MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL: a data set of terrestrial, volant and marine mammal occurrences in Portugal

MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL a publicly available data set compiling unpublished geo-referenced occurrence records of 92 terrestrial and marine mammals in mainland Portugal and archipelagos of Azores and Madeira that includes 107,853 data entries between 1873 and 2021 (72% of the data occurring between 2000 and 2021). The methods used to collect the data were: live observation/captures (42%), sign surveys (38%), camera trapping (16%), bioacoustics surveys (4%) with radio-tracking and inquiries representing less than 1% of the records. The spatial uncertainty of most records ranges between 0 and 100 m (76%). Rodentia (n= 34,754) has the highest number of records followed by Carnivora (n= 18,594), Chiroptera (n= 18,858), Lagomorpha (n= 17,679), Cetartiodactyla (n= 11,568) and Eulipotyphla (n= 6,400). The data set includes records of species classified by the IUCN as Critically Endangered Eubalaena glacialis (n=1) and as Endangered [Oryctolagus cuniculus (n=12, 407), Monachus monachus (n= 1512), Lynx pardinus (n=197), Balaenoptera borealis (n=4)]. We believe that this data set may stimulate the beginning of a series of European mammals data sets which would certainly contribute to ecology and conservation-related research, and therefore assisting on the development of more accurate and tailored conservation management strategies for each species throughout their European range. Please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications.