NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Fauna of Scotland

The Fauna of Scotland is generally typical of that of the north west European part of the Palearctic ecozone, although several of the larger mammals were hunted to extinction in historic times. A population of wild cats remains.^[1] There are important populations of seals and internationally significant nesting grounds for a variety of seabirds such as Northern Gannets.^[2] The Golden Eagle is something of a national icon,^[3] and White-tailed Eagles and Ospreys are recent re-colonisations. The Scottish Crossbill is Britain's only endemic vertebrate species.^[4] There are numerous species of invertebrate that are otherwise rare in the UK.^[5] Climate change, especially the potential effects on mountain plateaux and marine life, is of growing concern to naturalists.^[6] World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... The Palearctic or Palaearctic is one of the eight ecozones dividing the Earth surface (see map). ... Ecozones are global divisions which have their own characteristic interplay of climatic factors, morphodynamics, soil-forming processes, living conditions for plants and animals, and production potentials for agriculture and forestry. ... For other meanings of Wild Cat and wildcat, see wildcat. ... Seal or SEAL can refer to: Seal, a device used to produce an official stamp as a symbol of authority. ... Binomial name Morus bassanus Linnaeus, 1758 Northern Gannet range The Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus, formerly Sula bassana) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. ... Binomial name Aquila chrysaetos Linnaeus, 1758 World distribution of the golden eagle Light green = Nesting area Blue = Wintering area Dark green = All year distribution The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. ... Binomial name Haliaeetus albicilla (Linnaeus, 1758) Light Green: nesting area Blue: wintering area Dark Green: all-year Synonyms Falco albicilla Linnaeus, 1758 Haliaeetus albicilla albicilla Haliaeetus albicilla groenlandicus The White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla[1]), also known as the Sea Eagle, Erne or White-tailed Sea-eagle is a very... Binomial name Pandion haliaetus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a medium large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution. ... Binomial name Loxia scotica Hartert,, 1904 The Scottish Crossbill (Loxia scotica) is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. ... Monte Roraima In geology and earth science, a plateau, also called a high plateau or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat open country. ... Marine is an umbrella term for things relating to the ocean, as with marine biology, marine geology, and as a term for a navy, etc. ...

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 27 KB) Licensing Source [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 27 KB) Licensing Source [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Habitats

Scotland enjoys a diversity of temperate ecologies, incorporating both deciduous and coniferous woodlands, and moorland, montane, estuarine, freshwater, oceanic, and tundra landscapes.^[7] Approximately 14% of Scotland is wooded, much of it forestry plantations, but prior to human clearing this would have included much larger areas of boreal Caledonian and broad-leaved forest.^[8] Although much reduced, significant remnants of the native Scots Pine woodlands, can be found in places.^[9] 17% of Scotland is covered by heather moorland and peatland. Caithness and Sutherland have one of the largest and most intact areas of blanket bog in the world, supporting a distinctive wildlife community.^[10]^[11] 75% of Scotland's land is classed as agricultural (including some moorland) with urban areas accounting for around 3% of the total. The coastline is 11,803 km in length, and the number of islands with terrestrial vegetation is nearly 800, about 600 of them lying off the west coast. Scotland has more than 90% of the volume and 70% of the total surface area of fresh water in the United Kingdom. There are more than 30,000 fresh water lochs and 6,600 river systems.^[7] Download high resolution version (972x1296, 331 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (972x1296, 331 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Binomial name Pinus sylvestris L. The Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris; family Pinaceae) is a common tree ranging from Great Britain and Spain east to eastern Siberia and the Caucasus Mountains, and as far north as Lapland. ... River Dee near Braemar The Linn of Dee, small gorge near Braemar The River Dee is a 90 mile (140 km) long river, that rises in the Cairngorms, Aberdeenshire, Scotland and flows into the North Sea at Aberdeen. ... Ernst Haeckel coined the term oekologie in 1866. ... Deciduous means temporary or tending to fall off (deriving from the Latin word decidere, to fall off). ... Orders & Families Cordaitales † Pinales Pinaceae - Pine family Araucariaceae - Araucaria family Podocarpaceae - Yellow-wood family Sciadopityaceae - Umbrella-pine family Cupressaceae - Cypress family Cephalotaxaceae - Plum-yew family Taxaceae - Yew family Vojnovskyales † Voltziales † The conifers, division Pinophyta, are one of 13 or 14 division level taxa within the Kingdom Plantae. ... Moorland in the Pennines (England); Coarse grasses and bracken tend to dominate especially in high rainfall areas. ... Mount McKinley in Alaska has one of the largest visible base-to-summit elevation differences anywhere A mountain is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain in a limited area. ... Estuaries and coastal waters are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing ecological, economic, cultural, and aesthetic benefits. ... For the village on the Isle of Wight, see Freshwater, Isle of Wight. ... Oceans (from Okeanos in Greek) are saline waters that cover almost three quarters (71%) of the surface of the Earth. ... In physical geography, tundra is an area where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. ... The Caledonian Forest is the name of a type of woodland that once covered vast areas of the Scottish Highlands, Scotland, UK. Today, however, all that remains is a mere 1% of the original forest in 35 isolated locations. ... Binomial name Pinus sylvestris L. The Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris; family Pinaceae) is a common tree ranging from Great Britain and Spain east to eastern Siberia and the Caucasus Mountains, and as far north as Lapland. ... Heather may be: In botany, the plant Calluna vulgaris, or, more loosely, various species of the closely related genera Erica and Cassiope, low evergreen shrubs (also called heaths). The term is also used to describe land which is vegetated with these plants; In apparel or textiles, interwoven yarns with a... Peat in Lewis, Scotland Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter. ... Caithness (Gallaibh in Gaelic)[1] is a committee area of Highland Council, Scotland; a lieutenancy area; and a registration county, Caithness was formerly a district within the Highland region from 1975 to 1996 and a local government county with its own county council from 1890 to 1975. ... Sutherland (Cataibh in Gaelic) is a committee area of the Highland Council, Scotland, a registration county, and a lieutenancy area. ... A Blanket bog is a type of bog found mainly in the midlands of the Republic of Ireland. ... For the village on the Isle of Wight, see Freshwater, Isle of Wight. ... View across Loch Lomond, towards Ben Lomond. ...

Under the auspices of the European Unions Habitats Directive, as at 31 March 2003 a total of 230 sites in Scotland covering an area of 874,808 ha had been submitted by the UK government to the European Commission as candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSAC).^[12] Scotland’s seas are among the most biologically productive in the world and contain 40,000 or more different species. 24 of the cSACs are marine sites, and a further nine are coastal with both marine and non-marine elements.^[13] In total they extend to an area of around 35,000 ha. The UK government is currently considering designating an area known as the Darwin Mounds, covering approximately 10,000 ha, as the first offshore cSAC.^[12] The Habitats Directive (more formally known as Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora) is a European Union directive adopted in 1992as an EU response to the Berne Convention. ... First discovered in 1998, the Darwin Mounds are unique. ...

