Get closer to the wild side of Ireland
The Badger is the largest Irish member of the mustelid or weasel family and is one of our most distinctive mammals. Its stocky body, short, powerful limbs and striking black-and-white head markings make the badger unmistakeable. Adult badgers are typically 65-80 cm (25-32 inches) long and weigh between 8 and 12 kilos (17 and 27 [...]
The brown long-eared bat is one of the most common of our nine recorded bat species and is found all over Ireland. As night falls, these remarkable little mammals emerge from their daytime roosts to feed on a wide variety of nocturnal insects. As the name implies, long-eared bats have strikingly long ears… almost ¾ [...]
The common dolphin is regularly encountered around the Irish coast. As its name suggests this is one of the most abundant and widely distributed dolphin species in the world, and occurs in all tropical, sub-tropical and temperate waters with average surface temperatures above 10°C. They are often seen in large schools that can consist of [...]
Fin whales are regular visitors to Ireland’s coastal waters and can sometimes be spotted from coastal promontories especially in the south west of the country. These spectacular animals are the second largest creatures on earth. With a maximum length of 24 metres (80 feet) and an estimated maximum weight approaching 80 tonnes, only the rarely [...]
Reports suggest that the earliest record of hedgehogs in Ireland stem from County Waterford at around the time that the Normans arrived in the 13th century. However and whenever these endearing little mammals arrived they have certainly become a firmly established native and something of a favourite with people. Hedgehogs are 15-30 cm (6-12 inches) [...]
Humpback whales are regular visitors to Ireland’s south and east coasts. These magnificent whales begin to appear around early September each year, and spend several months in the area before moving on to their winter breeding grounds. They are also occasionally sighted elsewhere around the Irish coast. Adult humpbacks are large, thick-set whales that typically [...]
Leisler’s bats are considered rare throughout their European range, except here in Ireland, where the species is common and widespread. The Irish Leisler’s bat population is the biggest in Europe, and Ireland is a significant European stronghold for this, our largest bat species. Although it is our biggest bat, Leisler’s Bat is still quite small, [...]
Ireland is considered to have the healthiest otter population in Europe. Surveys show that otters are present in more than ninety percent of our inland waterways and coastal waters. The species, already extinct over much of its former range, is listed as “vulnerable to extinction” by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) [...]
As its name suggests the pygmy shrew is small. In fact at just 2.5 to 6g (0.09 to 0.2 oz) in weight it is by far Ireland’s smallest mammal and ranks as one of the smallest in the world. The pygmy shrew is our only shrew species, and along with the hedgehog, is one of [...]
The red fox is common throughout Ireland in both rural and urban habitats. Elusive, and largely nocturnal, the fox usually stays well hidden and many people, particularly in our cities, go about their lives completely oblivious to the proximity of this striking mammal. Adult foxes grow to around a metre (3.28 foot) in length and [...]
