Peatland wildlife
| Irish
hare |
 |
Mammals
There are no mammal species in either the United Kingdom or
Ireland that are restricted to peatlands. Few mammal species
apart from the Irish hare and red deer are permanent peatland
residents. The wet nature of peat generally deters burrowing
animals such as the fox from taking up residence, but these
animals will frequent the edges of peatlands in search of food.
Indeed most mammals utilise peatlands for food or to avoid human
disturbance. While none of our mammals are peatland specialists,
it is possible with increased pressure on other habitats, peatlands
may become more important as refuges for some of these mammals.
Information regarding mammals that may be observed on peatlands
in Northern Ireland is given in the table below.
Click
on a tick or an entry in the list to view more information
