Did you see a mammal?

Spot an urban fox, badger, raccoon dog, hedgehog, squirrel or rat and report your sighting. We will be collecting valuable citizens’ sightings until 31 October <p><strong>Have you seen a fox, badger, raccoon dog, hedgehog, squirrel or rat in Helsinki? Where and when?</strong></p><p>We are collecting citizens’ sightings of six easily identifiable mammal species. The period for collecting sightings is 1 April until 31 October 2023. By taking part, you will be doing valuable citizen science and helping to determine the incidence of these species in Helsinki.</p><p>Recording a sighting is easy. You can do it in two ways.</p><p><strong>1. Use the easy-to-use form to register your sightseeing in the laji.fi database:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://loydos.luomus.fi/loydos/forms/luontohavainto?language=en"><strong>Report of a nature sighting (luomus.fi)</strong></a></p><ul><li>Additional information can include the animal's condition or activity (what the animal is doing and/or whether it may be dead or sick).</li></ul><p><strong>2. Save an identifiable picture of the animal free of charge&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/"><strong>in the iNaturalist app</strong></a></p><ul><li>The picture does not have to be of high quality, game camera shots are also acceptable.</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The City of Helsinki collected sightings of these same species back in 2013. We are interested in recent sightings and changes in the distribution of animals in the urban area.&nbsp;</p><p>The citizens’ sightings event is part City of Helsinki Biodiversity Action Plan 2021–2028. We will publish a summary of the recorded sightings in LUMO Watch after the event:&nbsp;<a href="https://lumovahti.hel.fi/actions/11.7">Citizens’ sightings of event in LUMO Watch</a> (in Finnish).</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Can you already identify all the mammals in the challenge? Tell us here!</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Raccoon dog</strong>: looks like a dog, black cheeks (unclear colour boundaries)</li><li><strong>Badger</strong>: black and white face, short legs, broad stature</li><li><strong>Fox</strong>: reddish brown colouring, bushy tail</li><li><strong>Squirrel</strong>: bushy tail, characteristic posture and movements. Switches from a grey winter suit to a red summer one with tuft-free ears.</li><li><strong>Rat</strong>: Brown with a white belly; a scaly tail almost the same length as its body</li><li><strong>Hedgehog</strong>: spiny back, not easily confused with any other species!</li></ul><p>Come and get involved in monitoring and recording sightings of Helsinki's mammals! Have fun with nature spotting and urban wildlife.</p>

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