Night & Tay

Deer. You’ve probably seen some and said “cool, deer!” and not thought much more of it. But I bet you didn’t know that there are six very different types of deer in the UK, four of which are introduced species and not native to the UK at all. In this post I’ll take you through a whistle stop tour of deer species found living wild in the UK. Photo by Diana Parkhouse on Unsplash UK Deer Species Roe Deer ( Capreolus capreolus ) Roe deer were almost driven to extinction in the UK by the 1800s due to overhunting and predation. The extinction of large natural predators, replanting of woodland, and hunting restrictions, have led to their numbers bouncing back to become the most common and widespread deer species in the UK today. Roe deer are a medium sized deer (about 60-75cm tall) and are commonly found in woodland and agricultural land near woodland edges. My guess is that if you’ve seen a deer whilst driving by some fields, then it was most likely a roe deer.   Photo by M...

Hedgehogs. From Mrs Tiggy-Winkle to Sonic, hedgehogs are an important part of our culture, but they’re elusive creatures – when was the last time you saw one? Let’s take a deeper look into their lives and I’ll share some hints and tips for spotting some! Plus, some ways you can help conserve hedgehogs in the UK. Photo by Piotr Łaskawski on Unsplash Hedgehog habits and habitats – taking a closer look at hedgehog daily life European hedgehogs (which are the species we have in the UK) are nocturnal and spend their days sleeping in nests built in undergrowth or piles of leaves. They come out in the evening to forage, hunting for worms, slugs, and beetles. You’ll often hear a hedgehog before you see it because they make loud snuffling sounds when they’re looking for food! Hedgehogs are primarily insectivorous and are a gardener’s best friend because they help rid a garden of pests such as snails and caterpillars. Surprisingly they also eat lizards and snakes! Fun fact – they’re natur...

  Did you know you can see beavers in the UK? Once hunted to extinction, beavers are being reintroduced around the UK and it’s causing a bit of a splash, with controversy around the large impacts they have on waterbodies and waterways. In this blog post we’ll outline a bit about these amazing creatures, their reintroduction and possibly most importantly – where you can go to see them!   Why were beavers extinct in the UK? Sadly, beavers were hunted to extinction in the UK by the 16 th century. They were widely sought after for several reasons: their pelts (fur), as a meat source, and for something called castoreum… I’ve got to share some things I’ve learned about the last of those because it’s kind of horrific. Castoreum is an oily, gooey liquid that beavers produce from glands in their bum and they use it to mark their territories. In medieval times it was highly prized because it was believed to be a cure for pretty much any medical condition. Fun fact – there might b...