Mammal Surveys

EP Ecology provide a comprehensive suite of protected mammal surveys to clients throughout Scotland.

We can deliver surveys and reports for badgers, otters, water voles, beavers, red squirrel, pine marten, and wildcat.

Why do I need protected mammal surveys?

Mammal surveys are required for several species in Scotland as they are offered some level of protection. Some species of mammal are protected in Scotland from damage or destruction of their resting places, as well as intentional or reckless killing and injury. As these species occur throughout Scotland, in various habitats, their presence makes them a material consideration in many planning applications.

Where a planning application is deemed by the local planning authority to be in an area that may be used by protected species, mammal surveys will be requested.

What protected mammal survey services does EP Ecology offer?

Badger Surveys

Badger surveys are one of the most commonly requested protected species surveys we encounter. This is because badgers will often make burrows “setts” in some fairly urban areas.

You can learn a little about what a badger survey involves by watching our badger survey youtube video.

Our team of ecologists are skilled badger surveyors, and can identify the presence of badgers in and around your site as well as how to successfully mitigate the effects of your proposals on badgers and obtain licensing to permit works affecting badgers.

Otter, Water Vole, and Beaver Surveys

As ecologists, we tend to group these species together because they are all associated with waterways and surrounding habitats – except of course Glasgow’s Fossorial Water Voles.

Otter and water vole occur throughout Scotland, and virtually every riverine system is likely to have otter using these. Beaver are of course much less widespread, but anywhere around the central belt and southernmost areas of Cairngorms could have beaver populations.

Both otter and beaver are offered full protection as European Protected Species and water vole protected by the Wildlife & Countryside Act.

EP Ecology has a range of specialist mammal surveyors who can can provide surveys and advice for any of these species in a development or conservation setting.

Red Squirrel, Pine Marten, and Wildcat Survey

Prevalent particularly in the north of Scotland, and exclusively so with Wildcat, these species are all offered legal protection and where development may affect them, must be considered.

Associated primarily with wooded areas though occupying a wide range of habitats, our mammal surveyors can identify field signs and use remote sensing cameras to identify whether these species are using a site, and use this data to design effective mitigation, compensation, and enhancement that will help with any licensing requirements identified.