The Naturalized Animals of Britain and Ireland

This well-written book describes when, where, why, how and by whom the alien species now living in Britain and Ireland were introduced, their status and distribution, as well as their ecological and / or socio-economic impact. Each species account is in the form of a monograph. The accounts are split into naturalized, feral domestic, reintroduced and “ephemeral” species. Basic distribution maps are provided for all but the ephemeral species, as are good photographs of all species; the bird maps have been provided by the British Trust for Ornithology.

The introduction is a useful summary of how naturalized species affect their environment. I had planned to just read the accounts of the species that most interest me but most enjoyably I drifted from species to species, drawn ever further into the book by references to interesting facts best illustrated by other species. I can wholeheartedly recommend the book to anyone with a broad interest in the subject.

Book reviewed by Mark Rehfisch