What's your favourite Irish land mammal?

Amtmann

We all have a soft spot for one animal in particular; what's yours?

stevoman

Hedgehog

i actaully hava a soft spot for the irish hare. a creature of great beauty.

Judgement Day

Otter

The poor old Hedgehog - rarely seen except as roadkill.

Amtmann

Fox

stevoman wrote: »

i actaully hava a soft spot for the irish hare. a creature of great beauty.

A creature of great strength and grace alright. I hadn't seen one for years until last April when I encountered two on a country road west of Cullahill in County Laois.

The poor hedgehog is a tenacious animal too. I found a wounded one once (hit by a car I think), brought it to the vet and helped it to recover. After a few weeks the little guy was well again. I very seldom see them these days though - except, as Judgement Day pointed out, when they're dead on the roadside.

Mothman

For me it comes down to Red Squirrel or Otter, but the former is not included in the poll unless up a tree means not land

Otter regularly pass through the garden and Red Squirrel are a part of my youth

Amtmann

Fox

Mothman wrote: »

For me it comes down to Red Squirrel or Otter, but the former is not included in the poll unless up a tree means not land

Otter regularly pass through the garden and Red Squirrel are a part of my youth

I forgot the Red Squirrel
I thought I'd dealt with arboreal mammals with Pine Marten, but I still had the letter 'r' in mind, so I put down rabbit even though it's not native.

The Paws

Otter

I love Hedgehogs!
We had a small one in our garden years ago...it seems to stay over night in a quiet corner and then goes off again the next day!:rolleyes:
They are interesting creature to paint....

If I am allowed to include one more...badgers!!..I love their nose for some reason!

Dusty87

Hedgehog

I chose hare aswell. Simply because of a childhood experience. I was about 6 or 7 and playing in the back garden when when jumped from the ditch, running by me. Took the heart out of me. It was big too, with huge back legs. Probably seemed a lot bigger than it was:).

doctor evil

Otter

No bats

Birdnuts

Rabbit

I was torn between Pine Martin and Hare:(

Black Swan

Hare

Kerry Fox!

bye bye

Otter

ah the good oul hedgehog would be mine

Connacht

Pine Marten

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this is the full list of native Irish land mammals - there are 22 :
Red Deer
Fox
Badger
Pine Martin
Stoat
Irish Hare
Bats x 10
Mouse x 2
Pygmy Shrew
Otter
Red Squirrel
Hedgehog

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Stoat

It's always dangerous to start debating what animals count under certain groups, as people never agree. The list of 22 is widly accepted but what do we exclude? Those clearly introduced certainly (Mink etc) but what about the likes of the Greater White Toothed Shrew? It seems to have found it's own way here. Do we draw the line at mammals who made their way here within a few years of the last ice age?

stevensi

Should the brown rat be on that list?

Connacht

Pine Marten

Lads, I agree with you completely. I only gave the list because, as Srameen indicates, it is the widely accepted list. But, yes, others could be added. Rats probably made "their own way" here by joining ships which were carying grain, etc.
Fallow deer have been here for over 400 years - but were brought in.
I've partaken in long chats about what's 'local' or not and what's 'native' or not.

Roen

Pygmy Shrew

I thought the rabbit was a Norman addition but that the hare was native.
Can anyone expand on this?

AlanSparrowhawk

i like them all but i'll say otter.

cuddlycavies

Roen wrote: »

I thought the rabbit was a Norman addition but that the hare was native.
Can anyone expand on this?

Yes that is correct. No rabbits before the Normans. Irish Hares are a native subspecies of the Blue Hare which is resident in Scotland. Brown Hares have been introduced in Northern Ireland some time ago. I'm not sure how wide they've spread.

cuddlycavies

stevensi wrote: »

Should the brown rat be on that list?

nope

cuddlycavies

Connacht wrote: »

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this is the full list of native Irish land mammals - there are 22 :
Red Deer
Fox
Badger
Pine Martin
Stoat
Irish Hare
Bats x 10
Mouse x 2
Pygmy Shrew
Otter
Red Squirrel
Hedgehog

I'd say this is accurate. Except for mouse x2. Field mouse most likely native. House mouse, possibly not.

cuddlycavies

And for the record, Pine Marten. But still haven't seen one yet.

artieanna

Otter

jeez it was hard to decide....poor oul hedgehog won out in the end....I remember rearing one when I was a kid.. and I saw three over the past months one last saturday evening. Gaud they are cuties..

dlofnep

Red Deer

Pygmy Shrew or hedgehog!

Dusty87

Hedgehog

artieanna wrote: »

jeez it was hard to decide....poor oul hedgehog won out in the end....I remember rearing one when I was a kid.. and I saw three over the past months one last saturday evening. Gaud they are cuties..

Havn seen a live one myself in years. I remember as a child they used to come up to the back door at night. Sniffing out the dog bowl. Dont know why i never see them anymore, the area hasn changed in regards to their habitat

boneless

Stoat

It has to be the otter for me. Any animal that makes a slide on a muddy riverbank just for the fun of it is my type of creature!