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  • Harvest Mouse - Micromys minutus - skull and jaw bone
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  • Ballan Wrasse teeth - Labrus bergylta known as Ballan cross. Flattened teeth on pharyngeal bones in the throat. Worn as a lucky talisman by sailors.
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  • Common Seal Phoca vitulina Length 1.2-1.9m Has a ‘friendly’-looking face. Hauled-out seals are easy to observe. Adult is greyish brown but variably mottled with darker spots. Underside is paler than upperside. Dry coat looks shiny if coated in sand. Bridge of nose has concave outline (convex in Grey Seal) and muzzle is blunt, creating a dog-like appearance. Seen from front, nostrils are close together at base and splayed in V-shaped fashion (separated from, and more parallel to, one another in Grey Seal). Front flippers have claws and powerful hind flippers effect propulsion when swimming. Males are larger and heavier than females. Pup is born with marbled grey-brown coat. Widespread on E coast of England and around Scotland and Ireland generally.
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  • Minke Whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata Length 8-10m (Pronounced Minky). Smallest baleen whale but still large and impressive. Tail is not revealed when animal dives. Feeds on shoaling fish. Adult is streamlined with narrow, pointed snout. Upperparts are dark grey; underparts are whitish and broad bands of paler colouration extend up flanks and sometimes visible on animals at surface. Curved dorsal fin is set far back on body. Single ridge runs from nostrils to tip of rostrum. Has diagnostic, broad white spot or band on upper surface of flipper; easily seen in swimming animals.
    128720.jpg
  • Harbour Porpoise Phocoena phocoena Length 1.4-1.9m Our smallest cetacean. Lives in groups of 3-15 animals. Playful at surface. Adult has stout, streamlined body, blunt head and no beak. Flippers are small and oval and dorsal fin is triangular with concave trailing edge. Tailstock is thick and tail fin is broad. Upperparts are mainly dark grey while underparts are whitish. Has bluish grey patch on flanks, roughly between eye and start of dorsal fin.
    128121 (2).jpg
  • Weasel Mustela nivalis Length 25-40cm Active predator of voles and mice. Has a long, sinuous body and recalls a tiny Stoat except for shorter tail of uniform colour, not black-tipped. Adult has orange-brown upperparts and sides, and white underparts, including throat; note the clear demarcation between the two colours. Male is larger than female. Utters high-pitched hisses in alarm. Widespread and fairly common in a range of habitats including woods, hedgerows and scrub; absent from most islands and Ireland.
    128226.jpg
  • Bank Vole Clethrionomys glareolus Length 13-17cm Plump, richly coloured vole. Makes underground nest and radiating shallow tunnel network; forages for seeds and fruits above ground. Adult has compact body and mainly reddish brown fur, paler and greyer on chest and belly. Relative to Field Vole, has large ears and long tail. Island ssp. are larger and heavier than mainland animals. Squeaks if alarmed. Common in deciduous woodland, hedgerows and field margins.
    140867.jpg
  • Grey Squirrel - Sciurus carolinensis - Skull showing deformity in incisors. Length 45-55cm Abundant rodent. Introduced to Britain, now the most familiar squirrel. Diet is omnivorous and renowned for its cunning in exploiting food sources. Adult has plump but elongated body and long bushy tail. Rounded ears lack ear tufts. Coat is mainly grizzled grey with whitish chest and belly. Some individuals are variably tinged with brown in summer. Utters teeth-smacking ‘tchack’ when alarmed. Native to North America, introduced here in 1876. Now widespread and common, its adaptability allowing it to thrive in woods, parks and gardens.
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  • Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus Length 40-55cm Familiar, long-eared social burrowing mammal. Lives in tunnel complexes called warrens. Mainly nocturnal or crepuscular; diet is vegetarian. Adult has mainly greyish brown fur with rufous nape and pale greyish underparts. Long ears have rounded, brown tips and tail is dark above and white below. Legs are long but relatively shorter than those of Brown Hare. squeals loudly in alarm. Introduced to Britain but now widespread and common in grassland, scrub and on roadside verges.
