Meet The Mammals. Colouring Book. Environment Agency. Northern Ireland.

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1 Meet The Mammals Colouring Book Northern Ireland Environment Agency

3 Teacher Notes Welcome to Meet the Mammals. NIEA (Northern ireland Environment Agency) is producing a range of educational resources specific to our local habitat and wildlife. In Meet the Mammals we have sought to provide basic but interesting information on mammals that can be found locally within Northern Ireland. Students are often incredibly interested in animals and Ireland as an island has its own unique variety. Many of the species of animals found in Ireland are unique as they became separated from their closest UK relatives during the last Ice Age about 15,000 years ago. Mammals are an important part of the Biodiversity of Northern Ireland, although some are not native and can compete with our native mammals. In addition, some are claused as Priority Species. These animals need our help to survive as there are many threats to their homes and food. Jenny Caldwell and Emma Crawford For further information on any of the species found in this book or to contact EHS directly see the link below: Northern Ireland Environment Agency homepage. Peatlands NI. NIEA site devoted to peatland habitats and the creatures that inhabit them. Habitas Online. The website of the Ulster Museum Sciences Division. To obtain more copies or for more information contact: Education Officer NIEA Klondyke Building Cromac Avenue Gasworks Business Park Lower Ormeau Road Belfast BT7 2JA (028)

4 1. Otter 2. Red Squirrel 3. Irish Hare 4. Bottle Nosed Dolphin 5. Common Dolphin 6. Killer Whale 7. Minke Whale 8. Common Seal 9. Common Pipistrelle Bat 10. Fox 11. Badger 12. Rabbit 13. American Mink 14. Grey Squirrel 15. Irish Stoat 16. Pine Marten 17. Woodmouse 18. Hedgehog 19. Pygmy Shrew 20. Brown Rat 21. Red Deer 22. Sika Deer 23. Fallow Deer 24. Feral Goats 25. House Mouse 26. Grey Seal List of Mammals

5 1 OTTER: PRIORITY SPECIES Otters can live in rivers, at the coast or in marshy areas. Otters like to eat fish. They are excellent at swimming. They need clean water to swim in. An otters home is called a holt. Baby otters are born in litters of two or three and are called cubs.

6 2 RED SQUIRREL: PRIORITY SPECIES The Red Squirrel is native to Ireland. They have a large bushy tail and a chestnut red coat. Squirrels live in homes called dreys that they build in trees. They can have 2 litters of young each year. In the winter red squirrels have tufts on their ears. They can live for up to 6 years.

7 3 IRISH HARE: PRIORITY SPECIES Irish hares are only found in Ireland. Irish hares have a white tuft at the top of their tails. Irish hares are much larger than rabbits. They are normally brown in colour. Male hares are called jacks and female hares are called jills. Baby hares are called leverets.

8 4 BOTTLE NOSED DOLPHIN: PRIORITY SPECIES These dolphins can be seen swimming around Ireland. They breathe through a single blowhole. They are grey or brown in colour. A baby dolphin is called a calf. They swim in groups called Schools. Baby dolphins stay with their mothers until they are six years old.

9 5 COMMON DOLPHIN: PRIORITY SPECIES This is the most common dolphin seen around Ireland. Dolphins eat lots of different types of fish. Its dark grey and white hourglass colouring is very striking. It has a long, pointed, dark beak. Dolphins are very vocal and can often be heard chatting to other dolphins. They find their prey by using echolocation.

10 6 KILLER WHALE: PRIORITY SPECIES Killer whales are white and black with a very noticeable white patch behind their eye. They have a very blunt beak. Baby whales are called calves. They have a tall dorsal fin. They are the largest member of the dolphin family. Killer whales eat fish and seals.

11 7 MINKE WHALE: PRIORITY SPECIES This is the smallest and most common whale round Northern Ireland. They have plates inside their mouth to filter out food. They breathe through two blowholes. They like to eat small fish and squid. They are black or brown in colour. Whales have been in Ireland since prehistoric times.

12 8 COMMON SEAL: PRIORITY SPECIES Common seals are usually found on sandy shores. Baby seals are called Pups. They are smaller than grey seals. They are grey or brown in colour. Male seals are called Bulls and sometimes fight with each other. Seals like to eat fish.

13 9 PIPISTRELLE BAT: PRIORITY SPECIES This is the most common bat in Northern Ireland. They have dark brown fur. At Hallowe en they start their hibernation and sleep through to spring. They are very small, being just about 4cm long! They roost in large numbers in houses or trees. They eat insects and one bat may eat as many as 3500 insects in one night! They use echolocation to catch these insects.

14 10 FOX Foxes can live just about anywhere, even in your backyard. They are the only wild member of the dog family in Northern Ireland. They eat many different foods from rabbits and birds to worms and beetles or rubbish from your bin. A fox s home is called an Earth. Baby foxes are called cubs, and are usually born in litters of four or five in the spring. In city areas cubs are often born under garden sheds.