Mammals

Scotland was entirely^[14] covered in ice during the Pleistocene glaciations. As the post-glacial weather warmed, mammals migrated through the landscape, although mainland Britain has only two thirds of the species that reached Scandinavia, and the Hebridean islands off Scotland's west coast, only half those of Britain.^[15] There are 62 species of mammal living wild in and around Scotland including 13 species found in coastal waters.^[16] The populations of a third of the land mammal species are thought to be in decline.^[17] There are no endemic mammal species although the St Kilda mouse Apodemus sylvaticus hirtensi is an endemic subspecies of the Wood Mouse which reaches twice the size of its mainland cousins,^[3] and the Orkney Vole or cuttick, Microtus arvalis orcadensis found only in the Orkney archipelago, is a sub-species of the Common Vole. It may have been introduced by early settlers circa 4,000 years ago.^[18] The Pleistocene epoch (IPA: ) is part of the geologic timescale. ... A glaciation (a created composite term meaning Glacial Period, referring to the Period or Era of, as well as the process of High Glacial Activity), often called an ice age, is a geological phenomenon in which massive ice sheets form in the Arctic and Antarctic and advance toward the equator. ... Scandinavia is a historical and geographical region centered on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. ... The Hebrides The Hebrides (Gaelic: Innse Gall) comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, and in geological terms are composed of the oldest rocks in the British Isles. ... In biology and ecology endemic means exclusively native to a place or biota, in contrast to cosmopolitan or introduced. ... Mercator projection map of the St Kilda Island group with inset of the British Isles. ... Binomial name Apodemus sylvaticus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) or Long-tailed Field Mouse is a common rodent, closely related to the Yellow-necked Mouse, which was only being recognised as a distinct species in 1894. ... Orkney (sometimes known as the Orkney Islands) is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles north of the coast of Caithness. ... Binomial name Microtus arvalis (Pallas, 1778) The Common Vole, Microtus arvalis, is a European mammal. ...

Carnivores

The family Mustelidae's representation in Scotland is typical of Britain as a whole save that the Polecat is absent and Scotland is the UK's stronghold of the Pine Marten,^[19] although the purity of the latter breed is threatened by a release of American Martens in northern England.^[3] Scotland hosts the only populations of European Wild Cat in the British Isles with an assumed total of 3,500 animals,^[20] and of the fox sub-species Vulpes v. vulpes, a larger race than the more common Vulpes v. crucigera and which has two distinct forms.^[1] The Wild Cat is at risk due to the inadequacy of protective legislation,^[3] and is now considered at serious risk of extinction.^[21] European Wild Cat - uploaded from the http://schmode. ... European Wild Cat - uploaded from the http://schmode. ... For other meanings of Wild Cat and wildcat, see wildcat. ... Subfamilies Lutrinae Melinae Mellivorinae Taxidiinae Mustelinae Mustelidae is a family of carnivorous mammals. ... Binomial name Mustela putorius Linnaeus, 1758 The European Polecat (Mustela putorius) is a member of the Mustelidae family, and is related to the stoats, otters, weasels, and minks. ... Binomial name Martes martes (Linnaeus, 1758) This article is about the European Pine Marten. ... Binomial name Martes americana (Turton, 1806) The American Marten (Martes americana) is a North American marten sometimes also called the Pine Marten, even though it is a separate species from the European Pine Marten. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification - by Athelstan AD 927 Area - Total 130,395 kmÂ² (1st in UK) 50,346 sq mi Population - 2006 est. ... For other meanings of Wild Cat and wildcat, see wildcat. ... Location of the British Isles The British Isles is a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe consisting of Great Britain, Ireland, and a number of smaller surrounding islands and islets. ... A fox is a member of any of 27 species of small omnivorous canids. ...

Amongst the seals only the Phocidae, or earless seals, are represented other than as occasional vagrants. Two species, the Grey Seal and Harbour or Common Seal are present around the coast of Scotland in internationally important numbers. In 2002 the Scottish Grey Seal population was estimated at 120,600 adult animals, which is circa 36% of the world population and over 90% of the UK's. The Scottish population of the harbour seal is 29,700, circa 90% of the UK and 36% of the European total. ^[22] Genera Monachus (Monk Seals) Mirounga (Elephant Seal) Lobodon (Crabeater Seals) Leptonychotes Hydrurga (Leopard Seals) Ommatophoca Erignathus (Bearded Seals) Phoca Halichoerus (Gray Seals) Cystophora (Hooded Seals) The true seals or earless seals are one of the three main groups of mammals within the seal suborder, Pinnipedia. ... Binomial name Halichoerus grypus (Fabricius, 1791) Grey Seal range (in blue) The Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. ... Binomial name bobbi Linnaeus,, 1758 Common or Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina) are true seals of the Northern Hemisphere. ...

Rodents, Insectivores and Lagomorphs

75% of the UK's Red Squirrels are to be found in Scotland. This species is facing a number of threats, including competition from the introduced Grey Squirrel and the 'Scottish Strategy for Red Squirrel Conservation' provides a framework for supporting its long-term conservation.^[23] Scotland has no population of the Edible or Hazel Dormouse, or of the Yellow-necked Mouse, and the Harvest Mouse's range is limited to the southern part of the country. The St Kilda Mouse and Orkney Vole (see above) are endemic, but otherwise population distributions are similar to the rest of mainland Britain.^[19] Colonies of Black Rats remain only on the island of Inchcolm in the Firth of Forth and on the Shiant Isles.^[24] Binomial name Sciurus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 The red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), is a species of tree squirrels (genus Sciurus). ... Binomial name Sciurus carolinensis Gmelin, 1788 The Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is a tree squirrel that is native to the eastern to midwestern United States and the eastern provinces of Canada. ... Binomial name Glis glis (Linnaeus, 1766) The edible dormouse or fat dormouse (Glis glis) is a small dormouse and the only species in the genus Glis. ... Binomial name Muscardinus avellanarius (Linnaeus, 1758) The Hazel Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) is a small mammal. ... Binomial name Apodemus flavicollis (Melchior, 1834) The yellow-necked mouse Apodemus flavicollis is closely related to the wood mouse, with which it was long confused, only being recognised as a separate species in 1894. ... Binominal name Micromys minutus The Harvest mouse, Micromys minutus is a small rodent native to Europe and Asia. ... Binomial name Rattus rattus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Black Rat (Rattus rattus, also known as the Asian Black Rat, Ship Rat, Roof Rat or House Rat) is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus Rattus (Old World rodents) and the subfamily murinae (Murine rodents). ... Inchcolm (Scottish Gaelic: Innis Choluim - Island of Columba) is an island in the Firth of Forth, east of the Forth Bridge, south of Aberdour, Fife, and north of the City of Edinburgh in Scotland. ... The Firth of Forth from Calton Hill The Forth Bridges cross the Firth Satellite photo of the Firth and the surrounding area The Firth of Forth (Abhainn Dhubh [Black River] in Scottish Gaelic) is the estuary or firth of Scotlands River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea... The Shiant Isles (Scottish Gaelic: Na h-Eileanan Seunta) are an island group in the Minch, east of Harris in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. ...

