The Burren Fauna

The fauna of the Burren is a frequently overlooked aspect of the area's natural heritage, most of the attention having been focused on the area's rich flora instead. 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. The number of feral goats currently present is estimated to number over one thousand individuals in spite of an extensive recent cull.

One of the most renowned members 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. Red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) and pygmy shrews (Sorex minutus) arealso 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). The common frog (Rana temporaria), smooth newt (Triturus vulgaris), and common lizard (Lacenta vivipara) are also found in the Burren. Over seventy species of land snails have been recorded in the area, thanks in no small part to the abundance of shell-building calcium carbonate.

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. Almost all (except two) of Irelands 30 butterfly species are found, with two more or less limited to this area - the pearl bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne) and the brown hairstreak (Therla betulae).

One moth species, the Burren green (Calamia trideus) has its only station in the British Isles here. The yellow ant (Lasius flavus) is also widespread in the Burren. Other interesting members of the Burren fauna include the slow worm (Anguis fragilis), in reality a legless lizard, a specimen of which was described by McCarthy (1977), while Cabot (1967) records a sighting of the green lizard (Lacerta viridis), linked to a 1958 release of fifteen such lizards in the area.

Seven bird species listed in Annex 1 of the Birds Directive are found in the Burren. A full list of the bird, butterfly and Odonata species found in the Burren National Park is furnished in RPS Cairns (1994), while a recent survey of the birdlife of the Burren and Aran Islands has been compiled by Dr. Liam Lysaght and published by Birdwatch Ireland.