List of mammals of Ireland

There are 27 mammal species native to Ireland or naturalised in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland before 1500. The Red List of Irish terrestrial mammals was updated in 2019, with assessments of these 27 species. One species is locally extinct, one is vulnerable and 25 are least concern species. 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:

NE indicates not endemic

Order: Diprotodontia (kangaroos, wallabies, wombats and allies)
Though most marsupials make up a great part of the fauna in the Australian region, the red-necked wallaby has been introduced to Ireland: a population is currently breeding on Lambay island.
 * Family: Macropodidae (kangaroos, wallabies, and kin)
 * Genus: Notamacropus
 * Red-necked wallaby, N. rufogriseus NE introduced

Order: Rodentia (rodents)
Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40% of mammalian species. 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
 * Eastern grey squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis introduced
 * Red squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris
 * Family: Cricetidae
 * Subfamily: Arvicolinae
 * Genus: Clethrionomys 
 * Bank vole, Clethrionomys glareolus introduced
 * Family: Muridae (mice, rats, etc.)
 * Subfamily: Murinae
 * Genus: Apodemus
 * Wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus
 * Genus: Mus
 * House mouse, Mus musculus
 * Genus: Rattus
 * Brown rat, Rattus norvegicus introduced
 * Black rat, Rattus rattus naturalised


 * Family: Gliridae
 * Subfamily: Leithiinae
 * Genus: Muscardinus
 * Hazel dormouse, M. avellanarius introduced
 * Suborder: Hystricomorpha
 * Family: Echimyidae (neotropical spiny rats)
 * Subfamily: Echimyinae
 * Genus: Myocastor
 * Coypu, M. coypus introduced

Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs)
The lagomorphs comprise two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). Though they 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
 * European hare, Lepus europaeus introduced
 * Mountain hare, Lepus timidus
 * Genus: Oryctolagus
 * European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus naturalised

Order: Erinaceomorpha (hedgehogs and gymnures)
The order Erinaceomorpha contains a single family, Erinaceidae, which comprise the hedgehogs and gymnures. The hedgehogs are easily recognised by their spines while gymnures look more like large rats.


 * Family: Erinaceidae (hedgehogs)
 * Subfamily: Erinaceinae
 * Genus: Erinaceus
 * West European hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus

Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons)
The "shrew-forms" are insectivorous mammals. The shrews and solenodons closely resemble mice while the moles are stout-bodied burrowers.


 * Family: Soricidae (shrews)
 * Subfamily: Soricinae
 * Genus: Crocidura
 * Greater white-toothed shrew, Crocidura russula introduced
 * Genus: Sorex
 * Eurasian pygmy shrew, Sorex minutus

Order: Chiroptera (bats)
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 mammals.


 * Family: Vespertilionidae
 * Subfamily: Myotinae
 * Genus: Myotis
 * Daubenton's bat, Myotis daubentonii
 * Whiskered bat, Myotis mystacinus
 * Natterer's bat, Myotis nattereri
 * Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
 * Genus: Nyctalus
 * Lesser noctule, Nyctalus leisleri
 * Genus: Pipistrellus
 * Nathusius' pipistrelle, Pipistrellus nathusii
 * Common pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pipistrellus
 * Soprano pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pygmaeus
 * Genus: Plecotus
 * Brown long-eared bat, Plecotus auritus
 * Family: Rhinolophidae
 * Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
 * Genus: Rhinolophus
 * Lesser horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus hipposideros

Order: Cetacea (whales)


