Mapping Ireland's Mammals

DataCentre

A project to map the distribution of all wild mammals in Ireland for the first time is underway - commenced in 2010, it hopes to produce detailed distribution maps of all land and marine mammals by 2015. A website http://mammals.biodiversityireland.ie/ shows progress with the Atlas to date: almost 100,000 sightings of 66 mammal species are mapped. The project has the support of all the main mammal groups and experts and hopes to produce a hard copy Atlas in 2016. Sightings of all mammals are being sought from members of the public and it has an online form to submit records http://records.biodiversityireland.ie/submit_records.php?fk=MammalsStandard&caching=cache. Since the project was launched over 4,500 sightings of mammals have been submitted. So please forward any sightings of mammals to the project.

Hollzy

I have a Facebook page called Wild About Zoology. It's not hugely popular or anything but I'll work on a post about this and hopefully that'll help get the word out a little more

DataCentre

Thanks Hollyzy, much appreciated. Nice facebook page you have there, and a really great fox photo!

Hollzy

No problem! And thank you. I only set in up a month or so ago. If there's ever anything else you'd like me to share, let me know!

I might as well include a link to the post in case anyone else is interested:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=487849004644645&set=a.477580675671478.1073741828.477568782339334&type=1&theater

DataCentre

I suppose the next bit news on the mammal front is that shortly the confirmation of arrival of dormouse in Ireland (around Naas) will be published in the Irish Naturalists' Journal. That would be good to profile when the issue arrives.

Hollzy

Sounds great. Just pm me here or on Facebook when you'd like me to post something and I'll get right on it!

dodderangler

Be interesting to see the sightings of wild boar and muntjac on it.

DataCentre

Hi dodderangler,
Here are the maps of Wild Boar and Muntjac. Genetic work has shown that they aren't really Wild Boar - should probably refer to them as 'wild pig' as they come from the domestic breeds rather than the wild stock.

http://maps.biodiversityireland.ie/#/Species/119475

http://maps.biodiversityireland.ie/#/Species/119291

We have a fairly accurate picture of these two species' distributions - we are finding it harder to get sightings submitted of things like brown rat and house mouse - and actually, the latter might be more uncommon than we think.

recedite

I've seen muntjac around, but I wouldn't report them, wild boar or anything else being classified as an invasive species, on the basis that somebody would probably be sent out to exterminate them.

dodderangler

Well they're invasive so they technically do have to be taken out.
I do understand you wouldn't want to see them shot and killed but they are invasive and because some idiot released them they will have to e shot.

OpenYourEyes

recedite wrote: »

I've seen muntjac around, but I wouldn't report them, wild boar or anything else being classified as an invasive species, on the basis that somebody would probably be sent out to exterminate them.

I'm sure they're just as fascinating and interesting to have around as a lot of our native wildlife, and I can understand someone not really wanting them to be shot, but I would rather see invasive species dealt with as soon as possible rather than let them get established and have all of the negative effects on our native fauna and flora that come with that.

Imagine if someone had a similar attitude to Grey Squirrels in the 1920's - they could have controlled a few squirrels and avoided the long-term decline of Red Squirrels and damage to forestry etc - while they might not have wanted to kill a few squirrels that lived nearby, it would have saved a lot of serious problems in the long term. Same with Mink.

recedite

That just confirms what I thought.

OpenYourEyes

recedite wrote: »

That just confirms what I thought.

Yes we know, but it's not clear if you've given much thought to the reason why they'd be controlled.

dodderangler

recedite wrote: »

That just confirms what I thought.

It may seem harsh but look at the effect the mink has had on Irish wildlife.

They're not fitted for our environment ad will only do damage to our local vegetation.

They devour native woodland plants at a terrifying rate, destroy vital bird habitats and can go berserk if unleashed on a suburban garden. They also breed like rabbits.

Capercaille

recedite wrote: »

I've seen muntjac around, but I wouldn't report them, wild boar or anything else being classified as an invasive species, on the basis that somebody would probably be sent out to exterminate them.

That's crazy. If you know where muntjac are you should report it, before their population explodes like in the UK.

