in the National - Tapada Nacional de Mafra

Mammals
in the National
Hunting Grounds
of Mafra
The Red Deer
(Cervus elaphus)
Larger than its related fallow deer, this species proves
highly imposing. Male red deer display branches of
pointed tipped antlers in a formation equal to that
of the fallow deer. Indeed, this species does keep to a
life cycle and behaviours similar to those described for
fallow deer. The bellow of this species is more tuneful
if only because male adults defend territories spanning large areas. They are shyer in habit and normally
more active in the early dawn and where not actual-
ly during the night. They inhabit the less frequently
visited zones of the Hunting Grounds, with plenty of
areas for taking refuge with exception of the breeding season (autumn) when the species becomes less
concerned about any human presence. The National
Hunting Grounds of Mafra are home to a wild population of around 50 with a further few living in enclosures. The species is herbivorous and thus feeding off
fruits, grass and the sprouts of trees and bushes. Deer
rarely make recourse to feeding troughs such is their
level of unwillingness to interact with human beings.
The fawns, one per female, are normally born earlier
than the fallow deer (May/June) and also after around
seven months of gestation. They first display a mottled tone but this begins disappearing at around the
age of three to four months. The hides of both young
and adults is always in homogenous brown tones irrespective of the season of the year.
Red Fox
Genet
The Egyptian Mongoose
The red fox is a Canidae that roams freely and abundantly throughout the National Hunting Grounds
of Mafra even while its effective total population remains unknown. This a territorial animal that demarcates its borders by faeces (placed on tufts of grass or
stones), urine and other secretions. Within this territory, the fox digs its network of burrow. Reproduction
takes place in December and January and after around
50 days, the fox cubs are born in numbers of between 4
-5. They are primarily nocturnal or crepuscular in their
activities whilst becoming more diurnal in summer
when the food supply becomes scarcer. At such times,
they frequently turn to fruit. Direct observations are
scarce but their presence is clearly noticeable whether
through their footprints, excrement or even their body
odours. Night and dawn visits are best recommended
for those wishing to observe this inhabitant.
Resembling a small sized cat, this species has
nocturnal habits and shuns attention and is correspondingly difficult to spot. The genet is a carnivorous species and feeding off rodents, birds
and even reptiles and is a particularly capable
climber.
Due to its habit of always depositing its excrement in the same place — latrines—, the animal’s
presence proves easy to identify.
Breeding takes place in mid-February and March
or July and August with the offspring born eleven weeks later and numbering between 1-4 in a
nest built into a trunk or a hole between rocks.
The species also contains odorous and fairly
prominent glands by its tail and, in situations
of threat, releases a very strong and disturbing
stench.
With its long body and short legs, this species has
daily habits but its shy behaviour renders it difficult to spot or observe. The animal frequently raises
itself up on its hind legs to better observe its surroundings. This carnivorous species feeds primarily
off rabbits, rodents, birds, eggs and reptiles. They live
in family groups formed by the female, her offspring
and young (from the previous breeding season). The
breeding season takes place in February/March and
after around 84 days, between 4 and 6 mongoose are
born. As with African antecedents, the mongoose is
resistant to snake venom. This species also stands
out for having horizontal eye pupils, a rare occurrence among mammals. In the National Hunting
Grounds of Mafra, they may occasionally be spotted
in the Tojeira zone as this is both an open area and
with plenty of rabbits and reptiles.
(Vulpes vulpes)
(Genetta genetta)
(Herpestes ichneumon)
Fallow Deer
(Cervus dama)
The Fallow Deer, Cervus dama, is the most abundant member of the
Cervidae family in the National Hunting Grounds of Mafra (in excess
of 300 individuals) and also the most sociable towards humans. As
with the majority of the Cervidae, only the males display antlers
that in this species tend to flatten lengthwise. The antlers are
bone structures that experience discontinuous periods of growth
and are shed annually in spring before immediately beginning to
grow again before peaking in size late in July. During autumn, the
adult males do battle amongst themselves over possession of the
females. During this period, they issue snorting sounds entitled a
bellow. The bellow serves the purpose of attracting the attention of
females and dissuading competing males. The fawn, normally one
per female, are born in May/June after around a 7-month gestation
period. They display two skins over the course of the year: in winter,
in dark and homogenous tones while turning lighter and more
mottled during the summer months. This is a herbivorous species
that essentially feeds off grass, fruit, tree and bush shoots. During
the summer season, supplementary food is provided through
specifically installed structures – feeding troughs.