15 11 BADGER Badgers are nocturnal, this means that they prefer to come out at night. Their home is a series of tunnels underground called a sett. Badgers love to eat earthworms. A litter of about two or three cubs is usually born in February. Between four and twelve badgers live in the same sett. It is illegal to harm a badger or destroy a badger sett.

16 12 RABBIT Rabbits are very common in Northern Ireland. They can live anywhere that they can burrow (dig). A rabbit s home is called a warren. Rabbits like to eat grass, cereals and vegetables. They can live in groups of as many as thirty! Baby rabbits are called Kittens and are born in litters of three to seven.

17 13 AMERICAN MINK Minks are not native to Ireland. They are originally from America. Mink like to live near water. They are excellent swimmers. Mink live alone. They have a dark brown coat. Baby mink are born blind and are called Kits. Mink will kill and eat crayfish, rabbits and even birds.

18 14 GREY SQUIRREL The Grey Squirrel is not native to Ireland. It is from North America. Grey Squirrels live in trees. They are bigger than red squirrels and compete with them for food. Grey squirrels will have two litters of babies in one year. They like to eat pine cone, hazelnuts and beechnuts. They can also be seen feeding from bird tables in urban gardens.

19 15 IRISH STOAT Irish stoats are only found in Ireland. They have a reddish brown coat but their tummy is covered in white hair. The end of their tail is black. Baby stoats are called Kits and are born in April or May. Stoats can kill animals that are much larger than them. They will often eat rabbits, birds and lots of insects.

20 16 PINE MARTEN Pine Martens are quite rare in Northern Ireland. County Fermanagh probably has the most Pine Martens. They are dark brown in colour with a very bushy tail and a creamy coloured throat. Pine Martens are excellent at tree climbing. Pine Martens like to live in woodlands. They normally feed on rabbits, mice and rats.

21 17 WOODMOUSE Is sometimes called the Field mouse. They are very small with brown hair on their back and grey hair underneath. Woodmice are nocturnal. Most Woodmice do not live for any longer than one year. Baby woodmice are born with no hair. Woodmice are omnivores but most often they eat seeds.

22 18 HEDGEHOG Hedgehogs are common in Northern Ireland. Hedgehogs are nocturnal. Their backs are covered in lots of spines. Hedgehogs roll into a ball to protect themselves from danger. Hedgehog fleas cannot be transferred to humans. Hedgehogs like eating beetles, slugs and caterpillars.

23 19 PYGMY SHREW This is the smallest mammal in Northern Ireland. They have very thick, brown fur. They have to eat their own body weight every day. Pygmy Shrews have a pointed snout. They like to live in grassland or woodland. They love eating beetles, woodlice, fleas and spiders.

24 20 BROWN RAT Brown rats are very common in Northern Ireland. They are grey or brown in colour. Baby rats are born with no hair. Their tails have scales arranged in rings. They will eat almost anything. Brown rats first came to Ireland on ships.

25 21 RED DEER The red deer is the largest wild herbivore in Northern Ireland. It is quite common in upland areas. They have a red or brown coat with some white spots on their back. Red Deer stags (males) have large branching antlers; they shed these once a year. Stags use their antlers when they are fighting with each other. A baby deer is called a fawn.

26 22 SIKA DEER Otters can live in rivers, at the coast or in marshy areas. Otters like to eat fish. They are excellent at swimming. They need clean water to swim in. An otters home is called a Holt. Baby otters are born in litters of two or three and are called cubs.

27 23 FALLOW DEER Fallow deer are the most widespread in Ireland. Their coat can range from yellowish to brown in colour. They have very large, flat antlers. Males are called bucks and females are called does. They prefer to live in woodland near good grazing ground. They eat grass but will also eat acorns and fungi.

28 24 FERAL GOATS These are wild goats living in upland areas. They are not common in Northern Ireland. They have a beard under their chin. Both males and females have horns. Their coats can be a great variety of colours. Goats can be very destructive, as they will eat bark from trees.

29 25 HOUSE MOUSE House Mice are a dull grey colour. They have eyes and ears that are much smaller than the Wood Mouse. Their tail is thicker and scalier than other mice. They have a musty smell. Baby house mice are born blind and with no hair. They are about 15cm long.

30 26 GREY SEAL Baby grey seals (pups) are born with a white coat. Adult seals are brown or grey. Grey seals like to live on rocky shores. They like to eat fish but will sometimes take seabirds! Seals have five claws on each of their front paws. Seals live in large groups called Colonies.

Northern Ireland Environment Agency Klondyke Building Cromac Avenue Gasworks Business Park Lower Ormeau Road Belfast BT7 2JA Tel: 0845 3020008 Our aim is to protect,

32 Northern Ireland Environment Agency Klondyke Building Cromac Avenue Gasworks Business Park Lower Ormeau Road Belfast BT7 2JA Tel: Our aim is to protect, conserve and promote our natural and built environment for the benefit of present and future generations. Printed on 100% post-consumer waste

Animal Adaptations Woodland Animal Fact Sheet

Post Visit Resource 5 Animal Adaptations Woodland Animal Fact Sheet Fox Food: Foxes will eat almost anything they can get hold of. They eat small mammals such as rabbits and voles, insects and invertebrates,