DataCentre

Having a better understanding of what species are found in Ireland and where they occur is the starting point for any attempts to conserve wildlife. Particularly with invasive species, there is an even greater need to have accurate and up to date information on where they occur. I woud certainly encourage anyone with an interest in wildlife to report any sightings of these.

Hollzy

Not recording the presence of an invasive species is ridiculous. You must be interested in zoology to be on this forum, but you need to show an understanding of how these things work recedite. Don't just think of individuals, think of ecosystems. Ireland has been destroyed enough; the last thing we need is people encouraging the presence of invasive species.

recedite

Hollzy wrote: »

you need to show an understanding of how these things work recedite. Don't just think of individuals, think of ecosystems.

From my observations they favour the thick undergrowth at the edge of rivers and conifer plantations. This slots them into an ecological niche somewhere between rabbits and the more "native" sika/red hybrid deer. Its an increase in biodiversity and I don't see any downside to that.

OpenYourEyes

recedite wrote: »

From my observations they favour the thick undergrowth at the edge of rivers and conifer plantations. This slots them into an ecological niche somewhere between rabbits and the more "native" sika/red hybrid deer. Its an increase in biodiversity and I don't see any downside to that.

Ecological niches don't work in such a way that a species can be "slotted in" with no impact though. It's likely that they'll further impact the growth of natural tree and plant species that are already having a hard time for a number of other reasons - so that's a decrease in biodiversity really.

Then you have to factor in possible roles as vectors for disease - they could help spread various bacteria and diseases that negatively affect other animal populations, and possibly humans.

robp

recedite wrote: »

Its an increase in biodiversity and I don't see any downside to that.

Rats, mongooses and mosquitoes were 'increases in biodiversity' when they arrived in Hawaii and look how many endemic bird species were wiped from the face of the earth thanks to them. Maybe that sounds like hyperbole but there are certain Irish woodland plants confined to very small numbers of sites. The Muntjac is from East and South Asia. They definitely don't belong here.

recedite

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

It's likely that they'll further impact the growth of natural tree and plant species ....
...they could help spread various bacteria and diseases that negatively affect other animal populations, and possibly humans.

That's all conjecture. Its much more likely that they will simply slot in. Rabbits were originally introduced by the Normans as a food item, would you like all rabbits removed too?
I didn't introduce rabbits, sika or muntjac to this country, nor will I help to eradicate them. I am merely a neutral observer of the wildlife.

OpenYourEyes

recedite wrote: »

That's all conjecture. Its much more likely that they will simply slot in. Rabbits were originally introduced by the Normans as a food item, would you like all rabbits removed too?
I didn't introduce rabbits, sika or muntjac to this country, nor will I help to eradicate them. I am merely a neutral observer of the wildlife.

Conjecture it might be, but if I'm right and you're wrong it'll be too late to do anything about it by the time we know for sure, making it quite a substantial risk.

And many people say (and its backed up with the relevant science to a certain extent) that we already have too many deer in this country, and that those small plants are paying the price.

And while its obviously not your fault that they were introduced, you're obviously not neutral either - essentially something bad is happening, and you (unlike most of us) have the opportunity to contribute to the fixing of that problem but are not doing so.

DataCentre

The first reported sighting of Wild Boar for Northern Ireland is being investigated by Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

dodderangler

DataCentre wrote: »

The first reported sighting of Wild Boar for Northern Ireland is being investigated by Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

Fella on the hunting forum has pics of a wild boar on his permission

Capercaille

dodderangler wrote: »

Fella on the hunting forum has pics of a wild boar on his permission

Most of the "wild Boar" being released aren't pure wild boar but domesticated pigs which go feral.

DataCentre

Capercaille wrote: »

Most of the "wild Boar" being released aren't pure wild boar but domesticated pigs which go feral.

That is a very important point. There has been quite a bit of confusing arguments around re-introduction of wild boar being mixed up with the release of these essentially domesticated pigs to the wild. By all means lets have a discussion as to the merits or otherwise of re-introducing genetically appropriate wild boar into the wild in Ireland; but whatever is done must be done to international standards for re-introduction programmes, such as set out by the IUCN. Releasing animals willy-nilly into the Irish landscape should never be condoned.