Skunk
The european polecat
Badger
A smaller member of the Mustelidae family
(males: 202-314 mm; females: 173-181 mm). This
species remains active both day and night and
alternating periods of activity with periods of
rest. Breeding takes place in mid-April/May and
in July/ August and after around 34-37 days between 4 and 6 young are born. Parental care is
exclusively the responsibility of the female. This
is a carnivorous species that lives essentially
off rodents as skunks are small enough to chase
them down in their own burrows. They are solitary animals.
The polecat also belongs to the Mustelidae family
even whilst larger in size than the skunk (male:
30-46 cm; female: 29-35 cm). This species also displays nocturnal habits with the males solitary and
the females caring for the young. They are carnivorous feeding off rodents, insects, birds and worms
and displaying food storage practices. Breeding
takes place between March and June before 2-12
polecats are born some 42 days later. Its domesticated version is known as the ferret and previously deployed by hunters to scare rabbits out of their
burrows.
The badger is the final representative of the Mustelidae
family in the grounds. Nocturnal in habits, the badgers are also very reticent in behaviour and hence difficult to spot. However, any close attention to the floor
very commonly finds their footprints easily identified
given its characteristic five pad and five nail markings.
It goes into semi-hibernation between November and
February and lives in social groups. Breeding takes
place between February and May, with 1-5 badgers born
to each reproductive cycle (with an effective gestation
period of 7 weeks). This is an omnivorous animal with
its diet spanning worms, insects, rodents, moles, rabbits, fruits and bulbs.
(Mustela nivalis)
(Mustela putorius)
(Meles meles)
Wild Boar
(Sus scrofa)
A member of the Suidae family, this species displays essentially crepuscular and nocturnal habits and abounds and runs throughout the extent of
the National Hunting Grounds of Mafra. The males
are somewhat more corpulent than the females
and also grow more salient teeth (jutting out over
the lip – razors and grinders). Depending on their
ages, wild boar grow various types of skin: born
with dark longitudinal lines and hence designated “lined”. As from six months, they gradually lose
these lines and turn brownish. As from one year of
age, they get darker with tones of grey and black
emerging. These omnivorous animals scrabble in
the soil to seek out seeds, fruits, roots, tubers and
small invertebrates.
They are also opportunist hunters and may go af-
ter rabbits, reptiles, rodents and even feeding off
dead bodies (more commonly in the summer season
when other foodstuffs fall into short supply). Piglets number between 1-10 and born as winter ends
and spring begins after approximately four months
of gestation. The births occur in special shelters
that the progenitors themselves construct - “birthing shelters”.
European
Rabbit
(Oryctolagus cuniculus)
The Spanish Mole
(Talpa occidentalis)
The Spanish mole belongs to the Talpidae family. This particular species remains active both by
day and by night even while spending the bulk of
its life living within the network of tunnels dug
out with its frontal spade shaped feed. The mole
lives almost exclusively off worms but does also
eat insects and slugs. Breeding takes place in the
month of April with 3-4 offspring born around 28
days later. Its presence is easily detected by the
small pile of earth left on the surface entrance to
any of its tunnels.
The European rabbit belongs to the
Leporidae family, which also includes the
hare. They live in colonies and their various
members leave their excrement only in
specific sites - latrines. Within each colony,
there is a strong social hierarchy and in
which the dominant hold the right to the
best burrows. The latrines are found in
abundance within the scope of fenced areas
as is the case with the Boavista field (on the
yellow footpath route). This is a herbivorous
species feeding off grass, roots and leaves.
They are busiest at night and during the
early hours of dawn. Breeding takes place
year round with the majority of offspring
born between April and June. The period
of gestation extends over 28-33 days with
each litter containing 3-12 newly borns that
are blind, death and skinless and with 3-7
litters born each year.