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
 * Family: Balaenidae
 * Genus: Balaena
 * Bowhead whale, B. mysticetus vagrant
 * Genus: Eubalaena
 * North Atlantic right whale, E. glacialis presence uncertain confirmed 2024
 * Family: Balaenopteridae (rorqual)
 * Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
 * Genus: Balaenoptera
 * Common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata
 * Sei whale, Balaenoptera borealis
 * Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus
 * Blue whale, B. musculus
 * Family: Megapterinae
 * Genus: Megaptera
 * Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
 * Suborder: Odontoceti
 * Family: Phocoenidae (porpoises)
 * Genus: Phocoena
 * Harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena
 * Family: Ziphidae (beaked whales)
 * Genus: Ziphius
 * Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris
 * Subfamily: Hyperoodontinae
 * Genus: Hyperoodon
 * Northern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus
 * Genus: Mesoplodon
 * Sowerby's beaked whale, Mesoplodon bidens
 * Gervais' beaked whale, Mesoplodon europaeus
 * True's beaked whale, Mesoplodon mirus
 * Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
 * Genus: Lagenorhynchus
 * White-beaked dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris 
 * Genus: Leucopleurus
 * Atlantic white-sided dolphin, Leucopleurus acutus 
 * Genus: Delphinus
 * Common dolphin, Delphinus delphis
 * Genus: Tursiops
 * Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
 * Genus: Stenella
 * Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba
 * Genus: Grampus
 * Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus
 * Genus: Globicephala
 * Long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas
 * Genus: Pseudorca
 * False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens
 * Family: Physeteridae (sperm whales)
 * Genus: Physeter
 * Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus
 * Family: Kogiidae
 * Genus: Kogia
 * Pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps
 * Superfamily: Platanistoidea
 * Family: Monodontidae (narwhals)
 * Genus: Delphinapterus
 * Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas vagrant
 * Genus: Orcinus
 * Orca, Orcinus orca

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)
Carnivorans include over 260 species, 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
 * Red fox, Vulpes vulpes
 * Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
 * Genus: Lutra
 * European otter, Lutra lutra
 * Genus: Martes
 * European pine marten, Martes martes
 * Genus: Meles
 * European badger, Meles meles
 * Genus: Mustela
 * Stoat, Mustela erminea
 * Genus: Neovison
 * American mink, Neovison vison introduced
 * Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
 * Genus: Halichoerus
 * Grey seal, Halichoerus grypus
 * Genus: Phoca
 * Common seal, Phoca vitulina
 * Genus: Cystophora
 * Hooded seal, C. cristatus vagrant
 * Genus: Erignathus
 * Bearded seal, E. barbatus vagrant
 * Genus: Pagophilus
 * Harp seal,  P. groenlandicus vagrant
 * Genus: Pusa
 * Ringed seal, P. hispida vagrant
 * Family: Odobenidae (walruses)
 * Genus: Odobenus
 * Walrus, O. rosmarus presence uncertain, vagrant

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)


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, including many that are of great economic importance to humans.


 * Family: Cervidae (deer)
 * Subfamily: Cervinae
 * Genus: Cervus
 * Red deer, Cervus elaphus
 * Sika deer, Cervus nippon introduced
 * Genus: Dama
 * European fallow deer, Dama dama naturalised
 * Subfamily: Capreolinae
 * Genus: Capreolus
 * Roe deer, C. capreolus introduced
 * Genus: Muntiacus
 * Reeves's muntjac, M. reevesi introduced

Locally extinct
The following species are locally extinct in the country:
 * Wolf, Canis lupus, see Wolves in Ireland
 * Eurasian lynx, Lynx lynx
 * Reindeer, Rangifer tarandus
 * Wild boar, Sus scrofa
 * Brown bear, Ursus arctos, see Bears in Ireland

Comparison with Great Britain
The following species are found in Great Britain but not in Ireland:
 * Field vole, Microtus agrestis
 * Common vole, M. arvalis
 * Water vole, Arvicola terrestris
 * Harvest mouse, Micromys minutus
 * Yellow-necked mouse, A. flavicollis
 * Edible dormouse, Glis glis
 * European mole, Talpa europaea
 * Common shrew, Sorex araneus
 * Eurasian water shrew, Neomys fodiens
 * Lesser white-toothed shrew, Crocidura suaveolens
 * Greater horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
 * Greater mouse-eared bat, Myotis myotis
 * Bechstein's bat, M. bechsteini
 * Parti-coloured bat, Vespertilio murinus
 * Serotine bat, Eptesicus serotinus
 * Northern bat, E. nilssoni
 * Common noctule, Nyctalus noctula
 * Barbastelle, Barbastella barbastellus
 * Grey long-eared bat, Plecotus austriacus
 * Least weasel, Mustela nivalis
 * European polecat, M. putorius
 * European wildcat, Felis silvestris
 * Wild boar, Sus scrofa
 * Water deer, Hydropotes inermis introduced c. 1896
 * Eurasian beaver, Castor fiber reintroduced 2009