A Photographic Guide to Prey Remains in Otter Spraint

A Photographic Guide to Prey Remains in Otter Spraint

A Photographic Guide to Prey Remains in Otter Spraint has been specially created to help those analysing the spraint or droppings of otters to identify prey species. Records of prey species may also be useful for marine and riparian recording and should be submitted to iRecord or the local biological records centre. This A4-sized, spiral-bound book has thick laminated pages designed to be useful in a workshop or laboratory environment. It is richly illustrated with high-quality macro images and is suitable for serious mammalogists seeking to identify remains down to species level, while also being an accessible, practical and intuitive handbook for the amateur naturalist.

Contents:

Introduction / 5-6
How to find & identify spraint / 7
Methods of spraint analysis / 8
How to use this guide / 9-10
Features of a caudal vertebra / 11
Features of a premaxilla / 12
Comparing caudal vertebrae / 13-14
Comparing premaxillae & maxillae / 15-16
Comparing dentaries & pharyngeals / 17-18
Comparing quadrates / 19-20
Comparing parasphenoids / 21-22
Comparing preopercula & opercula / 23-24
Comparing otoliths / 25-26
Comparing scales & modified scales / 27-28
Petromyzontidae, Lamprey / 29
Anguillidae, Eel / 30
Clupeidae, Twaite Shad / 31
Nemacheilidae, Stone Loach / 32
Cyprinidae, Minnow & Common Carp / 33
Cyprinidae, Roach / 34
Salmonidae, Grayling / 35
Salmonidae, Salmo species / 36
Esocidae, Pike / 37
Gadidae, 5-Bearded Rockling / 38
Gadidae, Pouting / 39
Gobiidae, Goby species / 40
Callionymidae, Dragonets / 41
Pleuronectidae & other flatfish / 42
Mugilidae, Mullet species / 43
Moronidae, Bass / 44
Percidae, Perch / 45
Percidae, Ruffe / 46
Percidae, Zander / 47
Cottidae, Long-Spined Sea Scorpion / 48
Cottidae, Bullhead / 49
Cyclopteridae, Lumpsucker / 50
Ammodytidae, Lesser Sand Eel / 51
Gasterosteidae, 3-Spined Stickleback / 52
Gasterosteidae, 15-Spined Stickleback / 53
Sygnathidae, Greater Pipefish / 54
Pholidae, Butterfish / 55
Zoarcidae, Eelpout or Viviparous Blenny / 56
Labridae, Wrasse species / 57
Amphibians / 58
Reptiles / 59
Mammals / 60
Birds / 61
Invertebrates, insects & crustacea / 62
Invertebrates, crustacea / 63
Fish bones: identifying features / 64-66
Non-fish remains found in spraint / 67
Fish: habitats & distribution / 68-69
Labelled fish skull & skeleton / 70
Glossary / 71
Acknowledgements / 72
Bibliography & further reading / 73-74
About the authors / 75