There are 101 species of mammal found in the UK. Lacking a coast Bedfordshire does not feature anywhere near this number of species (although a Grey Seal did once make it this far).  We do however have a number of species that occur on the county list that are not normally found in the UK but these tend to be one-off or occasional escapes.

 

Around 42 species are recorded from the county in any given year, the most common species found are listed here but a number of escapees have been recorded from the county in recent years. 

​

To learn more about the species click on the name to open a Mammal Society fact page.

​

Artiodactyla (even toed ungulates)

• Chinese Water Deer - Hydropotes inermis (I)

• Fallow Deer - Dama dama (N)

• Red Deer - Cervus elaphus (N)

• Roe Deer - Capreolus capreolus (N)

• Reeves' Muntjac - Muntiacus reevesi (I)

• Sika - Cervus nippon (I)

​

Carnivora (Carnivores)​​

• American Mink - Neovison vison (I)

•  Badger - Meles meles (N) 

• Feral Cat (Felis catus) (F)

• ​Feral Ferret (Mustela furo) (F)

•  Fox - Vulpes vulpes (N) 

•  Otter - Lutra lutra (N) 

•  Polecat - Mustela putorius (N) 

• Stoat - Mustela erminea (N)

• Weasel - Mustela nivalis (N)​

 

Chiroptera (Bats)

• Barbastelle - Barbastella barbastellus (N)

•  Brandt's - Myotis brandti (N) 

• Brown Long-eared - Plecotus auritus (N)

• Common Pipistrelle - Pipistrellus pipistrellus (N)

• Daubenton's - Myotis daubentonii (N)

• Leisler's - Nyctalus leisleri (N)

• Nathusius' Pipistrelle - Pipistrellus nathusii (N) 

• Natterer's - Myotis nattereri (N)

• Noctule - Nyctalus nocula (N)

• Serotine - Eptesicus serotinus (N)

• Soprano Pipistrelle - Pipistrellus pygmaeus (N)

• Whiskered - Myotis mystacinus (N)

 

Eulipotyphla (Shrews, Moles and Hedgehogs)

•  Common Shrew - Sorex araneus (N) 

•  Eurasian Hedgehog- Erinaceus europaeus (N) 

•  European Mole- Talpa europaea (N) 

• Pygmy Shrew - Sorex minutus (N)

• Water Shrew - Neomys fodiens (N)

 

Lagomorpha (Rabbits and hares)

• Brown Hare - Lepus europaeus (I)

•  Rabbit - Oryctolagus cuniculus (I) 

​

Marsupial

• Red-necked Wallaby - Macropus rufogriseus (I)

 

Pinnipedia (Seals)

• Grey Seal - Halichoerus grypus (N)

​

Rodentia (Rodents)

• Bank Vole - Myodes glareolus (N)

•  Brown/Common Rat - Rattus norvegicus (I) 

• Edible/Fat  Dormouse - Glis glis (I)

• Grey Squirrel - Sciurus carolinensis (I)

• Harvest Mouse - Micromys minutus (N)

• Hazel Dormouse - Muscardinus avellanarius (N)

• House Mouse - Mus musculus (N)

• Field Vole/ Short-tailed Vole - Microtus agrestis (N)

• Water Vole - Arvicola amphibious (N)

•  Wood Mouse/ Field Mouse - Apodemus sylvaticus (N) 

•  Yellow-necked Mouse - Apodemus flavicollis (N)