ferocious predators and can wipe out water voles and ground-nesting birds, but otters will kill and eat them.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[These animals donΓÇÖt crawl up on shore to rest ΓÇô they simply let the tide carry them there!]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Large and streamlined, with flippers rather than legs.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[The smaller of our two seals. Out of the water, it often sits with head and tail up. It has a gentle face, with nostrils that almost meet in a V shape. Can be any variation of black, grey, white or brown. Size - Male 170 cm long. Female slightly smaller.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Basks on rocky shores and sandbanks. Seals are usually active during the day.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Fish, shrimps and squid.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="34">Grey seal</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""/>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Seals can become quite used to people, and will sometimes sing back to you if you whistle to them.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[Despite their name, these seals come in a range of greys and browns. Babies are born with a soft, creamy fur coat.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Large and streamlined, with flippers rather than legs.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Our biggest seal with a stuck-up expression and nostrils that donΓÇÖt meet on a long nose. Size - Male 2.1 m long. Female 1.8 m long.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Basks on rocky shores and sandbanks. Seals are usually active during the day.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Fish]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="33">Common seal</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""/>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[We have more grey seals than any other country. About four in every ten grey seals breed around our coasts.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG=""></POO>
<PAWS IMG=""></PAWS>
<HOME IMG=""></HOME>
<HAIR IMG=""></HAIR>
<FOOD IMG=""></FOOD>
<SOUNDS IMG="Grey_seal_1020350">A mixture of pleasant wailing and snoring sounds from the adults and feeble bleating from the pups. If you are close, whistle to them and they may sing back.</SOUNDS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[These stocky animals run surprisingly fast when startled, raising their little white tails up behind them.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Medium to large vegetarian animals with long thin legs.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Dark brown and the size of a Labrador dog, but rounder body and with much thinner legs. Dark stripes on the face and white underside to the tail. Small antlers. Size - Male 48 cm high at shoulder. Female slightly smaller.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Woods and bushy areas. Muntjac deer can be seen during the day and at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Eats juicy parts of plants, brambles, ivy, heather, bilberry and tree shoots.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="36">Red deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="37">Sika deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="38">Fallow deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="39">Roe deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="40">Chinese water deer</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""/>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Muntjacs escaped from stately homes into the wild in the 1920s and have spread rapidly since.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG=""></POO>
<PAWS IMG="muntjac_deer">Very small, with the inner part of the hoof slightly larger than the outer.</PAWS>
<HOME IMG=""></HOME>
<HAIR IMG=""></HAIR>
<FOOD IMG=""></FOOD>
<SOUNDS IMG="muntjac_deer">Gruff repeated barking from inside a wood</SOUNDS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[The UKΓÇÖs largest land mammal ΓÇô a stag weighs more than twice as much as a fully-grown man.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Medium to large vegetarian animals with long thin legs.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Our only large, unspotted deer. Reddish brown. Stags may have impressive pointed antlers. Size - Male 120 cm high at shoulder. Female slightly smaller.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Open moors and heaths. Red deer are usually active at dawn and dusk.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Grasses, sedges and rushes in summer. Heather and bilberry in winter.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="35">Muntjac deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="37">Sika deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="38">Fallow deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="39">Roe deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="40">Chinese water deer</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""/>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Those antlers arenΓÇÖt just for show ΓÇô red deer stags use them to fight each other in the autumn to take control of a group of females, called hinds. This noisy, boisterous time is called the rut.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG="red_deer_stag_Chris_Shields">Black or brown and acorn shaped. About 2.5 cm long.</POO>
<PAWS IMG="red_deer_stag_Chris_Shields">Large and rounded, with the two parts of the hoof splaying outwards slightly.</PAWS>
<HOME IMG=""></HOME>
<HAIR IMG=""></HAIR>
<FOOD IMG=""></FOOD>