Mainland insectivore populations are generally as for the rest of Britain. Recent steps by Scottish Natural Heritage, the Scottish Executive and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to remove European Hedgehogs from the Outer Hebrides,^[25] where their introduction has caused declines in internationally important breeding populations of waders such as Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Redshank has caused considerable controversy.^[26] Any organism with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures is an insectivore. ... Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is a Scottish public body . ... The Executives logo, shown with English and Scottish Gaelic caption The term Scottish Executive is used in two different, but closely-related senses: to denote the executive arm of Scotlands national legislature (i. ... The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is Europes largest wildlife conservation charity. ... Binomial name Erinaceus europaeus Linnaeus, 1758 The European Hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus, is a hedgehog, a mammal in the order Insectivora. ... Western Isles redirects here. ... Binomial name Calidris alpina (Linnaeus, 1758) The Dunlin, Calidris alpina, is a small wader. ... Binomial name Charadrius hiaticula (Linnaeus, 1758) The Ringed Plover, Charadrius hiaticula, is a small plover. ... Binomial name Tringa totanus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Common Redshank or Redshank (Tringa totanus) is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders. ...

The Mountain Hare is the only native member of the family, and is the dominant species thoughout most of upland Scotland. The European Hare and European Rabbit are both present, the latter having been brought to Britain by the Romans^[27] but not becoming widespread in Scotland until the 19th Century.^[28] Binomial name Lepus timidus Linnaeus, 1758 The Mountain Hare (Lepus timidus) is a hare, which is largely adapted to polar and mountainous habitats. ... Binomial name Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778 The European Hare or Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus) is a species of hare native to northern and central Europe and western Asia. ... Binomial name Oryctolagus cuniculus (Linnaeus, 1758) The European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a species of rabbit native to southern Europe. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ...

Artiodactyls

Landseer's painting of a Red Deer stag, Monarch of the Glen is one of the most notable images of Victorian Scotland.^[29] The species is still 40,000 strong, although its existence in the pure form is threatened by hybridisation with introduced Sika Deer. Very much a hill-dwelling species in Scotland, (and so typically smaller in stature than its European forest-loving cousins) it is generally replaced by Roe Deer in lower-lying land.^[3] Scotland has no wild populations of Chinese Water Deer and no or very few Chinese Muntjac. There are also various isolated populations of feral goat Capra hircus and feral sheep Ovis ammon.^[30] Since 1952 a herd of semi-domesticated Reindeer have lived in the Cairngorm National Park,^[3] the species having become extinct in Scotland at some point after it was recorded as having been hunted in Orkney the 12th Century.^[31] Monarch of the Glen by Sir Edwin Landseer, 1851: the image was widely distributed in steel engravings Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, RA (b. ... Binomial name Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758 Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) is one of the largest species of deer in the world. ... Genera About 15 in 4 subfamilies. ... Monarch of the Glen is also the name of a painting by Edwin Henry Landseer Monarch of the Glen was a Scottish television drama, produced by Ecosse Films for BBC Scotland and transmitted on the BBC One network in the UK. The series premiered in 2000, and its seventh and... Binomial name Cervus nippon Temminck, 1838 Subspecies The Sika Deer Cervus nippon is a typical member of the family Cervidae. ... Binomial name Capreolus capreolus, Capreolus pygargus (Linnaeus, 1758) There are two species of Roe Deer. ... Binomial name Hydropotes inermis (Swinhoe, 1870) The Water Deer is superficially more similar to a musk deer than a true deer (cervidae) but it is classified as a cervid despite having tusks (downward-pointing canine teeth) instead of antlers and other anatomical anomalies. ... Species See text. ... A feral horse (an American mustang) in Wyoming A feral animal or plant is one that has escaped from domestication and returned, partly or wholly, to its wild state. ... Species See Species and subspecies The goat is a mammal in the genus Capra, which consists of nine species: the Ibex, the West Caucasian Tur, the East Caucasian Tur, the Markhor, and the Wild Goat. ... Species See text. ... Binomial name Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758) The reindeer, known as caribou when wild in North America, is an Arctic and Subarctic-dwelling deer (Rangifer tarandus). ... ... Orkney (sometimes known as the Orkney Islands) is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles north of the coast of Caithness. ...

Other mammals

Only nine of the sixteen or seventeen bat species found elsewhere in Britain are present in Scotland. Widespread species are Common and Soprano Pipistrelles, the Brown Long-eared Bat, Daubenton's Bat and Natterer's Bat. Those with a more restricted distribution are the Whiskered Bat, Noctule, Leisler's Bat and Nathusius Pipistrelle. Absences include the Greater and Lesser Horseshoe Bat, the Greater Mouse-eared Bat and Bechstein's Bat.^[32] There are no resident bats on the Shetland islands, the only records there having been migrants or vagrants.^[33] Binomial name Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Schreber, 1774) The Common Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus is a small bat. ... Binomial name Plecotus auritus (Linnaeus, 1758) The brown long-eared bat Plecotus auritus is a fairly large European bat. ... Binomial name Myotis daubentonii (Kuhl, 1817) The Daubentons bat Myotis daubentonii is a Eurasian bat with quite short ears. ... Binomial name Myotis nattereri (Kuhl, 1817) Natterers bat Myotis nattereri is a European bat with pale wings. ... Binomial name Myotis mystacinus (Kuhl, 1817) The whiskered bat Myotis mystacinus is a small European bat with long fur. ... The bat genus Nyctalus (Noctule bats) are members of the family Vespertilionidae (Vesper bats) or sometimes Evening bats. ... Binomial name Nyctalus leisleri (Kuhl, 1817) The Lesser Noctule or Leislers Bat (Nyctalus leisleri) is a species of bat belonging to the vesper bat family, Vespertilionidae. ... Binomial name Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (Schreber, 1774) The Greater Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum is a European bat with a wingspan of 34-39cm. ... This article needs copyediting (checking for proper English spelling, grammar, usage, tone, style, and voice). ...