    128105.jpg
  • Bottle-nosed Dolphin Tursiops truncatus Length 2.5-4m Bulky, muscular dolphin. Social, found in schools of 3-4 animals. Diet includes fish, crabs and shrimps. Playful at the surface. Adult is greyish-brown overall, darkest above and palest on throat and belly; mid-grey band is sometimes seen on flanks. Beak is rather short and blunt (fancifully bottle-like) with lower jaw extending beyond upper one. Flippers are rather long and pointed and dorsal fin is tall, curved backwards and almost shark-like.
    128123.jpg
  • Cattle Bos primigenius Shoulder height 1-1.5m Male (bull) is larger and stockier than female (cow). In many breeds, both sexes have horns; those of male are usually larger than female’s. Juvenile (calf) resembles a small, hornless adult with cleaner coat. Bulls bellow. Breeds of dairy Cattle include Friesian, Guernsey, Jersey and Dairy Shorthorn. Breeds of beef cattle include Aberdeen Angus, Highland, Devon, Sussex, Hereford and Beef Shorthorn. Dual-purpose breeds include Belted Galloway and Red Devon.
    128125.jpg
  • Horse skull - Equus ferus caballus
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  • Stoat Mustela erminea Length 25-40cm Active predator with a long, sinuous body. Catches mainly rodents and Rabbits. Male is larger than female. Adult has summer coat comprising orange-brown upperparts and white underparts; tail is black-tipped. In winter, some animals in N acquire white ‘ermine’ coat; tip of tail remains black. Utters high-pitched calls in alarm. Widespread but seldom common; still widely persecuted. In Ireland, sometimes confusingly referred to as a weasel. Favoured habitats include farmland, woodlands, marshes and moors.
    128253.jpg
  • Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis Length 45-55cm Abundant rodent. Introduced to Britain, now the most familiar squirrel. Diet is omnivorous and renowned for its cunning in exploiting food sources. Adult has plump but elongated body and long bushy tail. Rounded ears lack ear tufts. Coat is mainly grizzled grey with whitish chest and belly. Some individuals are variably tinged with brown in summer. Utters teeth-smacking ‘tchack’ when alarmed. Native to North America, introduced here in 1876. Now widespread and common, its adaptability allowing it to thrive in woods, parks and gardens.
    128447.jpg
  • Lesser White-toothed Shrew Crocidura suaveolens Length 8-12cm In British context, restricted to the Isles of Scilly, and Jersey and Sark in the Channel Islands; it has grey-brown fur and white-tipped teeth. Often forages on seashore on Isles of Scilly.
    128684.jpg
  • Bat Wing
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  • Greater Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum Wingspan 30-35cm Large bat with bizarre facial appearance. Adult has soft greyish brown fur, palest below and rusty brown on back. Nostrils are surrounded by horseshoe-shaped fleshy structure that is concerned with echolocation. Ears are greyish brown and wings are darker greyish brown. Squeaks sometimes heard at roosts. Echolocates in 80-83khz range. Rare, mainly in SW. Roosts in cellars and roofs in summer, hibernates in caves, mines and cellars. Hunts beetles and large moths over meadows and in woodland clearings. Emerges from roost 1hr after sunset.
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  • Pygmy Shrew Sorex minutus Length 7-10cm Our smallest land mammal. Active throughout the 24hr period. Hunts invertebrates mainly at ground level, but also climbs well and sometimes found in bird boxes. Adult has dense fur; dark brown on upperparts and flanks, contrastingly pale greyish on underparts. Note the pointed, whiskered snout, and small, beady eyes; ears partly hidden by fur. Tail is long relative to body length. Utters high-pitched squeaks. Widespread and common in woodland margins, hedgerows, meadows and moors.
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  • Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus Length 2.2-3.2m Bulky seal with proportionately large head. Inquisitive in water. Hauls out for long periods. Adult is greyish overall with dark blotchy spots; fewer, larger spots than on Common Seal. Males are larger and darker than females. In profile, looks ‘Roman nosed’: bridge of nose is convex, more pronounced in males than females. From the front, nostrils are distinctly separated and more or less parallel to one another, not V-shaped. Fore flippers have sharp claws and hind flippers propel the animal through water. Pup is born with white fur; moulted after a few weeks.Voice Utters low, moaning calls. Often found on rocky shores and tolerates rough seas heavy waves. Widespread on west coast of Britain and locally in North Sea.
