Mammals as a group are poorly recorded in London and their distribution is not well understood, partly because many species are small and largely nocturnal. Information about the status of mammal species in Bexley is limited and widely scattered. In this new paper local wildlife recorder Chris Rose has pulled together all the accessible information to show that Bexley hosts 28 species of wild mammal out of the 101 to be found in the UK, with Crossness being the best single site with 19 (and possibly 21). Two species are found to have gone extinct in the Borough in the 20th century. The Harvest Mouse has a limited toehold in Bexley and Hedgehogs are in decline more widely, but the endangered Water Vole appears to have greatly increased its range on the Borough’s rivers. There is a question mark over whether the Stoat still occurs. It is hoped that this publication will stimulate an interest in filling in more of the gaps in our knowledge of the mammals in our area.
PROVISIONAL CHECKLIST AND ACCOUNT OF THE MAMMALS OF THE LONDON BOROUGH OF BEXLEY
is downloadable here (21 pages with photographs, 4Mb file):
https://app.box.com/shared/static/nrb0tx0s49qr7xp791ihrllvdkjwc278.doc
Fox in a Barnehurst garden (Photo: Chris Rose)