Hedgehog
(Erinaceus europaeus)
The hedgehog belongs to the Erinaceidae family and correspondingly has its body covered with
spines that get replaced on an irregular basis. They
are nocturnal inhabits and fairly elusive. This omnivorous species lives off a diet of worms, insects,
spiders, slugs, amphibians, young rodents, fruits
and mushrooms. They are solitary and non-territorial animals. Breeding happens in spring, following the emergence from hibernation. After 3135 days of gestation, the young are born in groups
of 4-6. Once again, the excrement easily gets found
and identified given its distinctive small c shape
and with the insect elytrons clearly visible.
Microtus arvalis
Common Vole
Crocidura russula
White-toothed shrew
Rattus rattus
Black Rat
Micro-mammals
The small mammals of the Hunting Grounds
There are various species of micro-mammal living in the National Hunting Grounds of Mafra
even while there is neither a complete current
inventory nor data on their respective population sizes. However, observations do indicate that
the Enchanted Forest is home to micro-mammals
from the Soricidae and Muridae families.
Soricidae: Sorex sp. – Shrew
Crocidura russula – White-toothed shrew
Muridae: Apodemus sylvaticus – Wood Mouse
Rattus rattus – Black rat
Mus sp. – House Rat
Microtus sp. – Vole
Microtus arvalis – Common Vole
Apodemus sylvaticus
Wood Mouse
© The Darwin Initiative Centre for Bat Research
European
Free-tailed
Bat
Tadarida
teniotis
(410mm)
Geoffroy’s Bat
Myotis
emarginatus
(220-285mm)
Greater Noctule Bat
Lesser Horseshoe Bat
Rhinolopus hipposideros (192-254mm)
Nyctalus noctula (320-400mm)
National Hunting Grounds of Mafra
Bats, small and poorly understood mammals, form part
of our collective imaginary and are inherently bound up
with fear and stories about the night. They are nevertheless the only mammals able to fly at night and with an
ability that triggers curiosity in even the most sceptical.
In Portugal, there are 27 known species of bat and all of
them insect eaters. However, there is much still to be discovered about these species. We do know that they represent one of the most endangered species in our fauna
due to their sensitivity to disturbances in critical seasons, the negative consequences from the application of
pesticides and to their own low birth rates bearing but
one bat per year. Hence, bats not only represent a vulnerable species but also some of them are in critical condition and at risk of extinction.
In the National Hunting Grounds of Mafra, there has
been an increasing number of species identified as the
large trees prove favourable to the hosting of colonies
of vesper bat. Standing out within this large group is
Bechstein’s bat — Myotis bechsteinii with a wing span
of around 250-300mm, this species is listed by the IUCN,
the International Union for the Conservation of Nature
as “In Danger” that reflects the correspondingly high
risk of its extinction. With few alternative habitats, the
water mines provide shelter for some types of cave bats
such as the colony of lesser horseshoe bats — Rhinolopus hipposideros displaying wing spans of between 192254mm and that inhabit one of the many water mines
existing in the grounds. There are many species of bat
about which we lack the information necessary to making affirmations as to the level of threat they face and
thus also demonstrating that there is still much to learn
and study about these magnificent mammals. However,
the knowledge already gained about their characteristics has been applied to the technological development
of sonar, communication, echographies and devices to
measure speed as well as in the field of medicine with
treatments for cardiovascular complications arising out
of the anticoagulant saliva of the hematophagus bats
of South America. One clearly proven facet is the importance of bats to balancing ecosystems as the fact that
they consume significant quantities of insects every
night helps in controlling and avoiding plagues causing
damage to agricultural crops.
© Emiliano Mori
Bats: the Chiropteras of the
Greater Noctule Bat
Nyctalus leisleri (60mm)
Serotine Bat
Eptesicus serotinus (315-380mm)
Pipistrelle Bat
Pipistrelle Bat
Lesser Mouse-eared Bat
Greater Mouse-eared Bat
Pipistrellus pipistrellus (210-240mm)
Myotis blythii (350-400mm)
Natterer’s Bat
Myotis escaleri (245-300mm)
Bechstein’s Bat
Myotis bechsteini (250-300mm)
Pipistrelus pygmaeus (210-240mm
Myotis myotis (350/450mm)
Brown Long-eared Bat
Plecotus auritus (240-285mm)
Mammals
in the National
Hunting Grounds
of Mafra
PATRIMÓNIO
NATURAL
COM HISTÓRIA.