For the first time ever, Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Bat Conservation Ireland, Irish Wildlife Federation, Biology.ie and some of Ireland's leading mammal scientists have come together to collaborate on documenting the distribution of all 64 species of mammals that are known to occur in the Irish territory. This includes 27 species of land mammal, 10 bat species, 3 marine mammals and probably 24 cetacean (whales and dolphins). The National Biodiversity Data Centre is coordinating this network and providing an online portal and mapping system where this information is collated and presented in up to date distribution maps. Also shown is the distribution of over 45,000 mammal sightings made prior to 2010.
'This is an exciting initiative as it brings together the main mammal experts and organisations so that their knowledge can be pooled to gain a full understanding of the distribution of all mammals in Ireland', said Dr. Liam Lysaght, Director of the National Biodiversity Data Centre. 'Although a great deal is know about some mammal species, and there are excellent schemes for collecting data on the bats and cetacean, information on other species, such as the Irish stoat and hedgehog is lacking. This initiative should fill the remaining gaps in our knowledge', added Dr. Lysaght.
Members of the public are invited to submit online any sighting of mammals so that they can contribute to building up a comprehensive picture of where mammal species occur in Ireland. The survey will run until the end of 2015, by which time a comprehensive picture of the distribution of all Ireland's mammals will be produced.
Access the website at http://mammals.biodiversityireland.ie/
