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Mammals

Kingsmeadows provides habitat for a diverse range of mammals, with evidence of badgers, bats, field voles, foxes, hedgehogs, otters, red squirrels, roe deer, stoats, weasels and water voles.

Bats

Riparian woodlands like Kingsmeadows make ideal habitat for bats – internationally protected species.

A 2023 bat survey showed evidence of extensive bat activity. Preliminary analysis identified 8 individual species recorded over 2 weeks:

Otter spraint

Otter

Lutra lutra

Although no recorded sightings of otter, there is good evidence that they occasionally frequent Kingsmeadows, with otter spraint and fish scales left on the riverbanks.

This beautiful and enigmatic animal is an internationally protected species and a Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework.

Click the photos to see this and other records on iRecord†.

Red squirrel

Red squirrel

Sciurus vulgaris

Although not common, there are sightings of the iconic native red squirrel at Kingsmeadows at least once a year. There are now only an estimated 120,000 red squirrels left in Scotland.

Although the greatest threat to this nationally protected species comes from the invasive American grey squirrel, loss and fragmentation of their native woodland has contributed significantly to their decline.

Hedgehog

Image courtesy Jo Grewar

Hedgehog

Erinaceus europaeus

Once a common sight in woodlands and back gardens across the UK, our hedgehog population is now vulnerable to extinction.

Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981, hedgehogs are also now a Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework and are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List for British Mammals.