<SOUNDS IMG="red_deer_stag_Chris_Shields">Deep, gruff barks in the autumn ΓÇô stag deer rutting ΓÇô fighting over females.</SOUNDS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[This spotted deer was originally brought to this country from eastern Asia.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Medium to large vegetarian animals with long thin legs.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Medium-sized deer with frowning expression. White spotted in summer, but darker in winter. Tail area is white, but half crossed by a dark tail. Size - Male 80 cm high at shoulder. Female slightly smaller.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Open moors and heaths. Sika deer are usually active at dawn and dusk.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Grasses, shrubs such as heather, conifer tree shoots and bark.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="35">Muntjac deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="36">Red deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="38">Fallow deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="39">Roe deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="40">Chinese water deer</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""/>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Sika deer were brought over from Japan in 1860 and seem to like it here. The largest number of them in the UK is on RSPB Arne nature reserve.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG="Sika_deer_chris_shields">Black, like groups of currants.</POO>
<PAWS IMG=""></PAWS>
<HOME IMG=""></HOME>
<HAIR IMG=""></HAIR>
<FOOD IMG=""></FOOD>
<SOUNDS IMG="Sika_deer_chris_shields">A long descending wail that almost sounds like whale song. There are few stranger sounds in our countryside.</SOUNDS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[YouΓÇÖre most likely to see this huge-antlered deer in the grounds of a stately home.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Medium to large vegetarian animals with long thin legs.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Quite large, with flattened antlers and usually spotty coat. Tail longer and more flicked than sikaΓÇÖs. Size - Male 95 cm high at shoulder. Female slightly smaller.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Forests, woods and stately home parks. Fallow deer are usually active at dawn and dusk.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Grass. Some trees and shrubs in winter.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="35">Muntjac deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="36">Red deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="37">Sika deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="39">Roe deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="40">Chinese water deer</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""/>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[All our fallow deer are descended from animals brought here during Norman times about 900 years ago.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG="Fallow_deer_Chris_Shields">Black, shiny, cylindrical and about 1 cm long. Droppings from males have a pointed end, but those from females are rounded.</POO>
<PAWS IMG="Fallow_deer_Chris_Shields">Smaller and more pointed at the front than red deer.</PAWS>
<HOME IMG=""></HOME>
<HAIR IMG=""></HAIR>
<FOOD IMG=""></FOOD>
<SOUNDS IMG="Fallow_deer_Chris_Shields">A gruff burping bark, heard mainly in the autumn.</SOUNDS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[Our smallest native deer is also one of the shyest.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Medium to large vegetarian animals with long thin legs.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[About the size of a large dog, and standing more upright than muntjac. Much smaller than red deer and usually seen on its own or in pairs, rather than in groups.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Forests and woods. Roe deer are usually active at dawn and dusk.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Browses on ivy, brambles, heather, young trees, grasses.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="35">Muntjac deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="36">Red deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="37">Sika deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="38">Fallow deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="40">Chinese water deer</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""/>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Roe deer are the only one of our deer that grows its antlers in the winter. Size - 64 cm high at shoulder. Female slightly smaller.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG=""></POO>
<PAWS IMG="roe_deer_Chris_Shields">Small and easily mistaken for sheep tracks.</PAWS>
<HOME IMG=""></HOME>
<HAIR IMG=""></HAIR>
<FOOD IMG=""></FOOD>
<SOUNDS IMG="roe_deer_Chris_Shields">A single bark, repeated every six seconds or so is likely to be a roe deer.</SOUNDS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[A face like a teddy bearΓÇÖs, teeth like a vampireΓÇÖs!]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Medium to large vegetarian animals with long thin legs.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Small, ginger-coloured deer with big ears and tusks instead of antlers. Size - Male 60 cm high at shoulder. Female slightly smaller.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Emerges from reeds and bushes at dusk to feed in open fields. Chinese water deer are usually active at dawn and dusk.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Grasses and other plants.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="35">Muntjac deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="36">Red deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="37">Sika deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="38">Fallow deer</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="39">Roe deer</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""/>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Male Chinese water deer start fighting by slapping one anotherΓÇÖs ears with their necks, but if it gets serious they bring their tusks into play.