Twenty-one species of cetacean have been recorded in Scottish waters within the last 100 years including Cuvier’s beaked whale, Killer Whales, Sperm Whales, Minke Whales and Common, White-beaked and Risso’s dolphins.^[34] The Moray Firth colony of c. 100 Bottlenose Dolphins^[35] is the most northerly in the world. As recent dramatic television coverage indicated,^[36] this species predates on Harbour Porpoises with a third of carcasses examined by pathologists from 1992-2002 indicated that death was as a result of dolphin attacks.^[3] Binomial name Ziphius cavirostris G. Cuvier, 1823 Cuviers Beaked Whale range Cuviers Beaked Whale is the most widely distributed of all the beaked whales. ... Binomial name Orcinus orca Linnaeus, 1758 Orca range (in blue) The orca (Orcinus orca), commonly known as the killer whale, and sometimes called the grampus, is the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. ... Binomial name Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758 Sperm Whale range (in blue) The Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is the largest of all toothed whales and is the largest toothed animal alive, measuring up to 18 metres (60 ft) long, aswell as being the largest known predator ever to exist. ... Binomial name Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacepede, 1804 Balaenoptera bonaerensis Burmeister, 1867 Minke Whale range Antarctic Minke Whale range Dwarf Minke Whale range The Minke Whale or Lesser Rorqual is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales. ... Binomial name Delphinus capensis Gray, 1828 Long-beaked Common Dolphin range Delphinus delphis Linnaeus, 1758 Short-beaked Common Dolphin range The common dolphin is the name given to up to two species of dolphin making up the genus Delphinus. ... Binomial name Lagenorhynchus albirostris (Gray, 1846) White-beaked Dolphin range The White-beaked Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) is a marine mammal belonging to the family Delphinidae (dolphins) in the suborder of the Odontoceti, or toothed whales. ... The Moray Firth is a roughly triangular area of the North Sea, north and east of Inverness. ... Binomial name Tursiops truncatus Montagu, 1821 Bottlenose Dolphin range (in blue) The Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is the most common and well-known dolphin species. ... Binomial name Phocoena phocoena Linnaeus, 1758 Harbour Porpoise range The Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) is one of six species of porpoise, and so one of about eighty cetacean species. ...

The primate Homo s. sapiens is well represented, although the introduced marsupial, the Red-necked Wallaby, is confined to a colony on an island in Loch Lomond.^[37] Families 15, See classification A primate (L. prima, first) is any member of the biological order Primates, the group that contains all the species commonly related to the lemurs, monkeys, and apes, with the latter category including humans. ... Trinomial name Homo sapiens sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Humans, or human beings, are bipedal primates belonging to the mammalian species Homo sapiens (Latin for wise man or knowing man) under the family Hominidae (known as the great apes). ... Orders Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Marsupials are mammals in which the female typically has a pouch (called the marsupium, from which the name Marsupial derives) in which it rears its young through early infancy. ... Binomial name Macropus rufogriseus Desmarest, 1817 The Red-necked Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) is a medium-sized macropod, common in the more temperate and fertile parts of eastern Australia. ... Loch Lomond (IPA pronunciation: ), (Scottish Gaelic Loch Laomainn) is a Scottish loch (the Gaelic word for lake), located in both the western lowlands of Central Scotland and the southern Highlands. ...

Extinctions

During the onmouseover="pv(event, 211)" onmouseout="unpv(211)" style="">Pleistocene interglacials various arctic animals that are no longer extant occupied Scotland, including the Woolly Rhinoceros, Mammoth, Polar Bear, lemming,^[15] Arctic Fox and the giant deer Megaloceros giganteus.^[28] Other mammals which used to inhabit Scotland, but which became extinct the wild during historic times include the Eurasian Lynx, which lived in Britain until 1,500 years ago,^[31] the European Brown Bear, sub-species Ursus caledoniensis, which was taken to entertain the Roman circuses^[15] but died out in the 9th or 10th century, and the Elk which lasted until circa 1300. The Wild Boar and Wild Ox or Urus died out in the subsequent two centuries although the former's domesticated cousin, the grice lasted until 1930 in Shetland.^[38] The last Wolf was shot on Mackintosh land in Invernessshire in 1743,^[2]^[39] and the Walrus is now only a occasional vagrant.^[19] St Kilda also possessed an endemic sub-species of the House Mouse Mus musculus muralis, which was longer, hairier, coloured differently and had a somewhat different shaped skull to the norm. It became extinct in 1938, just eight years after the evacuation of the native St Kildans.^[40] The Pleistocene epoch (IPA: ) is part of the geologic timescale. ... The red line indicates the 10Â°C isotherm in July, commonly used to define the Arctic region border Satellite image of the Arctic surface The Arctic is the area around the Earths North Pole, opposite the Antarctican area around the South Pole. ... Binomial name Coelodonta antiquitatis (Blumenbach, 1807) The Woolly Rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) is an extinct species of rhinoceros that lived during the Pleistocene epoch, but survived the last ice age. ... Species Mammuthus africanavus African mammoth Mammuthus columbi Columbian mammoth Mammuthus exilis Pygmy mammoth Mammuthus jeffersonii Jeffersonian mammoth Mammuthus trogontheri Steppe mammoth Mammuthus meridionalis Mammuthus primigenius Woolly mammoth Mammuthus lamarmorae Sardinian Dwarf Mammoth A mammoth is any of a number of an extinct genus of elephant, often with long curved tusks... Binomial name Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774 The polar bear (Ursus maritimus), also known as the white bear, northern bear, or sea bear, is a large bear native to the Arctic. ... Genera Dicrostonyx Lemmus Synaptomys Myopus * Incomplete listing: see vole Lemmings are small rodents, usually found in or near the Arctic. ... Binomial name Alopex lagopus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Arctic fox (Alopex lagopus), also known as the polar fox, is a small fox native to cold Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. ... Binomial name Megaloceros giganteus (Blumenbach, 1799) The Irish Elk (Megaloceros giganteus) is an extinct deer that lived in Europe during the Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene epochs. ... Binomial name Lynx lynx (Linnaeus, 1758) The Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) is a medium-sized cat of European and Siberian forests, where it is one of the major predators. ... Binomial name Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758 Brown bear footprint The Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) is a species of bear that can reach weights of 130â€“700 kg (300â€“1500 pounds). ... Roman or Romans may refer to: A thing or person of or from the city of Rome. ... The Big Top of Billy Smarts Circus Cambridge 2004. ... Binomial name Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758) moose thats a funy word i mean think of it a moose The moose (so named in North America) or elk (in Europe), Alces alces, is the largest member of the deer family Cervidae, distinguished from the others by the palmate antlers of its... Binomial name Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 The Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) is the wild ancestor of the domesticated pig. ... Binomial name Bos primigenius (invalid), proper name Bos taurus Bojanus, 1827 The aurochs (Bos taurus) is an extinct European mammal of the Bovidae family. ... Shetland (formerly spelled Zetland, from etland) formerly called Hjaltland, is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus lupus (Linnaeus, 1758) Eurasian wolf range The Eurasian Wolf (Canis lupus lupus; also known as the Common Wolf) is a subspecies of the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus). ... Mackintosh shop, Burlington Arcade, London. ... Inverness-shire is one of the traditional counties of Scotland. ... Binomial name Odobenus rosmarus (Linnaeus, 1758) Subspecies Walruses (from Dutch walrus, probably a folk-etymological alteration - via Dutch walvis whale and ros horse - of an older Scandinavian word related to Old Norse rosmhvalr, red? whale or walrus) are large semi-aquatic mammals that live in the cold Arctic seas of... It has been suggested that C57BL-6 be merged into this article or section. ...

