It’s not very often that we talk about Langford’s mammals and I have to admit to not knowing as much as I should about these fascinating creatures. Therefore, I thought it was time we gave some well deserved attention to the mammalian inhabitants of Langford and showcase some of our more interesting species….
The Langford mammal list currently stands at around 20 species, with a wide diversity from the largest such as roe deer to the smallest including pipistrelle bats and common shrew. Unfortunately, many mammals in the UK are shy and secretive, with nocturnal habits too, however here at Langford you may see a nice selection of species including the obvious roe deer, stoat and weasel and brown hare.
Roe deer, or Capreolus capreolus to be scientific, can be seen anywhere on site, with sightings from the public footpath on the southern boundary of the site, to the visitor trails at the northern end. Adult animals stand at around 70cm shoulder height and the males have small antlers, distinguishing them from the females that do not. They are usually solitary, however small groups can be seen in the winter and females can be seen with young – usually 2-3 calves. We had an interesting sighting a few weeks ago of a roe deer swimming across deep, open water in front of the Beach Hut – the animal landed on the bank and then swam back the other way a couple of hours later.
Stoats, Mustela erminea and weasels, M. nivalis, are small predators and are a true delight to see. The best views you will usually get of these mammals are fleeting glimpses as they run across the path in front of you, however sometimes, if not alarmed they can give prolonged views. Stoats are larger than the closely related weasel and have black tips to their tails, unlike weasels. It is the stoat that famously turns white in winter, although northern animals are more likely to turn completely white than animals down here, I have seen stoats in ermine or partial ermine in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.
Brown hares, or Lepus europaeus, are common at Langford and can be identified by their very long back legs and black tips to the ears. They can breed all year in good winters and so young animals can be seen in all months of the year. The term ‘mad march hares’ is used to describe the ‘boxing' behavior they exhibit in the spring. This is part of courtship and involves both male and female hares.
Bats are common at Langford and although they are nocturnal and not easily seen, it is worth mentioning the species that call Langford their home. Two species of our smallest bat, common (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) and soprano pipistrelle (P. pygmaeus) can be found here. A third species of pipstrelle, Nathusius’ pipistrelle (P. nathusii) is a potential new addition to the site list, further investigation is needed, but some promising sonograms from July suggest it’s presence on site! Also at Langford is Daubenton’s bat, (Myotis daubentonii). Associated with water, this species hawks for insects low over the water’s surface. Noctule bat, Nyctalus noctula, is our largest bat species, whilst brown-long eared bat (Plecotus auritus), lives up to it’s name, with large ears, sometimes obvious if the bat is seen well in flight.