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  • Brown Hare Lepus europaeus Length 50-75cm Rabbit-like mammal but with longer legs and ears. A fast runner; does not burrow. Performs ‘boxing’ displays while courting. Adult has brown coat grizzled with grey and black, especially on back. Coat is thicker, darker and redder in winter than summer. Ears are black-tipped; tail is dark above with pale fringe, and whitish below. Has ‘wild’ looking eyes located high on sides of head. Mostly silent. Has declined due to farming practises and persecution but still locally common on farmland and grassland.
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  • Dog Skull - Canis lupus familiaris
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  • Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus Shoulder height 65-70cm Territorial and mostly solitary deer. Adult has white on muzzle, and black nose and ‘moustache’. Coat is reddish brown in summer, greyish-brown in winter coat. Male (buck) has short, branch-like antlers from spring to early winter; size and complexity increases with age. Note oval, whitish mark on rump. Female (doe) is less stocky than male and lacks antlers; whitish rump marking is like an inverted heart. Fawn is reddish brown with white spots. Utters barking call in alarm. Native to Britain. Widespread in Scotland and locally common in England. Favours wooded farmland.
    144386.jpg
  • Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus Shoulder height 65-70cm Territorial and mostly solitary deer. Adult has white on muzzle, and black nose and ‘moustache’. Coat is reddish brown in summer, greyish-brown in winter coat. Male (buck) has short, branch-like antlers from spring to early winter; size and complexity increases with age. Note oval, whitish mark on rump. Female (doe) is less stocky than male and lacks antlers; whitish rump marking is like an inverted heart. Fawn is reddish brown with white spots. Utters barking call in alarm. Native to Britain. Widespread in Scotland and locally common in England. Favours wooded farmland.
    144387.jpg
  • Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus Length 16-20m Huge, distinctive whale with large, bulbous head. Tail is raised clear of water prior to deep dive. Dives to 2,000m or more in search of giant squid and sharks. Females live in social groups. Adult is blackish grey with whitish scars from fights and violent encounters with prey. Head accounts for roughly 1/3 of body length and mass. Lower jaw is slender and armed with sharp teeth. Dorsal fin is absent but note dorsal ‘hump’ and series of knobbly lumps. Flippers are small while tail is large. Has a single blowhole (baleen whales have 2); sited at front of head and angled slightly forward and to left.
    144399.jpg
  • Short-tailed Vole (Field Vole) Microtus agrestis Length 11-16cm Locally abundant grassland rodent. Makes network of concealed surface runways and tunnels just below surface of soil, or through compacted roots of grasses. Diet comprises mainly grass roots. Adult has plump body and a relatively shorter tail and smaller ears than Bank Vole. Coat colour is mainly grey brown, palest on chest and belly. Utters shrill squeaks in alarm. Common in grassy habitats ranging from lowland meadows to upland moors. Widespread but absent from Ireland and most islands.
    144398.jpg
  • Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus Length 16-20m Huge, distinctive whale with large, bulbous head. Tail is raised clear of water prior to deep dive. Dives to 2,000m or more in search of giant squid and sharks. Females live in social groups. Adult is blackish grey with whitish scars from fights and violent encounters with prey. Head accounts for roughly 1/3 of body length and mass. Lower jaw is slender and armed with sharp teeth. Dorsal fin is absent but note dorsal ‘hump’ and series of knobbly lumps. Flippers are small while tail is large. Has a single blowhole (baleen whales have 2); sited at front of head and angled slightly forward and to left.
    144400.jpg
  • Fox Vulpes vulpes Length 95-130cm Adaptable dog-like carnivore but with a catholic diet including fruits and berries. Mainly nocturnal; daytime shelter is called an earth. Adult has thick, mainly orange-brown coat with whitish jaws and underparts are white and white tip to tail. Feet and backs of ears are blackish. Yelping scream is uttered mainly by females for brief period in winter, to mark breeding season. Common, widespread and adaptable, found in towns and cities as well as countryside.