Possible re-introductions

Scottish Natural Heritage plan to bring the European Beaver back to Scotland using Norwegian stock. The species was found in the Highlands until the 15th century, but the Scottish Executive have so far rejected the idea.^[31]^[2] Various other schemes have been considered. For example, the owner of the Alladale estate north of Inverness has expressed a desire to re-introduce wolves as part of a safari park.^[31] Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is a Scottish public body . ... Binomial name Castor fiber Linnaeus, 1758 The European Beaver (Castor fiber) is an endangered aquatic mammal which was hunted almost to extinction in Europe, both for fur and for castoreum, a secretion of its scent gland believed to have medicinal properties. ... The Scottish Highlands are the mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault. ... The Executives logo, shown with English and Scottish Gaelic caption The term Scottish Executive is used in two different, but closely-related senses: to denote the executive arm of Scotlands national legislature (i. ... Inverness (Inbhir Nis in Scottish Gaelic) is the only city in the Highland council area and the Highlands of Scotland. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus lupus (Linnaeus, 1758) Eurasian wolf range The Eurasian Wolf (Canis lupus lupus; also known as the Common Wolf) is a subspecies of the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus). ...

Avifauna

The history of mammals suggests three broad overlapping phases - post ice age colonisation by natural means, extinctions caused by the advent of humans, and then a period of introductions of non-native species.^[28] The greater mobility of birds makes such generalisations hard to substantiate. There is no doubt that modern humans have done great damage to various species, especially the raptors, but it is also clear that natural variations in populations are complex and ongoing. For example, Northern Fulmars were present at Skara Brae during the Neolithic period, but in medieval times their breeding range was entirely restricted to St Kilda.^[28] Since then they have spread throughout the British Isles.^[4]^[41] Species Fulmar (Linnaeus, 1761) Southern Fulmar (Smith,A, 1840) The two Fulmars are closely related seabirds occupying the same niche in different oceans. ... Skara Brae is a large stone-built Neolithic settlement, located in the Bay of Skaill on the west coast of mainland Orkney, Scotland. ... An array of Neolithic artifacts, including bracelets, axe heads, chisels, and polishing tools Excavated dwellings at Skara Brae Scotland, Europes most complete Neolithic village. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... Mercator projection map of the St Kilda Island group with inset of the British Isles. ...

There are about 250 species of bird regularly recorded in Britain, most of which venture into Scotland, and perhaps up to 300 more that occur with varying degrees of rarity. A total of 247 species have been assessed and each placed onto one of three lists – red, amber or green - indicating the level of concern for their future. Forty species are red-listed, 121 are amber-listed and 86 are green-listed.^[42]^[43] Mercator projection map of the St Kilda Island group with inset of the British Isles. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State...

The Scottish Crossbill Loxia scotica, which inhabits the coniferous forests of the Highlands is Britain's only endemic bird and with only 300 breeding pairs, one of Europe's most threatened species.^[3] Its shape, red/green hue and habit of hanging upside down has lead to comparisons with parrots.^[5] St Kilda has a unique subspecies of wren, Troglodytes troglodytes hirtensis, which has learned to perch on the rocks and cliffs of this treeless Atlantic island, and consequently has developed larger and stronger feet than the mainland variant. It is also slightly larger, has a longer beak, a drabber though more varied colouring, and a "peculiarly sweet and soft" song. The sub-species was recognized in 1884 and had to be protected by a special act of parliament in 1904 to prevent its destruction "at the hands of ornithologists, egg-collectors, taxidermists and tourists".^[40] Binomial name Loxia scotica Hartert,, 1904 The Scottish Crossbill (Loxia scotica) is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. ... The Scottish Highlands are the mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault. ... Families Cacatuidae Psittacidae Parrots or Psittacines (pronounced [1],[2]) is an order (namely Psittaciformes) of birds that includes about 353 species. ... Mercator projection map of the St Kilda Island group with inset of the British Isles. ... Binomial name Troglodytes troglodytes (Linnaeus, 1758) The Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) is a very small bird, a member of the mainly New World wren family Troglodytidae. ... The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one_fifth of its surface. ... In Westminster System parliaments, an Act of Parliament is a part of the law passed by the Parliament. ...

Raptors

All but a few pairs of Britain's approximately 600 Golden Eagles are found in Scotland, and the majority of the breeding Peregrine Falcons.^[44] The Hobby, Marsh Harrier and Montagu's Harrier are generally absent.^[4] Binomial name Aquila chrysaetos Linnaeus, 1758 World distribution of the golden eagle Light green = Nesting area Blue = Wintering area Dark green = All year distribution The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. ... Binomial name Falco peregrinus Tunstall, 1771 The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), sometimes formerly known in North America as Duck Hawk, is a medium-sized falcon about the size of a large crow: 38-53 cm (15 to 21 inches) long. ... Binomial name Falco subbuteo Linnaeus, 1758 The Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo), or just simply Hobby, is a medium-sized falcon. ... Binomial name Circus aeruginosus Linnaeus 1758 Circus spilonotus Kaup, 1847 Circus approximans Peale, 1848 The marsh harriers are birds of prey of the harrier subfamily. ... Binomial name Circus pygargus Linnaeus, 1758 The Montagus Harrier (Circus pygargus) is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. ...

In 1916 an English vicar stole the last native White-tailed Sea Eagle eggs on Skye^[45] and the last adult was shot on Shetland two years later. However, the species was re-introduced to the island of Rum in 1975. The bird spread successfully to various neighbouring islands and by 2006 there were 30 pairs established. Despite fears expressed by local farmers, the RSPB plan to release up to 100 young eagles on the east coast in the Forth and Tay estuaries.^[31]^[46] The Red Kite was exterminated in Scotland in 1879 and a re-introduction programme was launched by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in the 1980s. Although making significant advances it is estimated that 38% of the 395 birds fledged between 1999 and 2003 were poisoned and a further 9% shot or otherwise killed by humans. The RSPB stated: "it may take a custodial sentence before people engaged with this activity begin to take the matter seriously".^[47] In the broadest sense, a vicar (from the Latin vicarius) is anyone acting as a substitute or agent for a superior (compare vicarious). In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant. ... Binomial name Haliaeetus albicilla (Linnaeus, 1758) Light Green: nesting area Blue: wintering area Dark Green: all-year Synonyms Falco albicilla Linnaeus, 1758 Haliaeetus albicilla albicilla Haliaeetus albicilla groenlandicus The White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla[1]), also known as the Sea Eagle, Erne or White-tailed Sea-eagle is a very... The Old Man of Storr, Skye The Isle of Skye, usually known simply as Skye (Scottish Gaelic: An t-Eilean Sgiathanach) is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. ... Shetland (formerly spelled Zetland, from etland) formerly called Hjaltland, is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. ... Caribbean rum, circa 1941 Rum is a distilled beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses and sugarcane juice by a process of fermentation and distillation. ... The Firth of Forth from Calton Hill The Forth Bridges cross the Firth Satellite photo of the Firth and the surrounding area The Firth of Forth (Abhainn Dhubh [Black River] in Scottish Gaelic) is the estuary or firth of Scotlands River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea... The Firth of Tay is a firth in Scotland between the regions of Fife and City of Dundee into to which Scotlands largest river in terms of flow, the River Tay empties. ... Binomial name Milvus milvus Linnaeus, 1758 The Red Kite (Milvus milvus) is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers. ... The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is Europes largest wildlife conservation charity. ...

