The Estate supports many mammals,
including a good population of hares, a species that has suffered
a substantial decline nationally. Other mammals, described below,
include the rare and elusive harvest mouse and a good variety
of bats.
Badger
There are several occupied badger setts in different woods on
the Estate. Badgers may be involved in the spreading of Bovine
TB, and there is an urgent need to commence a nationwide vaccination
programme to protect badgers from this disease and stop them from
spreading it.
Bank
vole Bank voles are quite common at Cholderton, living
in rough grass and hedgerows. They are hugely outnumbered by field
voles.
Bats
There are colonies of serotine, long-eared and pipestrelle bats
at Cholderton. Given the abundance of invertebrates and the mixed
woodlands containing many old trees on the Estate, it is likely
that additional species remain to be discovered here. Noctule
bats have been heard using a bat detector.
Brown
hare Cholderton has a healthy population of this much-loved
animal. They thrive in the mixed cropping regime, under which
there is always suitable habitat for feeding, breeding and hiding.
Hares will breed as early as February, and continue doing so well
into the autumn. They are prone to diseases such as European hare
syndrome and Coccidiosis, which kill large numbers every
year.
Many are also
killed by illegal hare coursers, who trespass on the property
and chase and kill hares for money. Many hours are spent trying
to prevent the activities of these individuals, who intimidate
or even attack anyone who tries to stop them. They also cut fences
and force gates in fields containing livestock.
Brown
rat These are very common around farm buildings and hedgerows
on the Estate. They form an important part of the resident barn
owls' diet, so poison is not generally used as a control measure.
Rats can be shot, or hunted with terriers.
Common
shrew As their name suggests, these tiny creatures are
common at Cholderton, being found in areas of rough grass, hedge
and woodland edges. They are often caught by the Estate cats,
but are frequently released unharmed, possibly because they taste
horrible.
Fallow
deer These are never resident at Cholderton but both
bucks and does visit quite frequently, usually as singletons.
Field
vole This is Cholderton’s most common small mammal.
Burrows and runs can even be seen in the middle of intensively
grazed grass fields. Field voles can cause damage to young trees,
frequently debarking them completely, and can even fell small
whips. They are a favourite food of barn owls.
Fox
Always present at Cholderton, foxes are predators of ground-nesting
birds and their young. They present a constant danger to nesting
grey partridge, lapwings and their chicks.
Grey
squirrel Very common at Cholderton and subject to control
by shooting, grey squirrels can cause terrible damage to young
trees, particularly beech, to the extent that beech is no longer
worth planting for timber. Walnut trees have even been damaged
around the upper branches.
Harvest
mouse Widespread and probably quite common at Cholderton,
harvest mice live in hedgerows over the winter and spread into
cereal fields over the summer. They seem particularly fond of
oats. When the fields are harvested, harvest mice can be seen
running towards the field margins and hedges. Fortunately the
blades of the combine are usually 7–8 inches (18–20cm)
above the ground, so most escape. Very few are found in the threshed
grain. The tall, tussocky grass of the untrimmed field margins
offers good wintering quarters, and flowers such as knapweed provide
nutritious seed.
Hedgehog
Hedgehogs are very common over much of the Estate, particularly
in the more wooded areas. They are useful consumers of slugs and
snails, but unfortunately they are also keen on birds' eggs and
are able to force sitting birds off the nest. They often hibernate
in windblown piles of beech leaves.
Mole
Moles are very common at Cholderton, to the extent that grass
fields are frequently covered by mole hills. This is evidence
of a high earthworm population and hence of soils in fertile condition
with high levels of organic matter. No control is undertaken on
the Estate.
Muntjac
Originally released at Woburn in Bedfordshire around 1900, muntjac
were first recorded at Cholderton in 2001. A young one was seen
in February 2002 and several have been found as road casualties.
They will probably become well established in the next few years.
Pigmy
shrew Pigmy shrews are often caught by the Estate cats
and found dead on tracks in the autumn. They favour hedgerows
and areas of rough grass.
Polecat
There seems to be a growing population of polecats in the Cholderton
area, and they appear to be identical to the true wild polecat,
rather than the ferret. It is likely that these polecats are descended
from feral stock, but it could also be that truly wild polecats
survived on Salisbury Plain and are now expanding their range.
Rabbit
Rabbits are very common, but the numbers fluctuate according to
the prevalence of myxamatosis. They are a common prey species
for buzzards.
Roe
deer This is Cholderton’s most common deer, present
in most of the woodlands and even resident in quiet hedgerows.
They cause very little damage in the woodlands provided young
planted trees are properly protected. There is abundant natural
regeneration of ash at Cholderton, evidence that trees and deer
can live together. There is no regular culling, but one or two
are shot each year to eat.
Stoat
Very common and frequently seen, the stoat is an effective predator
of rabbit and rats, and will perform a dance to hypnotise prey
– generally rolling over and running in circles. Its long,
black-tipped tail is distinctive.
Weasel
Quite common, the weasel is not seen as often as the stoat. Weasels
are much smaller than stoats. Litters of young weasels will follow
the mother head to tail, giving the impression of a rope being
drawn across the ground. They are predators of mice and voles.
Wood
mouse A common species at Cholderton, wood mice are frequently
seen at night, even in open fields, and are often caught by the
Estate cats.
Yellow-necked
mouse This species appears to thrive at Cholderton. It
finds the shelter belts, small woods and thick hedges particularly
suitable and is frequently caught by the cats. Some specimens
are up to 9 inches (23cm) long, which is not far off the size
of a small rat. They occasionally live in the Estate buildings.
