Page 8 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #11

WILDNOVEMBER

2 | YELLOW-NECKED MOUSE
Mystery rodent

Few, even wildlife lovers, have heard
of this wood mouse lookalike. Apart
from its band of tawny chest fur, seen
clearly only at very close range, the
species resembles its more-common
relative, but its range and behaviour
are somewhat different. Yellow-necked
mice occur patchily in southern
England and Wales, north through
the Welsh Borders to Staffordshire.
They’re also more arboreal than wood
mice, spending much time foraging
in hedges and trees. At this time of
year you might hear them scampering
around their nests in lofts and sheds.

GET INVOLVED Download the
Mammal Mapper app: mammal.org.uk

3 | EELGRASS

Marine meadows

One reason many wildfowl flock
to our coasts in winter lies beneath
the waves: eelgrass. This flowering
plant is adapted to life in salt water,
with trailing leaves that form lush
underwater meadows – now a
threatened habitat. It is a favourite
food of brent geese and whooper
swans (opposite), and of dabbling
mallard, pintail and wigeon – one Y ellow-necked mouse (captive): David Chapman; whooper swans: Elliott Neep; eelgrass: Matt Doggett
of its old names is wigeon grass.
The most extensive meadows are
found in shallow bays and inlets
such as Studland Bay in Dorset,
the Solent and Strangford Lough
in Northern Ireland.

GET INVOLVED Take part in
the Community Seagrass Initiative:
csi-seagrass.co.uk

8 BBC Wildlife November 2018