Why is mammal recording important?
Mammals are so seriously under recorded that they account for only 0.5% of all biological records in the UK. Whereas animals like butterflies and birds are active by day, mammals are nocturnal and elusive. Sadly this means people are far less familiar with many British mammals and far fewer records are collected.
We cannot protect vulnerable species effectively if we don't know where they occur or how well they are doing. Your mammal records make an important contribution to our knowledge of mammal populations and their dynamics.
What makes up a mammal record?
There four essential pieces of information that are required for a record:
What?
Indicate clearly which species you are recording. Common names can be used but try not to use local names, which may vary. Try to include the scientific (Linnaean) name if possible. e.g. Wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus. If you would like to improve your identification skills, The Mammal Society runs a range of training workshops all over the British Isles to help you brush up.
Where?
Please provide an accurate 4 or 6 figure grid reference to pinpoint the exact location of the species. For a sighting of mobile species, such as a hare or fox, a 4-figure reference is sufficient, e.g. AB 12 34. For a bat roost or badger sett, a 6-figure reference is needed, e.g. AB 123 456 . The Ordnance Survey has an excellent interactive guide on how to use the National Grid Reference system.
When?
You will need to give the date when you made the record and the time of day you saw the animal, so that we can monitor any changes over time.
Who?
The County Mammal Recorder needs to know who contributed a record in case they want to follow it up. Let them know also If you have been on one of The Mammal Society's Mammal Identification courses.
Where do I send my mammal records?
To your nearest County Mammal Recorder. County Recorders receive, check, validate and collate records, which are then submitted to the local biological records centre. Some counties have already published a local atlas of mammals and others are still collating records. Eventually all regional records will be pooled and used to build up a national atlas of the distribution of British mammals.
If you are a county mammal recorder, we would be pleased to know how you are progressing with collecting records. We would encourage you to contribute to enhancing our knowledge about mammals by posting comments, questions and information on our forum on Facebook. Please identify yourself as a county mammal recorder when contributing so that other recorders will be able identify you and respond accordingly.
