Stoats, Weasels, Martens & Polecats A Natural History of British & Irish Small Mustelids

About this book

*We will have a very limited number of bookplates signed by Jenny for this edition, available while stocks last

Stoats, weasels, martens and polecats belong to the mustelid family, along with badgers and otters, and feral American mink, which are a recent addition to the UK countryside, following escapes and releases from fur farms.

This new volume in the New Naturalist Library focuses on the four ‘small mustelids’, all highly specialised predators, ubiquitous assassins to be marvelled at. There is a family likeness, the rather pointed snout, powerful jaws and sharp fangs and the long sinuous slender body with short legs. These small mustelids have dense fur, which once led to their being hunted nearly to extinction. Some can kill prey larger than themselves, in some cases much larger, and they are uniquely adapted to hunt their rodent prey. They also have extraordinary lives – some in total seclusion, some in large, related groups – now brought into the light by one of the UK’s leading small mustelid experts.

Dr Jenny MacPherson, who managed the Pine Marten Recovery Project for England and Wales, introduces readers to Britain’s small mustelid species in delightfully rich text, covering the animals’ physiology, daily lives and distribution, as well as their significance in UK history and folklore. And she shares her experiences from the forefront of the work to conserve these amazing animals.

Contents

Editor's Preface   vii
Author's Foreword and Acknowledgements   ix

1. Meet the Weasels: An Introduction to the Mustelid Family   1
2. On the Origin of Weasels: Taxonomy and Evolution   15
3. Differences and Similarities, Coexistence and Competition   27
4. From a Richness of Martens to a Paucity of Predators: A History of Exploitation and Persecution   47
5. Polecats and Pine Martens: The Bumpy Road to Recovery   79
6. Pine Marten Reintroductions to Wales and Beyond   103
7. Where Weasels Aren't Wanted: Small Mustelids as Invasive Non-native Species   147
8. Mapping Phantoms: The Challenges of Surveying and Monitoring Small Mustelids   185
9. Mustelid Menus: What Do Weasels Eat?   209
10. Of Mice and Mustelids: Predator and Prey Interactions   235
11. Pine Martens and Squirrels: Inference and Implications   259
12. Mythology, Monarchy and Mustelidae   275
13. Mustelid Mysteries: What We Know and Don't Know   295

References   323
Species Index   344
General Index   357
Picture Credits   372

Customer Reviews