Context
Mammal features on SSSIs can be notified if they qualify under
criteria outlined in sections 3.1 - 3.4 of Chapter 13 'Mammals' of
the Guidelines for Selection of Biological SSSIs. In
Northern Ireland, ASSIs are selected on a very similar basis – the
Guidelines
for the Selection of Biological ASSIs in Northern Ireland is an
addendum to the SSSI guidelines rather than an alternative.
Sites are currently notified mostly for bats, otter and seals.
Sites for seals may be notified both
for moulting haul-out or for breeding locations. The basis of
site selection for otter is mainly breeding holts or holt
complexes, together with the immediate surroundings and
cover. For bats, both hibernating and breeding sites can be
selected, in some cases for individual species, in others for an
assemblage of breeding and hibernating species.
Sites are not notified directly for
other mammals such as pine marten Martes martes, wildcat
Felis sylvestris, polecat Mustela putorius, red
squirrel Sciurus vulgaris, common dormouse Muscardinus
avellanarius, yellow-necked mouse Apodemus
flavicollis, Orkney vole Microtus arvalis orcadensis
and lesser white-toothed shrew Crocidura suaveolus, but
such species can be taken into account as attributes that enhance
the value of sites that are notified predominantly for
habitat or botanical features.
Mammals listed on Annex II of
the EC Habitats Directive, and thereby qualifying as features for
the selection of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), are: lesser
horseshoe bat Rhinolophus hipposideros, greater horseshoe
bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, barbastelle Barbastella
barbastellus, Bechstein's bat Myotis bechsteinii,
bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus, harbour porpoise
Phocoena phocoena, otter Lutra lutra, grey seal
Halichoerus grypus and harbour (common) seal Phoca
vitulina.