MAMMALS

The mammals are one of the most familiar groups of species to us (given that we belong in here ourselves if nothing else), but are probably one of the more frustrating groups to observe in the wild outside of a small number of high visibility species like rabbits and squirrels.  They have adapted well to various environments including the ocean and the skies and is the only class to contained both entirely aquatic species and species capable of true flight.

RODENTIA - The Rodents (c. 1500 species)
The rodents are a widespread and diverse group that ranges in size from some of the smallest terrestrial mammals to the dog-sized capybara of South America and make up the largest group within the mammals.  The species found in the UK are mostly on the smaller end of the spectrum, and difficult for more than fleeting views.

Alpine Marmot (Marmota marmota)
Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus)
Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)
Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
Hazel Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius)
Himalayan Striped Squirrel (Tamiops mcclellandii)
Yellow-necked Mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) 

LAGOMORPHS - The Rabbits, Hares and Pikas (109 species)
Often mistaken for rodents, the lagomorphs includes rabbits and hares as well as the pikas.  There are a number of differences between the two groups - the lagomorphs are strictly herbivores compared to the omnivorous rodents, and have some major differences in the set up of their teeth.  There are three species found in the UK, of which the European Rabbit is one of the most easily seen of all mammals.

Brush Rabbit (Sylilagus bachmani)
European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
Iberian Hare (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

SCANDENTIA - The Treeshrews (20 species)
The Treeshrews are not related to true shrews but in fact are their own small order of species unique to South-East Asia.  They are a mixture of terrestrial and arboreal species which are largely diurnal.  They are notable for having the highest brain to body ratio of any mammal, even than humans, and at one point in the past they were categorised with the primates due to similarities in their brain anatomy, although are now considered their own order more closely related to lagomorphs and rodents.

Common Treeshrew (Tupia glis) 

CHIROPTERA - The Bats (c. 1200 species)
Though generally though of as something of a strange outlier to the mammals, in reality themake up about 20% of all mammals.  They are far easier to see than to identify or photograph given the lighting they are usually seen in and their small size, and I may well have seen many more species than are listed here, but it's impossible to tell without specialist equipment.

Common Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)
Daubenton's Bat (Myotis daubentonii)
Lyle's Flying Fox (Pteropus lylei)
Theobald's Tomb Bat (Taphozous theobaldi)

CARNIVORA - The Carnivorans (c. 280 species)
Carnivora contains some of the most iconic species on the planet - the big cats, bears and wolves; the great mammal predators that have such ties to the human psyche.  In Britain however, after the extinction of brown bear and the grey wolf our remaining species are a little less fear evoking - the largest being two species of seal, one dog in the form of the red fox, one cat in the form of the wildcat and seven mustelids - the weasel family.

California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)
Common Seal (Phoca vitulina)
European Badger (Meles meles)
Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus)
Least Weasel (Mustela nivalis)

SORICOMORPHA - Shrews, Moles and Allies (c. 350 species)
This order contains a selection of small insectivorous mammals, the very largest of which is only 32cm long - they are generally characterized by long faces with sharp teeth, and in the UK are represented by three species of shrew and the European Mole.  Unfortunately, due to their secretive habits, all the species in this order are more usually seen dead than alive in the UK.

Asian House Shrew (Suncus murinus)
Common Shrew (Sorex aeaneus)
Eurasian Pygmy Shrew (Sorex minutus)
Eurasian Water Shrew (Neomys fodiens)
European Mole (Talpa europaea)

ERINCEOMORPHA - The Hedgehogs and Moonrats (43 species)
Though decreasing in the UK, the hedgehog is probably one of the most iconic British species with it's spines making it unmistakable.  The moonrats lack spines and are a bit more rat like in appearance and live in Asia.  

European Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus)

PRIMATES - The Primates (633 species)
The order to which we belong and most famously contains monkeys and apes, is actually a bit more varied than than, also containing lemurs, tarsiers and other species.  With a few exceptions such as humanity itself, as well as certain macaques, this order tends to favour hotter and more southerly locations, and as such their range is more focused on South and East Asia, Africa and Central and South America.

Human (Homo Sapiens) (N/A for page)
Japanese Macaque (Macaca fuscata)
Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis)

Contains most of the large grazing animals of the world including deer, antelope, camels, goats, sheep, antelope, giraffe and hippopotamus.  They are primarily represented by deer in the UK, with other species including Wild Boar and feral populations from domestic species.

Alpine Ibex (Capra Ibex)
Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra)
CETACEA - Whales and Dolphins (88 species)
The only order of mammals that lives their entire life in water and contains the largest animals on the planet - the great whales, and amoung them, the blue whale - the largest animal that has ever existed. As an island nation, a fairly wide range of cetacea can be seen around the UK, but generally are fairly difficult to see in most cases.

Beluga Whale (Delpinapterus leucas)
Short-Beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis)
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