Burren Fauna Mammals

Feral goats (Capra hircus), foxes (Vulpes vulpes), and hares (Lepus timidus) are the most common mammals encountered in the uplands, with rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) once common but now much less so.
 

Red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) and pygmy shrews (Sorex minutus) are also common in hazel woodland. Other mammals found in the Burren include the badger (Meles meles), stoat (Mustela ermina), bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus), mink (Mustela vison), and the rat (Rattus norvegicus).

Possibly the most renowned member of the Burren’s faunal community is the pine marten (Martes martes). The Burren is commonly considered to be the Irish stronghold of this once-threatened species due to the ample and extensive habitat provided by hazel scrub, a situation not welcomed by many farmers who consider the ‘marten cat’ a leading predator of young lambs.

Woodmice (Apodemus sylvaticus) are very common in hazel woodland and play an important role in harvesting hazel nuts. Gallagher and Fairley (1979) conducted a population study of the fieldmouse in the Burren, finding that their population density in hazel woodland exceeded that of all previous Irish estimates due to the exceptional abundance of food and cover, and the high calorific value of hazelnuts.
 

All of Ireland’s seven native bat species are found in the Burren, with a very significant population of the lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposiderus) in the region.