Common Species
Discover 20 species you can support in your garden
Photo: Wildlife garden collection
Hedgehog
Beloved garden visitors that eat slugs and snails. They need connected gardens to roam and safe places to nest.
Photo: Bat Conservation Trust
Common Pipistrelle Bat
UK's smallest and most common bat. Emerges at dusk to hunt midges and small insects around gardens.
Photo: Bat Conservation Trust
Soprano Pipistrelle Bat
Very similar to common pipistrelle but with higher echolocation calls. Often roosts in buildings.
Photo: Bat Conservation Trust
Brown Long-eared Bat
Distinctive huge ears nearly as long as body. Hunts moths and other insects in gardens and woodland edges.
Photo: Shropshire Wildlife Trust
Red Fox
Urban foxes are common garden visitors. They help control rodent populations and eat fallen fruit.
Photo: Shropshire Wildlife Trust
Grey Squirrel
Acrobatic visitors to gardens and bird feeders. Originally from North America, now widespread in UK.
Photo: The Wildlife Trusts
Wood Mouse
Large eyes and ears, long tail. Nocturnal seed eaters that live in hedgerows and compost heaps.
Photo: Shropshire Wildlife Trust
Bank Vole
Reddish-brown with blunt nose and short tail. Active day and night, eating seeds, fruits, and insects.
Photo: The Wildlife Trusts
Field Vole
Short tail and small ears. Lives in long grass and rough areas, eating grass stems and seeds.
Photo: The Wildlife Trusts
Common Shrew
Tiny but voracious insect eaters with pointed snouts. Must eat constantly due to high metabolism.
Photo: UK wildlife collection
Pygmy Shrew
Britain's smallest mammal. Hunts insects and spiders in dense vegetation and leaf litter.
Photo: People's Trust for Endangered Species
Water Shrew
Semi-aquatic shrew with waterproof fur. Hunts aquatic insects and small fish in garden ponds.
Photo: The Wildlife Trusts
Weasel
Small carnivore with long body and short legs. Hunts mice and voles in gardens and hedgerows.
Photo: The Wildlife Trusts
Stoat
Larger than weasels with black-tipped tail. Agile hunters that can climb and swim.
Photo: UK wildlife collection
Badger
Nocturnal omnivores with distinctive black and white striped face. Dig for earthworms and grubs in lawns.
Photo: Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust
Mole
Underground insectivores that create molehills. Rarely seen but their tunnels aerate soil.
Photo: UK garden wildlife collection
Rabbit
Common in gardens near countryside. Grazers that can damage plants but provide food for predators.
Photo: Wild About Gardens
Brown Rat
Adaptable omnivores often found near compost heaps. Important prey for owls and foxes.
Photo: UK wildlife collection
Harvest Mouse
Tiny mouse that builds spherical nests in tall grass. Feeds on seeds and insects.
Photo: People's Trust for Endangered Species
Yellow-necked Mouse
Larger than wood mice with yellow chest band. Excellent climbers found in mature gardens.
How to Support Garden Mammals
Simple, practical actions you can take to create a welcoming habitat for these species
Create hedgehog highways—13cm gaps in fences
Provide log piles and dense vegetation for shelter
Avoid using slug pellets and pesticides
Leave wild areas with long grass and fallen leaves
Provide shallow water sources
Check compost heaps before turning them