Prey Species ID

Here you'll find handy tips to help you identify 'what the cat dragged in'

Birds

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Birds can sometimes be tricky to identify- especially if they are young fledglings!

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Although they are fully feathered, fledglings are often brown in colour as a form of camoflage. This may lead to a false ID, as different species can look very similar.

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Take a look at the RSPB's bird identifier tool

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RSPB identifier

Remember:

If possible, please take photos of all returned prey

Amphibians and reptiles

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Depending on where you live, your cat may bring a variety of amphibians (frogs, toads, and newts) and even reptiles (lizards, snakes, and slow worms) home.

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View the identification guides from Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) here:

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Amphibians
Reptiles
 
 

Mammals

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Cats commonly bring more small mammals home than they do birds. This is thought to be because mammals are generally much easier to catch.

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We can group small mammals into three main categories: mice (& rats), voles, and shrews. Although there are some exceptions, key features to look out for are:

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To download this mammal guide as a PDF, click below:

Download PDF
Mice

  • Prominent ears

  • Long tail

  • Large eyes

  • Pointed muzzle

Voles

  • Small, pinned back ears

  • Short tail

  • Blunt muzzle

  • Stocky body

Shrews

  • Small ears

  • Tiny eyes

  • Long snout

  • Short fur

 

Mammals: mice & rats

Image: Duncan Hull

House mouse (Mus musculus)

  • Head and body length: 6-10cm

  • Tail length: 6-10cm

  • Dusty brown/ grey colour, with a pale underbelly

  • Smaller ears and eyes than the wood mouse (relative to body size)

  • Muzzle is quite pointed

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Image: Hanna Knutsson

Wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus)

Also known as the field mouse

  • Head and body length: 6-10cm

  • Tail length: 7-9.5cm

  • Colouration can vary, but is commonly more golden than the house mouse

  • Often has a darker stripe running along its back

  • Pale underbelly, occasionally having a small yellow patch on the chest

  • Larger ears and eyes than the house mouse (relative to body size)

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Image: Gareth Christian

Yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis)

Often confused with the wood mouse

  • Head and body length: 9-12cm

  • Tail length: 8-11cm

  • Golden in colour, very similar to the wood mouse

  • Whiter underbelly than the wood mouse, with an unbroken band of yellow across the chest

  • Ears and eyes are larger than those of the wood mouse (relative to body size)

  • Can be found towards the south of England, the West Midlands and eastern parts of Wales

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Wood mouse or Yellow-necked mouse?

Wood mice and yellow-necked mice can be difficult to distinguish. The best way is to look at their underside. Yellow-necked mice have a clear, unbroken yellow band across the chest from shoulder to soulder. Wood mice, however, may have a small yellow mark on their chest- or this may be absent all together.

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Wood mouse

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Small yellow mark

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Yellow-necked mouse

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Unbroken yellow band

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Image: Chris Parker

Harvest mouse (Mycromys minutus)

  • Head and body length: 5-8cm

  • Tail length: 5-8cm

  • Around the size of a human thumb

  • Mid to light brown/golden in colour, similar to the wood mouse

  • Pale underbelly

  • Ears are furry and pinned back. Also ears are relatively smaller than those of other mice

  • Muzzle is not as pointed as other mice

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Image: Jean-Jaques Bujot

Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus)

  • Head and body length: 21-29cm

  • Tail length: 17-23cm

  • Similar in appearance to the house mouse ... but around 3x bigger!

  • Dusty brown/ grey colour, with a pale underbelly

  • Quite large ears and eyes

  • Muzzle is pointed

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What else could it be?

  • Hazel dormouse- Similar size to the smaller mouse species, with a slightly bushy tail and orange coloured fur

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  • Edible dormouse or 'fat dormouse'- Resembles the grey squirrel, with similar grey coat and bushy tail. Smaller than the grey squirrel

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  • Grey squirrel- Although not native, perhaps our most familiar squirrel species

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  • Red squirrel- Britain's native squirrel species ('Squirrel Nutkin'). A red chestnut coloured coat with tufts of fur at the ends of its ears, smaller and lighter than the grey squirrel

 

Mammals: voles

Image: Hanna Knutsson

Bank vole (Myodes glareolus)

  • Head and body length: 8-12cm

  • Tail length: 3.3-4.8cm

  • Tail is around two thirds the length of the body

  • Smaller eyes, ears and tail than a mouse

  • Stocky build

  • Similar in appearance to the harvest mouse

  • Can be dusty brown/ grey, but typically more of a chestnut brown colour

  • Pale grey underbelly

  • Muzzle is blunt, unlike mice

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Image: Rudmer Zwerver

Field vole (Microtus agrestis)

  • Head and body length: 9-11cm

  • Tail length: 2-5cm

  • Tail is around half the length of the body

  • Smaller eyes, ears and tail than a mouse

  • Stocky build

  • Small, furry ears (furrier than the bank vole)

  • Brown or dusty brown/ grey

  • Pale grey underbelly

  • Muzzle is blunt, unlike mice

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Bank vole or Field vole?

Field voles have shorter tails and furrier ears than banks voles. A bank vole's tail is two thirds the length of its body, whereas the field vole has a tail just half its body length.

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Bank vole

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Field vole

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Tail is 2/3 the length of the body

Tail is 1/2 the length of the body

What else could it be?

  • Water vole- Much larger than the other voles, similar in size to the brown rat

 

Mammals: shrews

Did you know?

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Shrews aren't rodents, unlike mice and voles.

Instead, shrews are

more closely related to moles and hedgehogs, feeding on small invertebrates

Image: Hanna Knutsson

Common shrew (Sorex araneus)

  • Head and body length: 5.5-8.5cm

  • Tail length: 3-5.5cm

  • Very small eyes

  • Elongated snout

  • Small ears, tucked back against head

  • Dark brown in colour, with light brown flanks and a pale grey/white underbelly

  • Tail is around half the length of the
    head & body (50-60%)

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Image: Philip Hay

Pygmy shrew (Sorex minutus)

  • Head and body length: 4-6.5cm

  • Tail length: 3-4.5cm

  • Smaller than the common shrew

  • Very small eyes

  • Elongated snout

  • Small ears, tucked back against head

  • Dark brown in colour, with a pale grey/white underbelly

  • Tail is longer than that of the common shrew, relative to body size (around 65-80% the length of the head & body)

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Common shrew or Pygmy shrew?

Although you will generally notice a size difference between the two, large adult pygmy shrews can be similar in size to young common shrews. In a similar way to voles, an easy method of identifying shrew species is by the length of the tail. The common shrew tail is between 50 and 60% the length of the head and body. The tail of the pygmy shrew is proportionally larger, measuring between 65 and 80% the length of the head and body.

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Common shrew

Pygmy shrew

50-60%

65-80%

Tail is 50-60% the length of the head and body

Tail is 65-80% the length of the head and body

What else could it be?

  • Water shrew- slightly larger than common shrew and very dark in colour (almost black)

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  • Mole- Larger than shrews with much smaller eyes and large, clawed forelimbs

 

Mammals- bats

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The UK is home to 17 bat species, but don't worry- we're not going to ask you to ID them! Bats can be incredibly difficult to identify sometimes, but please do take a photo for us to take a look at.

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Injuries caused by cats are quite common, often affecting their wings.

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If you find an injured bat, please call the Bat Helpline on 0345 1300 228

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The Bat Helpline operator will give you further guidance. If it is necessary to handle the bat, please wear gloves! You can find basic bat care guidelines here.