After an absence of nearly 40 years the Osprey successfully re-colonised Scotland at in the early 1950s. In 1899 they had bred at the ruined Loch an Eilean castle near Aviemore and at Loch Arkaig until 1908. In 1952 they claimed a new site at Loch Garten.^[2] There are now 150 breeding pairs.^[3] The Osprey(Pandion haliaetus) is a medium large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution. ... Aviemore (Scottish Gaelic: An Aghaidh MhÃ²r) is a tourist resort in the Highlands of Scotland. ... The Loch Garten Osprey Centre is a nature reserve at Boat of Garten in the Abernethy Forest, Badenoch and Strathspey, in the Highland council area of Scotland, and in the care of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. ...

Other raptor species found in the UK such as the Kestrel, Hen Harrier, Goshawk, Sparrowhawk, Tawny Owl, and Barn Owl are widely distributed in Scotland, although the Little Owl is confined to the south.^[44]^[4] Buzzards have displayed a remarkable resilience, having recovered from human persecution and the myxamatosis epidemic of the 1950s, which reduced their food supply. Numbers more than trebled between 1978 and 1998.^[3] At the other end of the population scale, a single pair of Snowy Owls bred on Fetlar from 1967-75.^[45] Binomial name Falco tinnunculus Linnaeus, 1758 The Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a bird of prey belonging to the falcon family Falconidae. ... Binomial name Circus cyaneus (Linnaeus, 1766) The Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) is a bird of prey of the harrier family. ... Binomial name Accipiter gentilis (Linnaeus, 1758) The Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis; from OE. gÃ³shafuc goose-hawk) is a medium large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers. ... Binomial name Accipiter nisus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers. ... Binomial name Strix aluco Linnaeus, 1758 The Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) is a species of owl resident in much of Europe and southern Russia. ... Binomial name Tyto alba (Scopoli, 1769) Synonyms Strix alba Scopoli, 1769 Lechusa stirtoni Miller, 1956 The Barn Owl (Tyto alba) or, to distinguish it from relatives, Common Barn Owl, is an owl in the barn owl family Tytonidae. ... Binomial name Athene noctua (Scopoli, 1769) The Little Owl (Athene noctua) is a species of owl resident in much of temperate Europe. ... Binomial name Buteo buteo (Linnaeus, 1758) The Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a bird of prey from the Old World. ... Myxomatosis is a disease which infects only rabbits. ... Binomial name Bubo scandiacus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) is a large owl of the typical owl family Strigidae. ... Fetlar shown within Shetland Islands Fetlar is one of the North Isles of Shetland, Scotland, with a population of about 100 people. ...

Seabirds

This section incorporates the orders Procellariiformes, Pelecaniformes, Lari and Alcae. Image:Morus-bassanus Northern Gannet. ... Image:Morus-bassanus Northern Gannet. ... Families Procellariidae Diomedeidae Hydrobatidae Pelecanoididae Procellariiformes (from the Latin procella, a storm) is an order of birds formerly called Tubinares and still called tubenoses in English. ... Families Pelecanidae Sulidae Phalacrocoracidae Fregatidae Anhingidae Phaethontidae The Pelecaniformes are an order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. ... Families Laridae Sternidae Stercorariidae Rhynchopidae The suborder Lari is the part of the order Charadriiformes which includes the gulls, terns, skuas and skimmers, with the waders and auks making up the rest of the order. ... Genera Alle Uria Alca Pinguinus Cepphus Brachyramphus Synthliboramphus Ptychoramphus Cyclorrhynchus Aethia Cerorhinca Fratercula Auks are birds of the family Alcidae in the order Charadriiformes. ...

Scotland’s seas host hosting almost half of the EU’s breeding seabirds^[48] including about half of the world’s Northern Gannets and a third of the world’s Manx Shearwaters. Four sea bird species have more than 95% of their combined British and Irish population in Scotland, while a further fourteen species have more than half of their breeding population in Scottish colonies.^[12] Binomial name Morus bassanus Linnaeus, 1758 Northern Gannet range The Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus, formerly Sula bassana) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. ... Binomial name Puffinus puffinus (BrÃ¼nnich, 1764) The Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. ...

60% of all breeding Bonxies nest in Scotland, mostly in Orkney and Shetland. This may be surprising given that they did not arrive at all until the 18th century. Scotland is the breeding station for about 90% of the UK’s Arctic Terns, the majority making use of colonies in Orkney and Shetland, and a similar percentage the UK's Tysties, which breed on various islands including Unst, Mingulay and Iona.^[3] Scotland also hosts 1,000 pairs of Arctic Skua and 21,000 breeding pairs of Shag, 40% of the global population of the species.^[49] Binomial name Stercorarius skua Brunnich,, 1764 The Great Skua, Stercorarius skua, is a large seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Orkney (sometimes known as the Orkney Islands) is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles north of the coast of Caithness. ... Shetland (formerly spelled Zetland, from etland) formerly called Hjaltland, is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. ... Binomial name Cepphus grylle Linnaeus, 1758 The Black Guillemot or Tystie, Cepphus grylle, is a medium-sized alcid at 32-38 cm in length, and with a 49-58 cm wingspan. ... Unst shown within Shetland Islands The worlds most comfortable bus shelter? Unst is one of the North Isles of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. ... Mingulay is the second largest of the Bishops Isles in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. ... Iona village viewed from a short distance offshore. ... Binomial name Stercorarius parasiticus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Arctic Skua, Stercorarius parasiticus, known as Parasitic Jaeger in North America, is a seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae. ... The term Shag may refer to one of the following. ...

In excess of 130,000 birds inhabit Fowlsheugh nature reserve in Aberdeenshire at the peak of the breeding season, making it one of the largest seabird colonies in Britain. As of 2005 about 18,000 breeding pairs of Kittiwakes return to each year, and the are also significant numbers of Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill, Fulmar, Herring Gull and Great Black-backed Gull.^[50] The Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth hosts upwards of 40,000 pairs of Northern Gannets and is the largest single rock gannetry in the world. The bird's scientific name Morus bassanus, derives from the rock.^[51]^[52] Fowlsheugh cliffs in breeding season. ... A nature reserve (natural reserve, nature preserve, natural preserve) is an area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Species Rissa tridactyla Rissa brevirostris The Kittiwakes (genus Rissa) are two closely related seabird species in the gull family Laridae. ... Binomial name Larus argentatus Pontoppidan, 1763 The Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, is a large gull which breeds across North America, Europe and Asia. ... Binomial name Larus marinus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus, is a very large gull which breeds on the European and North American coasts and islands of the North Atlantic. ... Bass Rock from North Berwick. ... The Firth of Forth from Calton Hill The Forth Bridges cross the Firth Satellite photo of the Firth and the surrounding area The Firth of Forth (Abhainn Dhubh [Black River] in Scottish Gaelic) is the estuary or firth of Scotlands River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea... Binomial name Morus bassanus Linnaeus, 1758 Northern Gannet range The Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus, formerly Sula bassana) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. ...