    128083.jpg
  • Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus Length 23-27cm Mainly nocturnal animal, protected by spines (modified hairs). Feeds mainly on invertebrates but will take food put out by people. Hibernates from Oct-Apr. Spines are erectile and an effective deterrent when animal rolls into a defensive ball. Head and underparts are covered in coarse hairs. Muzzle-shaped head ends in a sensitive nose. Utters a pig-like squeal in distress, and grunts when courting. Familiar garden resident.
    128118.jpg
  • Harbour Porpoise Phocoena phocoena Length 1.4-1.9m Our smallest cetacean. Lives in groups of 3-15 animals. Playful at surface. Adult has stout, streamlined body, blunt head and no beak. Flippers are small and oval and dorsal fin is triangular with concave trailing edge. Tailstock is thick and tail fin is broad. Upperparts are mainly dark grey while underparts are whitish. Has bluish grey patch on flanks, roughly between eye and start of dorsal fin.
    128121.jpg
  • Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus Length 2.2-3.2m Bulky seal with proportionately large head. Inquisitive in water. Hauls out for long periods. Adult is greyish overall with dark blotchy spots; fewer, larger spots than on Common Seal. Males are larger and darker than females. In profile, looks ‘Roman nosed’: bridge of nose is convex, more pronounced in males than females. From the front, nostrils are distinctly separated and more or less parallel to one another, not V-shaped. Fore flippers have sharp claws and hind flippers propel the animal through water. Pup is born with white fur; moulted after a few weeks.Voice Utters low, moaning calls. Often found on rocky shores and tolerates rough seas heavy waves. Widespread on west coast of Britain and locally in North Sea.
    128122.jpg
  • Badger Meles meles Length 65-80cm Distinctive nocturnal mammal. Daytime spent in tunnel complex (a sett). Omnivorous and opportunistic feeders. Facial markings are unmistakable and iconic. Adult has coarse fur, greyish on back and flanks, and blackish on underside and legs. Head is elongated into a snout marked with longitudinal black and white stripes. Legs are short, and blunt tail has a white tip. Mostly silent. Locally common where farmland, meadows and woods occur side by side; also occurs on fringes of suburbia.
    128084.jpg
  • Mole Talpa europaea Length 14-18cm Burrowing, tunnel-dwelling mammal. Cylindrical body is covered in black fur. Feeds mainly on earthworms. Presence detected above ground by ‘molehills’ (spoil heaps of excavated soil). Adult has velvety fur and spade-like front feet, armed with sharp claws, and used for digging. Eyes are tiny and external ears are absent. Head is elongated into a sensitive snout. Mostly silent. Common in meadows and woods with well-drained, invertebrate-rich soil. Beneficial as a soil aerator.
    128085.jpg
  • Common Shrew Sorex araneus Length 9-14cm Lives mainly in ground cover or underground, and hence easily overlooked. Leads a frenetic life, its search for invertebrate food seemingly never ending. Adult has velvety fur, dark brown above, with buffish flanks grading to greyish white on underparts. Head extends to a pointed, whiskered snout. Eyes are tiny and beady eyes and ears are small. Tail is relatively short compared to Pygmy Shrew. Utters high-pitched squeaks and shrill screams. Widespread and common in hedgerows, grassland and woodland margins.
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  • CAT SKULL
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  • Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus Length 30-50cm Familiar rodent with omnivorous diet. Swims and climbs well. Adult recalls an outsized mouse but with a larger, plumper body, shorter ears, shorter legs (but larger feet) and a thicker tail. Fur is coarse and mainly brown, grading to grey on underparts. Tail looks scaly with sparse bristles. Utters agonising screams in distress. First reached in Britain in 1720 as a stowaway on boats. Now widespread and abundant especially in areas where food is discarded.
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  • cuttlefish bone
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  • Common Cuttlefish bones - Sepia officinalis
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