List of mammals of Ireland

There are 53 mammal species native to Ireland or naturalised in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland before 1500, of which 27[1] are terrestrial mammals and 26[2] are marine mammals. According to the Ireland Red List of terrestrial mammals in 2019, locally, the black rat is listed as vulnerable, the grey wolf is extinct, and the remaining 25 terrestrial mammals are least concern. Not assessed were nine mammal species that were introduced after 1500. The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed on the IUCN Red List:

CRCritically endangeredThe species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild.
ENEndangeredThe species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
VUVulnerableThe species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
NTNear threatenedThe species does not meet any of the criteria that would categorise it as risking extinction but it is likely to do so in the future.
LCLeast concernThere are no current identifiable risks to the species.
DDData deficientThere is inadequate information to make an assessment of the risks to this species.

This article is based on the Ireland Red List No. 12: Terrestrial Mammals[1] for terrestrial mammals, and the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group list[2] for marine mammals, unless otherwise referenced. This article refers to species' global IUCN conservation status (as opposed to local status). "Introduced" means a species is not native to Ireland and was introduced after 1500 CE. "Naturalised" means a species is not native to Ireland, but was introduced before 1500 CE, and thus is not invasive. "Vagrant" means a marine species which doesn't have an established population in Ireland, but occasionally appears there.

Diprotodontia (kangaroos and wallabies)

Although marsupials are only native to Australasia and the Americas, the red-necked wallaby has been introduced to Ireland: a population has been breeding on Lambay island since the 1950s.[3]

Family: Macropodidae (kangaroos, wallabies, etc)

Genus: Notamacropus

Rodentia (rodents)

Red squirrel in County Donegal. Native red squirrels in Ireland and Britain have lighter tails and ears than the rest of their body. 43% of red squirrels in Ireland are non-native red squirrels from mainland Europe which do not have this trait[4]

Ireland has 9 species of rodent: 3 native, 1 naturalised, and 5 introduced. Rodents are the largest order of mammals, making up over 40% of mammal species globally. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be kept short by gnawing.

Suborder: Sciurognathi
Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)

Subfamily: Sciurinae
Genus: Sciurus

Family: Cricetidae (voles)

Subfamily: Arvicolinae
Genus: Clethrionomys
  • Bank vole – Clethrionomys glareolus LC (introduced)
Genus: Microtus

Family: Muridae (mice, rats, etc)

Subfamily: Murinae
Genus: Apodemus
Genus: Mus
Genus: Rattus
  • Brown rat – Rattus norvegicus LC (introduced)
  • Black rat – Rattus rattus LC (naturalised)

Family: Gliridae (dormice)

Subfamily: Leithiinae
Genus: Muscardinus

Lagomorpha (lagomorphs)

Irish hare – an endemic subspecies of mountain hare – in County Dublin

Ireland has 3 species of lagomorph: 1 native, 1 naturalised, and 1 introduced. Although lagomorphs can resemble rodents, and were classified as a superfamily in that order until the early 20th century, they have since been considered a separate order. They differ from rodents in a number of physical characteristics, such as having four incisors in the upper jaw rather than two.

Family: Leporidae (rabbits, hares)

Genus: Lepus
Genus: Oryctolagus

Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

Red deer in Killarney National Park

Ireland has 6 species of even-toed ungulate: 1 native, 1 naturalised, and 4 introduced. The even-toed ungulates are ungulates whose weight is borne about equally by the third and fourth toes, rather than mostly or entirely by the third as in perissodactyls. There are about 220 artiodactyl species globally, including many that are of great economic importance to humans.

Family: Cervidae (deer)

Subfamily: Cervinae
Genus: Cervus
Genus: Dama
Subfamily: Capreolinae
Genus: Capreolus
  • Roe deer – Capreolus capreolus LC (introduced)
Genus: Muntiacus

Family: Bovidae (bovids)

Subfamily: Caprinae
Genus: Capra

Eulipotyphla (hedgehogs, shrews and moles)

European hedgehog in County Kilkenny
Eurasian pygmy shrew

Ireland has 3 species of Eulipotyphla: 2 native, and 1 introduced. The order Eulipotyphla contains the hedgehogs, shrews, and moles. Hedgehogs are easily recognised by their spines, shrews closely resemble mice, while moles (which are absent from Ireland)[6] are stout-bodied burrowers.

Family: Erinaceidae (hedgehogs)

Subfamily: Erinaceinae
Genus: Erinaceus

Family: Soricidae (shrews)

Subfamily: Soricinae
Genus: Crocidura
Genus: Sorex

Chiroptera (bats)

Soprano pipistrelle
Brown long-eared bat

Ireland has 9 species of bat: all are native. The bats' most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals capable of flight. Bat species account for about 20% of all mammal species globally.

