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Animals in Ireland
Ireland is an island off the coast of Great Britain. It spent the majority of the last ice age underneath giant glaciers, which had a profound effect upon its geography and habitats. Most of Ireland is rolling hills, with some remaining forests. Because of the ice age glaciers, most species of animals have migrated to the island when it still had a land bridge to Great Britain.

There are famously no snakes on Ireland. Reptiles in general are scarce. Ireland has no turtles and only one salamander. Interestingly enough, there is a lizard in Ireland that bears live young, much as a mammal would. Fishes are also not very diverse, again owing to the ancient glaciers that prevented many native species from evolving on Ireland. Freshwater fishes are few in number, other than the ones that swim upstream. The
Salmon
salmon and
Sea trout
sea trout that spawn in Ireland's streams have made the island's riverine habitats famously rich in food.

Because of its proximity to Great Britain and Europe in general, the bird life of Ireland is very similar to that of its neighbors. Typical fowl include mallards and geese. Ireland's abundant wetland environments provide bountiful food supplies and breeding habitats for a large number of birds.

Of mammals, there are red deer, squirrels, and hedgehogs. Very common to hunt are several types of rabbit and hare. The largest mammal on the island was the Irish elk, which was hunted to extinction in prehistoric times. It stood larger than a draft horse and had antlers that spread eleven feet from one side to the other.

Additionally, humans have brought all manner of domesticated animals with them to Ireland. Dogs, sheep, and cattle are common sights in Ireland, but are not native. These domesticated species are usually found in the company of humans.


Click here for a list of endangered animals in Ireland. Wild boar
Elk
Carnivores in Ireland
Common otter
European pine martin
Common seal
Cross fox
Badger
Ermine
Arctic wolf
Gray seal
Dolphins, porpoises, and whales in Ireland
Bottlehead
Pygmy sperm whale
Atlantic white-sided dolphin
White-beaked dolphin
North atlantic beaked whale
Gervais' beaked whale
True's beaked whale
Killer whale
Common porpoise
Euphrosyne dolphin
Bottle-nosed dolphin
Cuvier's beaked whale
Common minke whale
North atlantic right whale
Long-finned pilot whale
Grey dolphin
Bats in Ireland
Whiskered bat
Natterer's bat
Lesser noctule
Common pipistrelle
Brown big-eared bat
Lesser horseshoe bat
Hares, pikas, and rabbits in Ireland
Arctic hare
European rabbit
Rodents in Ireland
Eurasian red squirrel
Long-tailed field mouse
Information about the animals living in Ireland is brought to you by "List of countries of the world", your first stop in discovering all countries and animals of the world.

The animals displayed on this page are grouped in their scientific order. View also countries of the world ordered by:
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