Literally hundreds of new wildlife books are published every year and providing a full list of appropriate mammal titles is simply not practical. However for those with an interest in mammals in Dorset and further afield in Britain and Europe the following titles can be recommended.
All the titles listed were still in print as at August 2012 unless otherwise stated. There are also a number of outstanding books that are currently out of print and it is well worth visiting the websites listed below, particularly www.nhbs.co.uk for information on these and for updates on new and forthcoming titles.
Identification and mammal-watching
- A Guide to British Mammal Tracks and Signs – Simone Bullion
- Animal Tracks and Signs – Preben Bang and Preben Dahlstrom
- Best Birdwatching Sites – Dorset – Neil Gartmore – although a birding site guide many of the sites covered offer excellent opportunities for viewing mammals.
- Britain’s Mammals – A Concise Guide – Peoples’ Trust for Endangered Species – a useful and reasonably priced photographic guide to Britain’s mammals.
- Britain’s Sea Mammals: Whales, Dolphins, Porpoises and Seals and Where to Find Them – Robert Still, Jon Dunn and Hugh Harrop.
- Mammal Detective – Rob Strachan
- Mammals of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East – S Aulagnier, P Haffner, AJ Mitchell-Jones, F Moutou and J Zima. Probably the best all round field guide currently in print.
- Where to Watch Mammals in Britain & Ireland – Rob Moore – A useful guide to the best mammal-watching sites in Britain & Ireland.
General Reference
- Coastal Birds and Marine Mammals of Mid Dorset – Richard White and Andrew Webb.
- Dorset: A Naturalist’s Country – Nigel Webb and Tony Bates – A useful introduction to the county’s wildlife including its mammals.
- Mammals of the British Isles Handbook, 4th edition – Stephen Harris and Derek W Yalden – The definitive reference work on British mammals, not cheap but well worth the price.
- Managing British Mammals Case Studies from the Hunting Debate – DW Macdonald, F Tattersall and PJ Johnson.
- The History of British Mammals – Derek W Yalden – This book documents the history of the British mammal fauna over the last 15,000 years, combining information culled from the zoological, archaeological and palaeontological literature. A fascinating read.
- The State of Britain’s Mammals 2011 – David Macdonald and Dawn Burnham. The latest in the series of annual reports on the state of Britain’s mammals.
- The State of Britain’s Mammals: A Focus on Invasive Species – David Macdonald and Dawn Burnham.
Species accounts
- Badger – Tim Roper
- The Badger – Michael Woods
- Bats of Britain, Europe and Northwest Africa – Christian Dietz, Otto von Helversen and Dietmar Nill. An outstanding guide and given Dorset’s outstanding bat fauna a useful source of reference for everyone with an interest in Dorset’s mammals. Pricey but worth every penny particularly if you can find a reduced copy.
- Living with Dormice: The Common Dormouse, Real Rodent or Phantom of the Ancient Wood by Sue Eden (a Dorset Mammal Group member who has studied dormice extensively in West Dorset).
- Sika Deer – Rory Putnam
- Otters: Ecology, Behaviour and Conservation – Hans Kruik.
- The Otter – Gordon Woodroffe
- Otters (The British Natural History Collection) by Paul Chanin and Guy Troughton
- The Otter by James Williams, an enjoyable read from this renowned Somerset expert
- The Polecat Survey of Britain 2004-2006: A Report on the Polecat’s Distribution, Status and Conservation. Vincent Wildlife Trust.
- Secret Lives of Garden Wildlife (RSPB) by Dominic Couzens and Peter Partington (Dominic is a Dorset Mammal Group member).
The Whittet Series
- Badgers – Michael Clark
- Bats – Phil Richardson
- Dormice: A Tale of Two Species – Pat Morris
- Rabbits and Hares – A McBride & G. Troughton.
- Seals – Sheila Anderson
- Squirrels – J Holm & G. Troughton.
- The New Hedgehog Book – Pat Morris & Guy Troughton.
- Urban Foxes – S Harris & P Baker
- Water Voles – Rob Strachan
- Wild Boar in Britain – Martin Goulding
Dorset Mammal Group 