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The Mammal Atlas maps almost a quarter of a million sightings of 72 species of marine and terrestrial mammal. It brings together data from 57 different datasets, and includes more than 15,000 records that were submitted directly to the Data Centre from 2,400 different recorders over the five years of the data collection phase. All of these records have been extremely valuable in building up a comprehensive picture of the distribution of mammals in Ireland. It has been a very large collaborative project, and would not have been possible to produce without the contribution and support of a large number of people and organisations.
The Mammal Atlas runs to over 200 pages and has chapters on the Origins of mammals in Ireland, Mammal research in Ireland, Legislation and wild mammals in Ireland, Advances in mammal studies using genetic analysis, and Future outlook for mammals in Ireland. The main part of the Atlas are the Species Accounts of 72 terrestrial and marine mammals, written by 42 leading experts in Ireland. They provide information on the identification, distribution, habitat, ecology and population of each species, and presents two distribution maps showing the pre 2010 and 2010-2015 distribution. Other features include a chart showing the distribution of sightings broken down by month, and the Red List Status. I attach an example of both a terrestrial and marine mammals to give you an idea of what the final publication will look like. The number of records that were submitted for inclusion in the Mammal Atlas far exceeded our expectations, but we now have a very solid baseline of mammal distribution in Ireland and its marine waters, to serve as a benchmark against which future changes can be tracked. National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Heritage Council have contributed very generously to the publication costs of the Atlas, so we are able to keep the cost of the A4 hardback Atlas to €25 (plus postage and packaging). This can be ordered directly from the Data Centre
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Apart from the Politicians, there are no snakes in Ireland!
Following the last Ice Age, Ireland split off from the European land mass before Great Britain did. The snakes that recolonised Britain didn't arrive until it was too late Ireland is home to two species of land dwelling reptile, the viviparous lizard and the slow worm. The viviparous lizard, or common lizard, is a native Irish reptile The common lizard, which is often confused with newts in sightings. A key identifier is the more 'snake like' head. It is more prevelant around the costal areas, but sightings have occured all over Ireland The slow worm looks like a snake bit is actually a legless reptile it can be found in the Burren area of Clare basking on the karst surface One theory is that the slow worm was introduced by new age travellers who kept them as pets with a few escaping to establish small populations in the wild During the Celtic Tiger economic bubble, snakes were popular pets and after the crash, the cost of upkeep lead some to being released to the wild |
AuthorI
am a wildlife photographer based in Co. Wicklow, Ireland, who has an
affinity for Ireland's landscape and wildlife. The magic of Ireland is
truly evoked in the marriage of landscape and light. AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. 
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