Mammals of the Charente/Dordogne


A Guide to the mammals of the Charente/Dordogne border.

Unlike birds, most mammals are quite difficult to observe. Their nocturnal habits and small size often means that they will only be found as "road kill" and we are only aware of their presence due to tracks or droppings.

The films on this website have been obtained with 'camera traps'. The camera trap is triggered by the heat and movement of the animal and captures a short video. At night infra red is used to illuminate the area, the camera is sensitive to this wavelength but the animal is not. A variety of camera traps have been used which means some of the films are better quality than others.

The filming is ongoing so hopefully some of the missing mammals, such as red squirrel, will be filmed in the future. I would be happy to receive any film of missing mammals.

The table below is not an exhaustive list, since some mice, voles and shrews are absent due to the difficulties of identification to species level. Similarly bats are almost impossible to identify on the wing.

As far as I know all the larger mammals are listed, but I would welcome any information on other species. Eg: Introduced deer such as muntjac. Likewise the status of the animals is my own judgement, but is open to debate. However many long term residents of the area have rarely seen some of these mammals.
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English
Name

French
Name

Scientific
Name

Status

Video

BatChauve souris17 speciesCommonYes
MoleTaupeTalpa europaeaVery commonNo
HedgehogHerissonErinaceus europaeusQuite commonNo
Common shrewMusaraigne couronneeSorex coronatusCommonYes
Pigmy shrewMusaraigne pygmeeSorex minutusQuite commonNo
Greater white toothed shrewCrocidure musetteCrocidura russulaCommonNo
Lesser white toothed shrewCrocidure des jardinsCrocidura suaveolensQuite rareNo
Water shrewCrossope aquatiqueNeomys fodiensQuite rareNo
Hazel DormouseMuscardinMuscardinus avellanariusRareNo
Garden DormouseLerotEliomys quercinusQuite commonNo
Edible DormouseLoirGlis glisQuite commonYes
Musk RatRat MusqueOndatra zibethicusCommonYes
CoypuRagondinMyocastor coypusCommonYes
Brown ratSurmulot, Rat Rattus norvegicusVery commonYes
House mouseSourisMus musculusCommonNo
Wood mouseMulot sylvestreSylvaemus sylvaticusVery commonYes
Harvest mouseRat des moissonsMicromys minutusQuite commonNo
Short tailed voleCampagnol agresteMicrotus agrestisCommonYes
Orkney voleCampagnol des champsMicrotus arvalisVery commonNo
Bank voleCampagnol roussatreMyodes glareolusCommonNo
Water voleCampagnol amphibieArvicola amphibiusQuite commonNo
Red squirrelEcureuilSciurus vulgarisQuite commonNo
RabbitLapinOryctolagus cuniculusCommonYes
Brown HareLievreLepus europaeusQuite commonYes
WeaselBeletteMustela nivalisCommonNo
StoatHermineMustela ermineaUncommonYes
PolecatPutoisMustela putoriusUncommonNo
Beech martenFouineMartes foinaQuite commonYes
Pine martenMartreMartes martesUncommonNo
OtterLoutreLutra lutraUncommonYes
European minkVisonMustela lutreolaRareNo
BadgerBlaireauMeles melesQuite commonYes
GenetGenetteGenetta genettaUncommonYes
FoxRenardVulpes vulpesCommonYes
Red deerCerfCervus elaphusUncommonNo
Roe deerChevreuilCapreolus capreolus CommonYes
Fallow deerDaimDama damaRareNo
Wild boarSanglierSus scrofaCommonYes