Irish Stoat Survey – Call Out To Sligo

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The Irish Stoat Citizen Science Survey is in its final weeks, and researchers need your help! Nearly 800 sightings have been verified across Ireland, with only 19 from County Sligo. If you have seen an Irish stoat, alive or dead, please submit your sightings via the National Biodiversity Data Centre website before the end of January to https://biodiversityireland.ie/surveys/irish-stoat-survey/!

Irish Stoat – photo Dermot Breen

Have you seen an Irish stoat? The Irish Stoat Citizen Science Survey is underway and we want to hear about your stoat sightings here in Sligo! Note that the survey concludes at the end of January so you only have a couple of weeks to get your feedback in! Up until now, certain feedback has been received, so we are now asking for a big push to complete the work.

Data from the preliminary survey was analysed up to September 2024 to direct researchers to where they should target engagement efforts in the survey’s final weeks. Through habitat suitability and niche modelling, they learned that parts of several counties in the north, west, and midlands yielded few records despite appearing to have suitable stoat habitats. This included areas of County Sligo, particularly the far northern parts.

Information on the Irish Stoat Survey – photos Carl Morrow

About the Irish Stoat

The Irish stoat is a subspecies only found on the islands of Ireland and the Isle of Man. Fossil bones of the animal have been found in two caves in County Cork, with one set dating back between 27,000 and 35,000 years and a second set around 10,680 years ago. This means stoats were here before and after the last Ice Age, making them one of our oldest mammal inhabitants.

Stoats are often confused with other small mustelids in Ireland, including ferrets, American mink and the pine marten. Although similar in some ways, stoats are ‘stoatally’ different in others. All four species share the same long, thin body shape and short legs, but stoats differ in their much smaller size (far smaller than a cat), chestnut brown coat with creamy white bib and underside, and the very distinctive black tip to their tail.

About the Survey

The Irish stoat is elusive and one of our lesser-known mammals. They are notoriously hard to monitor, being small, fast and very camera-shy. They leave few field signs such as footprints, fur and obvious scats (carnivore droppings), unlike their mustelid relatives, the otter, badger and pine marten. This has led to the species being under-studied. Through the Irish Stoat Citizen Science Survey, which was launched in February 2023 and will run till the end of January 2025, and with the help of citizen scientists sending in their sightings, we hope to learn more about these animals. 

The Irish Stoat Survey is funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and is run by the Vincent Wildlife Trust in partnership with the National Biodiversity Data Centre, the University of Galway, and the Centre for Environmental Data and Recording in Northern Ireland.

Please send your responses to https://biodiversityireland.ie/surveys/irish-stoat-survey/