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Badger
Badgers
are our largest land carnivore. They are probably
found throughout most of our area, except for the
major conurbations and the tops of the fells. Oddly,
their population appears to be declining in our area,
against the national trend.
Stoat
& Weasel
Both
these russet-furred species seem to be widespread
throughout our area. The Stoat preys mainly on rabbits.
The smaller Weasel preys mainly on mice and voles.
Members of both species will prey on other small animals,
which can bring them into conflict with game-keepers
and free-range poultry farmers. Stoats have black
tips to their tail and upland populations will occasionally
turn white in the winter, when they are known as "ermine".
Weasels have no black tip to their tail and never
turn white.
Otter
This
aquatic carnivore used to be widespread throughout
our area, but declined in the middle of the 20th century
to the point where the only population was at Leighton
Moss. The cause is thought to have been a combination
of pesticide pollution, habitat loss through 'channelisation'
of rivers and persecution. Following legal protection
in 1981 and a series of habitat improvement projects
by The Wildlife Trusts, the Environment Agency and
United Utilities plc they have since recovered somewhat
and are now found on most of the Lune catchment and
much of that of the Ribble (including the Hodder).
There may also be a small population on the Wyre.
A single male otter was run over on a minor road in
the Douglas catchment at Standish, Greater Manchester
some years ago - so the population may be expanding
faster than we realised! However, there have been
no confirmed coastal sightings as yet.
Further
information on Otters can be found here
Pine
Marten
Tantalising
sporadic records suggest that this species, assumed
to be extinct in our area, may just survive!
North
American Mink
This
introduced species escaped into the wild from fur
farms in the 20th century and is now well established.
Its main prey consists of fish, birds and small mammals.
Foxes
The
Red Fox is the only surviving native member of the
Dog Family in our area, wolves having probably become
extinct by the 17th century. It is widespread in our
towns and countryside, and is probably the most abundant
and widespread carnivore in the world.
Admired
by some people for its beauty and reputation for cunning
and welcomed as an agent of rabbit control in rural
areas growing vegetable crops, it is loathed by others
for its depredations on poultry and game, tearing
of bin-bags in a search for food, and late-night yelping
and screaming during the breeding season in late winter
and early spring. The male is knows as a 'dog', the
female as a 'vixen', the young as 'cubs', and a fox's
dwelling as an 'earth' or 'den'. Active earths have
a strong acrid smell and may often be adapted from
rabbit or badger burrows.
Rural
foxes mainly eat rabbits, hares, field voles and berries,
while those in towns will also scavenge from bird
tables and dustbins. Foxes also eat beetles, birds'
eggs, earthworms, and fallen fruit.
A
litter of four to eight cubs is usually born in March.
The newborn cubs weigh about a hundred grams each
and have chocolate-brown fur. They are blind and deaf
and can't walk. The vixen must stay with them to keep
them warm and to suckle, wash and groom them, so the
dog brings food back for her to eat. In late spring
or early summer, a patient and quiet wait concealed
upwind from an active earth might be rewarded with
a view of cubs as they emerge with their mother.
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