Mammals – Transect Sign Surveys – Spain – 2022–2025 – MOMAT Project

Data Records

The data in this occurrence resource has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A), which is a standardized format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data table contains 6,201 records.

This IPT archives the data and thus serves as the data repository. The data and resource metadata are available for download in the downloads section. The versions table lists other versions of the resource that have been made publicly available and allows tracking changes made to the resource over time.

Versions

The table below shows only published versions of the resource that are publicly accessible.

How to cite

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

Rodríguez-Rodríguez E J, Matutano J, Calzada J, Fernández-López J, Mas M, Palomo J, Rouco C, Santoro S, Román J (2026). Mammals – Transect Sign Surveys – Spain – 2022–2025 – MOMAT Project. Version 2.0. Sociedad Ibérica para la Conservación y Estudio de los Mamíferos (SECEM). Occurrence dataset. https://doi.org/10.15470/aznvgz

Rights

Researchers should respect the following rights statement:

The publisher and rights holder of this work is Sociedad Ibérica para la Conservación y Estudio de los Mamíferos (SECEM). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY 4.0) License.

GBIF Registration

This resource has been registered with GBIF, and assigned the following GBIF UUID: aa67ebd4-a094-4200-bb3b-55775128a670.  Sociedad Ibérica para la Conservación y Estudio de los Mamíferos (SECEM) publishes this resource, and is itself registered in GBIF as a data publisher endorsed by GBIF Spain.

Keywords

Occurrence; National survey; Observation

Contacts

Geographic Coverage

The study area encompasses the entire Spanish territory, including the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla. This region spans a wide range of bioclimatic zones, from Atlantic and Alpine in the north, to Mediterranean and semi-arid regions in the south and southeast, as well as Macaronesian climates in the Canary Islands. Elevation ranges from sea level to over 3,400 m in the Pyrenees and Sierra Nevada, resulting in steep climatic and habitat gradients. The landscape is highly heterogeneous, comprising forests (deciduous, coniferous, and mixed), shrublands, grasslands, wetlands, rivers and streams, coastal areas, agricultural lands, and urbanized zones. Such environmental diversity supports a broad spectrum of terrestrial and semi-aquatic mammal species with varying ecological requirements and detectability, making standardized and complementary survey methods essential for comprehensive monitoring.

Taxonomic Coverage

Terrestrial mammals of Spain.

Temporal Coverage

Project Data

State and EU regulations require Member States to monitor, track, and assess various species of terrestrial mammals. Periodically, it is necessary to update reports and Red Lists, which are essential for defining appropriate management measures to protect and promote biodiversity in our country. In this context, the project developed by SECEM together with TRAGSATEC (2024–2025) was launched, in which a Terrestrial Mammal Monitoring plan (MOMAT) was designed. Its objective is to gather information on most mammal species that currently lack specific monitoring programs. At present, the MOMAT project operates thanks to volunteer participation. The data collected help improve knowledge about the species included both in the annexes of the Habitats Directive and in the EU Regulation on invasive alien species. All the information generated will contribute to future updates of the Atlas and Red Book of Terrestrial Mammals of Spain, facilitating a better understanding of our fauna and supporting more effective decision-making in conservation.

The personnel involved in the project:

Sampling Methods

Track and sign surveys were used to detect mammals through indirect evidence such as footprints, faeces, burrows, and feeding remains. For each 10 × 10 km UTM grid cell, a list of potentially detectable species was defined based on species biology, known or nearby records, and the reliability of identification from field signs. Two survey types were carried out: terrestrial transects of at least 1 km per cell, and 600 m aquatic transects along water bodies for water-associated species. All routes were actively searched, and survey effort and evidence were recorded.

Method step description:

1. Track and sign surveys were conducted to detect mammal presence through indirect evidence such as footprints, faeces, burrows and feeding remains. For each UTM 10 × 10 km grid cell, a list of potentially detectable species was established based on species biology, known or nearby historical occurrences, and the reliability of species identification from field signs. Two types of itineraries were conducted: • Terrestrial itineraries: At least one transect of a minimum length of 1 km per grid cell. • Aquatic itineraries: Transects of 600 m along rivers, streams, or other aquatic habitats to detect species closely associated with water bodies. All itineraries were actively searched for signs of the target species. Survey routes, effort (length and duration) and associated evidence were recorded.

Additional Metadata