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2nd & 3rd class have been learning about Irish Mammals and would like to share some interesting facts.
HEDGEHOG (GRÁINNEOG)
Description It has spines and it is fat. If he is attacked it rolls up into a ball and is quite safe. Habitat He lives in an old rabbit hole or a thick hedge. He has a nest of dried leaves. He rolls into a ball and hibernates for the winter. Diet He eats berries, bugs, snails, worms, frogs and insects. He hunts for food at night. Breed A mother will eat her babies if she thinks they are going to die or that she can’t support all of them. The hedgehog has four or five babies in the summer. The babies are called kittens. Interesting Facts A hedgehog is a small insects eating mammal.

BADGER (BROC)
Description: The badger has a grey coat with a black and white striped head. He has powerful limbs, which makes him an excellent digger. Habitat: The badger lives in a sett. This is an underground network of tunnels and small rooms. They live in wooden areas near farms. They keep their homes very tidy. Diet: Badgers eat earthworms, snails, beetles, rats, mice, and baby rabbits. They hunt at night. Breeding: Between one and five cubs are born. Their cubs are born in spring. They stay with their parents for two months. Interesting Fact: A male badger is called a boar. A female badger is called a sow. These are the same names as for a pig.

BAT (SCIATHÁIN LEATHAIR)
Description They are generally dark brown furry creatures. They have a fox shaped face with wings and are the only mammals that can fly. The have large ears and a powerful sense of smell to have them find food and locate their babies They can see better at night, generally black & white vision only. Habitat Their natural habitat is trees, caves and they also live in attics, old disused mines and under bridges. They like living in dark places. Diet Fruit eating bats like ripe fruit Meat eating bats eat small creatures like frogs and mice Fish eating bats are able to pick small fish out of the water. 70% of all bats eat insects
Interesting facts Bats are not blind, they don’t sleep all day & they do not get tangled in long hair because they can catch insect at high speeds They can be found in all parts of the world in hot and cold climates except in Antarctica

PYGMY SHREW (DALLOG FHRAOIGH)
Description: The Pygmy Shrew looks like a mouse. It is smaller than a mouse. It is only 5cm long. He has a long nose. Its colour is greyish brown. Habitat: He lives in the fields and woods. He likes grassy places. It sleeps in a grass nests. He can also be found at the seashore at night looking for food. He eats grasshoppers, spiders, worms, centipedes, snails, beetles and woodlice. It hunts by smell because it has poor eyesight. Breeding: The Pygmy Shrew has lots of babes each year. About six babies are born each time. After four weeks they are almost as big as their mother. Interesting Facts: Their worst enemies are badgers, foxes and owls. The pygmy shrew lives for about 1 year.
The pygmy shrew is Ireland smallest mammal.
OTTER (DOBHRAN)
Description: Otters have a long body, which can be up to five feet long including the tail. They have a white face. He looks like a seal. He has valuable fur. Habitat: He lives near water in a home called a holt. These are tunnelled holes in the ground. They usually have an underground entrance to the holt. Diet: They hunt at night. Their favourite food is eels, fish and frogs. Breeding: The mother otter has two or three cubs, which are born in the spring. They stay with their mother for about two months. She teaches the young ones how to swim. She keeps her babies in the holt and gets food for them. Interesting facts: Otters are very clever swimmers. They are very shy animals.
HARE (AN GIORRIA)
Description: The Irish hare is related to the Arctic hare but its fur does not turn white in winter. The Irish hare has brown fur and a white tail. Its ears are longer than a rabbit. The hare is bigger and stronger than its cousin is the rabbit. Its hind legs and ears are longer too. Habitat: It rests in a bed of grass on the ground. Its home is called a form. It likes to live in sand dunes and bogs. Diet: It eats carrots and turnips and because of this he is not very popular with the farmer. It also eats grass and bark from trees. The hare rests through the day and searches for food in the evening. Breeding: Baby hares are called leverets. There can be up to three litters in a year. Between one and three leverets are born in each litter. Interesting fact. When Spring comes the male hares show off to attract the females. They start to "box" each other. This is why we have the phrase "As mad a March hare"
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