GET TO KNOW: PREDATORS OF THE UPLANDS

These are 10 of the largest meat-eaters to have stalked the UK mountains, not including the most obvious and dominant (humans), and perhaps the most psychotic (weasels). A full list would run to pages, including insects, birds and small fluffies. Some are obligate carnivores, others are inveterate snackers, eating almost anything with a moderately high calorie count.

SCOTTISH WILDCAT Felis silvestris EATS: Rabbits by preference, followed by rodents and ground-nesting birds, but they’ll also take fresh roadkill when it’s on offer. FIND THEM: In mixed age woodland and edgelands between trees and moor, scrub or rough pasture. Used to be found across Britain but now exclusively Scotland north of the Central Belt. APEX PREDATOR? Functionally. Once, they would have been preyed upon by lynx and wolves. Foxes and eagles will take kittens if given the chance. PINE MARTEN Martes martes EATS: All sorts, including rodents, birds, beetles, carrion, eggs and fungi. Berries make up a large part of the diet in autumn. FIND THEM: In woodland (preferably coniferous) in the north-west Highlands and Grampians, with isolated populations in southern Scotland and some very small populations in England and north Wales. There are…

You're reading a preview of

Trail United Kingdom (Digital) - 1 Issue, May 2024

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.