Game birds, waders and water fowl

Red listed Western Capercaillie and Ptarmigan breed in Scotland but are largely absent elsewhere in the British Isles. There are significant populations of other Galliformes including Blackcock and the famous Red Grouse. Quail, Partridge and Pheasant are well distributed, although the Red-legged Partridge less so. There is a small colony of the introduced Golden Pheasant but Lady Amherst's is absent. This article is about the bird. ... Binomial name Lagopus mutus (Montin, 1781) The Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) is a small (31-35 cm) bird in the grouse family. ... Families Megapodidae Numididae Odontophoridae Phasianidae Meleagrididae Tetraonidae Cracidae Mesitornithidae The Galliformes is an order of birds containing the turkeys, grouse, quails and pheasants. ... Binomial name Tetrao tetrix (Linnaeus, 1758) The Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) is a large bird in the grouse family. ... Binomial name Lagopus lagopus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Willow Grouse (Lagopus lagopus) is a medium-sized bird in the grouse family. ... Genera Coturnix Anurophasis Perdicula Ophrysia â€ See also Pheasant, Partridge, Grouse Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds in the pheasant family Phasianidae, or in the family Odontophoridae. ... Genera Perdix Alectoris Lerwa Bambusicola Ptilopachus Rollulus Haematortyx Caloperdix Arborophila Xenoperdix Melanoperdix â€ See also Pheasant, Quail, Grouse Partridges are birds in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. ... Binomial name Phasianus colchicus Linnaeus, 1758 The Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. ... Binomial name Alectoris rufa (Linnaeus, 1758) The Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa) is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. ... Binomial name Chrysolophus pictus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) is a gamebird of the order Galliformes (gallinaceous birds) and the family Phasianidae. ... Binomial name Chrysolophus amherstiae (Leadbeater, 1829) The Lady Amhersts Pheasant (Chrysolophus amherstiae) is a gamebird of the order Galliformes (gallinaceous birds) and the family Phasianidae. ...

Amongst the waders, Avocet, Stone-curlew, Little Ringed Plover and Kentish Plover are absent, but most of the 100 or so pairs of Dotterel in the UK summer in Scotland as do all of the breeding Whimbrel, Greenshank and Red-necked Phalarope, (although the latter two species also breed in Ireland).^[4]^[41] Goldeneye have colonised an area centred around the Cairngorms National Park since the 1970s and about 100 pairs now breed there. The majority of the c. 8,000 Whooper Swans in the British Isles winter in Scotland and Ireland.^[3]^[4] Species Recurvirostra avosetta Recurvirostra americana Recurvirostra novaehollandiae Recurvirostra andina The four species of Avocets are waders in the same bird family as the stilts. ... Binomial name Burhinus oedicnemus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Stone Curlew, Burhinus oedicnemus is the northern representative of the Stone-curlews, waders in the family Burhinidae. ... Binomial name Charadrius dubius (Scopoli, 1786) The Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) is a small plover. ... Binomial name Charadrius alexandrinus (Linnaeus, 1758) Subspecies The Kentish Plover, Charadrius alexandrinus, is a small wader in the plover bird family. ... Binomial name Charadrius morinellus Linnaeus, 1758 The Eurasian Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus), or in Europe just Dotterel, is a small wader in the plover family of birds. ... Binomial name Numenius phaeopus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. ... Binomial name Tringa nebularia (Gunnerus, 1767) The Greenshank, Tringa nebularia, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders. ... Binomial name Phalaropus lobatus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Red-necked Phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus, is a small wader. ... GoldenEye is the 17th James Bond film and the first to star Pierce Brosnan in the role. ... The Cairngorms National Park is a national park in North-eastern Scotland. ... Binomial name Cygnus cygnus (Linnaeus, 1758) Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) is a large Northern Hemisphere swan. ...

Virtually all of the 40,000 Barnacle Geese which breed in Greenland arrive on Islay for the winter, most staying only for a few days before dispersing to the surrounding area. A similar number used the Montrose Basin as a temporary roost in October, and 20% of the world population of 225,000 birds over-winter on Scottish lochs.^[3] The amber listed Black and Red-throated Diver's freshwater breeding strongholds in the British Isles are in the north and west of Scotland.^[53] Binomial name Branta leucopsis ((Bechstein, 1803)) The Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis) belongs to the genus Branta of black geese, which contains species with largely black plumage, distinguishing them from the grey Anser species. ... Landsat image of Islay Islay (pronounced ; Scottish Gaelic: , or ee-luh), a Scottish island, known as The Queen of the Hebrides, is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides. ... Montrose is a minor port and tourist resort in Angus, on the east coast of Scotland. ... Binomial name Gavia arctica (Linnaeus, 1758) Black-throated Diver, known in North America as Arctic Loon (Gavia arctica), is a medium-sized member of the loon or diver family. ... Binomial name Gavia stellata (Pontopiddan, 1763) Gavia, meaning sea smew (although Divers are not Smew), stella meaning starred, in reference to the white speckling on its back in winter. ...

Other non-passerines

Considerable efforts have been taken to conserve the shy Corncrake and summer numbers of this red listed species have recovered to 670 pairs.^[3] The Wryneck is also red listed and numbers fewer than 210 breeding pairs in Scotland.^[54] Of the Columbidae the Turtle Dove is largely absent, but in the British Isles the Rock Dove is confined to the north and west coasts of Scotland and Ireland.^[4] Binomial name Crex crex (Linnaeus, 1758) The Corn Crake (Crex crex) is a small bird in the family Rallidae. ... Species The wrynecks (genus Jynx) are a small but distinctive group of small Old World woodpeckers. ... Binomial name Streptopelia turtur (Linnaeus, 1758) The Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) is a member of the bird family Columbidae, which includes the doves and pigeons. ... Binomial name Columba livia Gmelin, 1789 The Rock Dove (Columba livia), or feral pigeon, is a member of the bird family Columbidae, doves and pigeons. ...

