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Do you live in Ireland and would you like to become involved in some scientific research? If the answer is yes, then maybe the Irish Stoat Survey is what you've been waiting for.
Despite the fact that the Irish stoat is believed to have been continually present on the island of Ireland for at least 12,500 years, there is little reliable information on its population and, prior to the start of this survey, only 2,000 records were recorded in our national database.
#Irishstoat or #pinemarten?
— IrishStoatSurvey (@IrishStoatSurv) January 26, 2024
- Irish stoats are much smaller than pine martens
- Irish stoats have a white belly, pine martens have a yellow-orange 'bib'
- Irish stoats have a slim tail with a black tip, pine martens have a bushy brown tail pic.twitter.com/g3PwF655Rs
They are elusive mammals, which are rarely seen, and who leave few field tracks and signs, such as hair or droppings. They are seldom detected by other monitoring methods such as camera traps.
We hope this survey will encourage people to submit sightings of alive and dead stoats so that we can fill in the gaps in their distribution and learn more about stoat ecology.
What is the Irish Stoat Survey?
Launched in February 2023, the Irish Stoat Survey is a citizen science survey and the first systematic survey of the Irish stoat throughout the island of Ireland. We are appealing to members of the public to submit their sightings, alive or dead, of the Irish stoat throughout the island of Ireland.
The survey was created in partnership with the National Biodiversity Data Centre, the Centre for Environmental Data and Recording in Northern Ireland and University of Galway.
Unlike elsewhere, Irish stoats don't get white coats in winter, but their fur will become denser to keep them warm!
— IrishStoatSurvey (@IrishStoatSurv) December 6, 2024
Seen an Irish stoat? Submit your sighting to help us learn more about this elusive small carnivore:
RoI: https://t.co/GV8cgBzWfY
NI: https://t.co/DrCyUUsPro pic.twitter.com/SaH69BpThO
Who can get involved?
Anyone can get involved and no prior experience is required. However, you will need access to a computer or smartphone to submit your sighting.
How to get involved and submit a sighting?
If you spot a stoat, you can contact [email protected] and share your sighting information with us. We will then submit your record information to the appropriate record centre detailed above.