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<STATUS>May be 175,000 in the whole North Atlantic Ocean.</STATUS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[This is a small whale ΓÇô but it is still the size of a school bus!]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Marine mammals that breathe through a blow hole on top of their head.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Slim head (for a whale!). Dark on top and white underneath, with a large white band on the upper side of their flippers. Size - 8.5 m long.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Open sea. Swims close to shore where water is deep. Whales can be seen during the day and at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Microscopic sea creatures (plankton), tiny fish and squid.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="">Fin whale</MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Despite seeming to be exotic, minke whales are as much a part of the UK wildlife as barn owls. There may be about as many of each, but itΓÇÖs hard to tell.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<STATUS>May be 350,000 in the whole of the North Sea.</STATUS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[Our tiniest whale is only as long as an adult human.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Porpoises are small marine mammals with rounded heads.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[The harbour porpoise is dark all over with a triangular fin. Only its fin and back break the water as it swims. They donΓÇÖt jump out like dolphins. Size - 1.8 m long.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Close to shore all around the coast. Common porpoises can be seen during the day and at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Herring and mackerel as well as flatfish and crabs from the seabed.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="44">Common dolphin</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="43">Bottlenose dolphin</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="">RissoΓÇÖs dolphin</MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Porpoises usually live in small groups of up to 10 animals, but these schools sometimes come together in groups of hundreds, perhaps to feed on big shoals of fish.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[This acrobatic dolphin sometimes leaps fully out of the water.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Fast-swimming predators with obvious beak-like mouths.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Strong-looking, with short beak. Grey, with a sickle-shaped fin halfway down its back. Often approaches boats. Size - 3.6 m long.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[South and west coasts, especially in summer. Dolphins can be seen during the day and at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Large fish such as cod and salmon, squid.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="44">Common dolphin</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="42">Common porpoise</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="">RissoΓÇÖs dolphin</MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[This is the species most likely to be trained to perform tricks in zoos.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<STATUS>Estimate of 63,000 in the whole of the North Atlantic Ocean.</STATUS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[These dolphins often swim in groups, regularly leaping out of the water.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Fast-swimming predators with obvious beak-like mouths.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Small, fast-swimming dolphin that often leaps from the water to reveal yellow and grey pattern along its sides. Often approaches boats. Size - 2.3 m long.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[South and west coasts, especially in summer. Dolphins can be seen during the day and at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Fish and squid.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="43">Bottlenose dolphin</MAMMAL>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="42">Common porpoise</MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="">RissoΓÇÖs dolphin</MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Lone dolphins often ride the bow wave of small boats and may even approach swimmers, apparently for company.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
<TRACKS>
<POO IMG=""></POO>
<PAWS IMG=""></PAWS>
<HOME IMG=""></HOME>
<HAIR IMG=""></HAIR>
<FOOD IMG=""></FOOD>
<SOUNDS IMG="Common_dolphin_00053875">The loud clicks, purrs and squeaks are used to communicate with one another, and to locate and stun fish.</SOUNDS>
<STATUS>May be about 6,500 in the whole of the North Atlantic Ocean.</STATUS>
<INTRODUCTION><![CDATA[Armed with rows of long, sharp teeth, this huge animal lives up to its name.]]></INTRODUCTION>
<FAMILY>Fast-swimming predators with obvious beak-like mouths.</FAMILY>
<ID_TIPS><![CDATA[Large triangular fin on the back and the black-and-white patterning make them distinctive. Size - Male 9 m long. Female 4.5 m long.]]></ID_TIPS>
<WHERE_AND_WHEN><![CDATA[Seen in deep water off the coast. Whales can be seen during the day and at night.]]></WHERE_AND_WHEN>
<WHAT_IT_EATS><![CDATA[Porpoises, other whales, fish, seals and seabirds.]]></WHAT_IT_EATS>
<EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<TEXT />
<LINKS>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID=""></MAMMAL>
</LINKS>
</EASILY_CONFUSED_WITH>
<OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<MAMMAL LINK_ID="">Pilot whale</MAMMAL>
</OTHER_POSSIBILITIES>
<DID_YOU_KNOW><![CDATA[Although itΓÇÖs called a whale, the killer whale is actually a big dolphin.]]></DID_YOU_KNOW>
