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List of mammals of Great Britain facts for kids

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Great Britain is home to many amazing mammals, but it has fewer types of land mammals compared to mainland Europe. This is because of what happened after the last ice age. A long time ago, Great Britain was connected to Europe by a land bridge. Only animals that crossed this bridge before it was flooded (when the English Channel formed) or those brought by humans live here today.

A "native" species means an animal that has lived in Great Britain for a very long time. This usually means they arrived after the last ice age, about 9,500 years ago, or were here when the English Channel formed around 8,000 years ago. There are no mammal species found only in Great Britain. However, four special types of rodents have developed on smaller islands nearby.

Scientists and conservation groups like Natural England and The Mammal Society keep track of how well mammal populations are doing in Great Britain. They use special categories to show if a species is at risk. Here's what those categories mean:

  • Extinct: This means the species has completely disappeared. There are no more living individuals.
  • Extinct in the wild: These animals only exist in zoos or in places far from their original homes.
  • Critically endangered: This species is in very serious danger of disappearing from the wild soon.
  • Endangered: This species faces a very high risk of disappearing from the wild.
  • Vulnerable: This species is at a high risk of disappearing from the wild.
  • Near threatened: This species isn't currently at high risk, but it might be in the future.
  • Least concern: There are no big worries about this species right now.
  • Data deficient: We don't have enough information to know if this species is at risk.

Pouched Mammals (Diprotodonts)

Order: Diprotodontia

Most pouched mammals, like kangaroos and wallabies, live in Australia. But one type, the red-necked wallaby, has been brought to Great Britain. Some groups of these wallabies now live freely in the wild. You can find them on Inchconnachan island in Loch Lomond, Scotland, and on the Isle of Man. Other groups used to live in places like Devon, but they are thought to be gone now, though people still sometimes spot them.

Family: Macropodidae (kangaroos, wallabies, and similar animals)

Rodents

Order: Rodentia

Rodents are the largest group of mammals, making up about 40% of all mammal species! They are known for their strong front teeth (incisors) that never stop growing. These teeth help them gnaw on food and build homes. Rodents live almost everywhere on Earth.

Family: Castoridae (beavers)

  • Eurasian beaver, Castor fiber (reintroduced)

Family: Cricetidae (hamsters, voles, and similar animals)

Family: Muridae (mice, rats, and similar animals)

Apodemus sylvaticus (Sardinia)
Wood mouse

Family: Gliridae (dormice)

Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)

Hares and Rabbits (Lagomorphs)

Order: Lagomorpha

Mountain Hare Scotland
Mountain hare in Scotland

Lagomorphs include hares, rabbits, and pikas. Even though they might look a bit like rodents, they are a separate group of mammals. One key difference is that lagomorphs have four front teeth in their upper jaw, while rodents only have two.

Family: Leporidae (rabbits and hares)

Insect-Eating Mammals (Eulipotyphlans)

Order: Eulipotyphla

This group includes mammals that mostly eat insects. Hedgehogs are easy to spot with their spiky coats. Shrews look a lot like small mice, while moles are strong burrowers that live underground.

Erinaceus europaeus (Marek Szczepanek)
European hedgehog

Family: Talpidae (moles)

Family: Soricidae (shrews)

Family: Erinaceidae (hedgehogs)

Bats

Order: Chiroptera

Bats are truly unique because they are the only mammals that can fly! Their front limbs have developed into wings. Bats make up about 20% of all mammal species on Earth.

Pipistrellus flight2
Common pipistrelle bat, Britain's most common species

Family: Rhinolophidae (horseshoe bats)

Family: Vespertilionidae (common bats)

Carnivores

Order: Carnivora

Carnivores are mammals that mostly eat meat. There are over 260 different types of carnivores. They have special teeth and skull shapes that help them hunt and eat their prey.

Mäyrä Ähtäri 4
European badger

Family: Canidae (dogs)

Family: Mustelidae (weasels, badgers, and similar animals)

Family: Felidae (cats)

Family: Phocidae (earless seals)

Hoofed Mammals (Even-toed Ungulates)

Order: Artiodactyla

Red deer
Red deer stag and hinds

Even-toed ungulates are hoofed animals that walk on their third and fourth toes. This group includes many animals important to humans, like cattle. Whales and dolphins are also considered part of this group by scientists!

Family: Suidae (pigs)

Family: Cervidae (deer)

Family: Bovidae (cattle, bison, and similar animals)

Whales and Dolphins (Cetaceans)

Order: Cetacea

Delphinus delphis 03-cropped
Short-beaked common dolphin

This order includes all whales, dolphins, and porpoises. They are mammals that have fully adapted to life in the water. They have smooth, nearly hairless bodies with a thick layer of blubber for warmth. Their front limbs and tails have changed to help them swim underwater.

Family: Balaenidae (right whales)

Family: Balaenopteridae (rorquals)

Family: Phocoenidae (porpoises)

Family: Physeteridae (sperm whales)

Family: Kogiidae (pygmy and dwarf sperm whales)

  • Pygmy sperm whale, K. breviceps

Family: Ziphiidae (beaked whales)

  • Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris
  • Northern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus
  • Sowerby's beaked whale, Mesoplodon bidens
  • Gervais' beaked whale, Mesoplodon europaeus
  • True's beaked whale, Mesoplodon mirus

Family: Delphinidae (oceanic dolphins)

Mammals No Longer Found in Great Britain

These mammals used to live in Great Britain but are now "locally extinct," meaning they are gone from this area, even if they still live elsewhere in the world.

See also

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List of mammals of Great Britain Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.