Family: Vespertilionidae (vesper bats)

Subfamily: Myotinae
Genus: Myotis
Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
Genus: Nyctalus
Genus: Pipistrellus
Genus: Plecotus

Family: Rhinolophidae (horseshoe bats)

Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
Genus: Rhinolophus

Carnivora (carnivorans)

Irish stoat – an endemic subspecies of stoat – in County Down
Red fox cubs in County Cork. Red foxes are the only canids native to Ireland
Harbour seal in County Cork

Ireland has 14 species of carnivoran: 12 native, and 2 introduced. Carnivorans include over 260 species globally, the majority of which eat meat as their primary dietary item. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.

Suborder: Caniformia
Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)

Genus: Vulpes

Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)

Genus: Lutra
Genus: Martes
Genus: Meles
Genus: Mustela
Genus: Neogale

Family: Phocidae (earless seals)

Genus: Halichoerus
Genus: Phoca
Genus: Cystophora
Genus: Erignathus
Genus: Pagophilus
  • Harp seal – Pagophilus groenlandicus NT (vagrant)
Genus: Pusa

Family: Odobenidae (walruses)

Genus: Odobenus

Cetacea (whales)

Fungie – a famous Irish bottlenose dolphin – in Dingle
Common dolphins in the Porcupine Seabight, southwest from County Kerry
Long-finned pilot whales in the Porcupine Seabight
Humpback whale breaching

Ireland has 25 cetaceans: all are native. The order Cetacea includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. They are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life with a spindle-shaped, nearly hairless body protected by a thick layer of blubber, and forelimbs and tail modified to provide propulsion underwater.

Suborder: Mysticeti (baleen whales)
Family: Balaenidae

Genus: Balaena
Genus: Eubalaena

Family: Balaenopteridae (rorquals)

Genus: Balaenoptera
Genus: Megaptera

Suborder: Odontoceti (toothed whales)
Superfamily: Delphinoidea
Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)

Genus: Delphinus
Genus: Globicephala
Genus: Grampus
Genus: Lagenorhynchus
Genus: Leucopleurus
Genus: Orcinus
  • Orca – Orcinus orca DD
Genus: Pseudorca
Genus: Stenella
Genus: Tursiops

Family: Monodontidae

Genus: Delphinapterus
  • Beluga – Delphinapterus leucas LC (vagrant)

Family: Phocoenidae (porpoises)

Genus: Phocoena

Superfamily: Physeteroidea
Family: Physeteridae

Genus: Physeter

Family: Kogiidae

Genus: Kogia

Superfamily: Ziphioidea
Family: Ziphidae (beaked whales)

Genus: Ziphius
Subfamily: Hyperoodontinae
Genus: Hyperoodon
Genus: Mesoplodon

Locally extinct

Fossil of the extinct Irish elk.

The following species are locally extinct in the country:[8]

Globally extinct

The following species were present in Ireland, and are now extinct globally:[9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Marnell, F.; Looney, D.; Lawton, C. (2019), "Ireland Red List No. 12: Terrestrial Mammals" (PDF), National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of the Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin, Ireland
  2. 1 2 "Species". Irish Whale and Dolphin Group. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  3. ↑ Glynn, Niall (2 October 2022). "Lambay Island is home to Ireland's wallabies". BBC Northern Ireland. Retrieved 5 March 2026. Rupert Baring introduced the first wallabies to the island in the 1950s
  4. ↑ Finnegan, Laura A.; Poole, Alan; Lawton, Colin; Rochford, John M. (April 2009). "Morphological diversity of the red squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris, in Ireland". European Journal of Wildlife Research. 55 (2). University of Galway: 145–151. doi:10.1007/s10344-008-0228-1.
  5. ↑ Moynagh, J.; Viscardi, P. (2022). "Vouchered record of Field Vole (Microtus agrestis) in Ireland from Co. Monaghan". Irish Naturalists' Journal. 39: 104–106.
  6. ↑ "Mole". Ulster Wildlife. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  7. ↑ Whooley, Pádraig. "Kerry Walrus March 14th re-sighted in Wales March 20th: Update 29th March". Irish Whale and Dolphin Group. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  8. ↑ Lysaght, L.; Marnell, F. (2016). Atlas of Mammals in Ireland 2010-2015 (PDF). Waterford: National Biodiversity Data Centre. ISBN 978-1-911172-04-8.
  9. ↑ "Ice Age Ireland Cool Fossils!" (PDF). National Museum of Ireland. January 2025. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mammals of Ireland.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.