How much do you really know about your UK mammals?

The Mammal Society announces National Mammal Week 2016

Mammals are some of our most charismatic and well known animals in the UK, yet they are also some of our most under recorded species. Many of our mammals are unique, for example our Scottish wildcat and grey seal, both of which are rarer than African elephants and found almost nowhere else in the world.

The Mammal Society’s National Mammal Week is from the 22^nd-30^th October 2016.  It aims to celebrate our UK mammals and encourage mammal conservation.

There are many ways to get involved with National Mammal Week:

1. When did you last see a hedgehog? Let us know by completing our Hedgehog-watch Survey. Hedgehogs are one of our most appealing mammals, but are unfortunately probably in decline. Knowing where and when the public have seen hedgehogs, dead or alive, and where they are never seen at all, will let the Mammal Society track where hedgehogs are doing well or badly, and focus future conservation efforts.
2. Go to a local mammal group event. Across the country, there will be events to help the public (including children during half-term) to learn more about mammals. Activities include getting close up and personal with small mammals, making your own bat box, learning how to spot deer in rut, and finding out how to make your garden better for hedgehogs.
3. Record mammals from home. The Mammal Society’s free Mammal Tracker App allows mammals to be recorded easily and conveniently from smartphones. Why not set a challenge of how many mammals you can record during National Mammal Week? Visit brc.ac.uk/mammal_tracker to see your place on the recording leader board.
4. Enter the Amateur Mammal Photographer of the Year Competition. Wildlife presenter and cameraman Simon King will be judging the entries and presenting amazing prizes including a 2-day wildlife holiday.
5. Vote in the UK’s Favourite Mammal Poll. Pine martens, water voles or foxes are all among the shortlist of species to vote for in this poll organised with our partners at the Royal Society of Biology and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species.
6. Discover more about our mammals. Learn more about our mammals on the Mammal Society website. Each species has a downloadable factsheet of facts. Did you know that water shrews are our only venomous mammal?

Visit www.mammal.org.uk/national-mammal-week for more ways to get involved in National Mammal Week and learn about our UK mammals, or follow the Mammal Society on Facebook or Twitter and use the hashtags #nationalmammals or #mammalweek.