Passerines

Ravens are typically forest dwelling birds in much of Europe, but in Scotland they are generally associated with mountains and sea coasts. In 2002 the Hooded Crow was recognised as a separate species to the Carrion Crow. Scotland and Northern Ireland host all of the 190,000 UK territories of the former.^[55]A recent survey suggest that Raven numbers are increasing but that Hooded Crows had declined by 59% whilst Carrion Crow numbers were essentially static.^[56] 340 pairs of Chough nest in Scotland, concentrated on the islands of Islay and Colonsay.^[3] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (784x672, 112 KB) Author: soebe Date: April 13, 2004 Location: A parking lot, Svenska Taken by Soebe in Svenska and released under GNU FDL. Beschreibung: Das Foto entstand auf einem Rastplatz in Schweden. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (784x672, 112 KB) Author: soebe Date: April 13, 2004 Location: A parking lot, Svenska Taken by Soebe in Svenska and released under GNU FDL. Beschreibung: Das Foto entstand auf einem Rastplatz in Schweden. ... Species See text. ... Binomial name Corvus cornix Linnaeus, 1758 The Hooded Crow Corvus cornix, (48-52 cm in length) is so similar in structure and habits to the Carrion Crow that some authorities consider them to be merely geographical races of one species, however since 2002 the bird has been elevated to full... Binomial name Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758 Carrion Crow range The Carrion Crow, Corvus corone, can be distinguished from the Raven by its size (48â€“52 cm in length) and from the Hooded Crow by its black plumage, but there is frequent confusion between it and the Rook. ... Binomial name Corvus cornix Linnaeus, 1758 The Hooded Crow Corvus cornix, (48-52 cm in length) is so similar in structure and habits to the Carrion Crow that some authorities consider them to be merely geographical races of one species, however since 2002 the bird has been elevated to full... Binomial name Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758 Carrion Crow range The Carrion Crow, Corvus corone, can be distinguished from the Raven by its size (48â€“52 cm in length) and from the Hooded Crow by its black plumage, but there is frequent confusion between it and the Rook. ... Binomial name Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax (Linnaeus, 1758) The Red-billed Chough, or just Chough (pronounced ), Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax is a member of the crow family, Corvidae. ... Landsat image of Islay Islay (pronounced ; Scottish Gaelic: , or ee-luh), a Scottish island, known as The Queen of the Hebrides, is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides. ... Colonsay shown within Argyll Colonsay [Colbhasa] is an island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, located north of Islay and south of Mull. ...

In addition to Crossbills (see above), Crested Tits exist as a fragmented population of 2,400 breeding pairs in remnant patches of Caledonian Forest and in some larger plantations such as the Culbin Forest in Moray. Ring Ouzels have declined to circa 7,000 pairs, possibly due to disturbance from the growing number of human visitors to their upland habitat. There are fewer than 100 breeding pairs of Snow Bunting, although in winter they are joined by migrants from continental Europe. A nest site near Dumfries is though to have been in use by Dippers since 1881. Scotland has 95% of the British breeding population of red listed Twite, circa 64,000 pairs.^[3] Species Loxia pytyopsittacus Loxia scotia Loxia curvirostra Loxia leucoptera Loxia megaplaga The crossbills are birds in the finch family Fringillidae. ... Binomial name Lophophanes cristatus Linnaeus, 1758 The Crested Tit, Lophophanes cristatus (formerly Parus cristatus), is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. ... The Caledonian Forest is the name of a type of woodland that once covered vast areas of the Scottish Highlands, Scotland, UK. Today, however, all that remains is a mere 1% of the original forest in 35 isolated locations. ... Moray (Moireibh in Gaelic), one of the 32 unitary council regions (or areas) of Scotland, lies in the north-east of the country and borders on the regions of Aberdeenshire and Highland. ... Binomial name Turdus torquatus Linnaeus, 1758 The Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus) is a European member of the thrush family Turdidae. ... Binomial name Plectrophenax nivalis (Linnaeus, 1758) The Snow Bunting, (Plectrophenax nivalis), is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a family now separated by most modern authors from the finches Fringillidae. ... The Buccleuch St Bridge Devorgilla Bridge Overlooking Dumfries The Old Bridge House Dumfries ((IPA: ) pronounced dum-freece, not dum-fries) (DÃ¹n Phris in Scottish Gaelic) is a Royal Burgh and town with a population of around 31,146 (37,846 including the Locharbriggs and Cargenbridge areas). ... For the article on the constellations, see Big Dipper and Little Dipper Species Cinclus cinclus Cinclus leucocephalus Cinclus mexicanus Cinclus pallasii Cinclus schulzi Dippers are members of the genus Cinclus in the family Cinclidae. ... Binomial name Carduelis flavirostris (Linnaeus, 1758) The Twite, Carduelis flavirostris, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. ...

Vagrants

Scotland's position on the western seaboard of Europe means that a variety of birds not normally found in the country visit from time to time. These include 'accidental' visits by vagrant birds which have wandered far from their normal habitations. Vagrancy is a phenomenon in biology whereby individual animals appear well outside their normal range; individual animals which exhibit vagrancy are known as vagrants. ...

Fair Isle is an internationally renowned site for the observation of migrant birds. Rarities have included passerines such as the Thick-billed Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler and Collared Flycatcher.^[57] Over 345 species of bird have been recorded on this island,^[58] which measures only 768 hectares.^[59] West cliffs, looking southwest towards Malcolms Head. ... Families Many, see text A passerine is a bird of the giant order Passeriformes. ... Binomial name Acrocephalus aedon (Pallas, 1776) The Thick-billed Warbler, Acrocephalus aedon, is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. ... Binomial name Zonotrichia albicollis (Gmelin, 1789) The White-throated Sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis, is a passerine bird of the American sparrow family Emberizidae. ... Binomial name Dendroica coronata (Linnaeus,, 1766) Two closely related North American bird forms, the eastern Myrtle Warbler and its western counterpart, Audubons Warbler, are periodically lumped as the Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata). ... Binomial name Ficedula albicollis (Temminck, 1815) The Collared Flycatcher, Ficedula albicollis, is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. ...

Elsewhere, other rarities reported in 2006 included a White-billed Diver at Gairloch, a Black-browed Albatross in the Western Isles, a Laughing Gull in Shetland and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Lossiemouth.^[60] Binomial name Gavia adamsii (Gray,GR, 1859) The White-billed Diver, known in North America as Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii), is the largest member of the loon or diver family, at 77-90cm in length with a 135-150 cm wingspan, although it is only marginally larger than the... Gairloch is a small village on the shores of Loch Gairloch on the northwest coast of Scotland. ... Binomial name Thalassarche melanophris (Temminck, 1828) The Black-browed Albatross, Thalassarche melanophris, is a large seabird of the albatross family Diomedeidae. ... The Western Isles are an archipelago in Scotland. ... Binomial name Larus atricilla Linnaeus, 1758 Adult winter Laughing Gulls The Laughing Gull, Larus atricilla, is a medium-sized gull of North and South America. ... Shetland (formerly spelled Zetland, from etland) formerly called Hjaltland, is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. ... Binomial name Tryngites subruficollis (Vieillot, 1819) The Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Tryngites subruficollis, is a small shorebird. ... Lossiemouth, is a burgh in Moray, Scotland. ...

Accidentals recorded in earlier years include an American Bittern in 1888 and a Purple Heron in the same year, a Baikal Teal in 1958, and a Black stork in 1977. There are also birds which are presumed to have 'escaped', such as Chilean Flamingos in 1976 and 1979, a Black-necked Swan in 1988, a Red-tailed Hawk in 1989 and a Lanner in 1976. These records are but a small selection from two counties the the north-east and give only a flavour of the complexity and diversity of avian life in Scotland.^[61] Binomial name Botaurus lentiginosus (Rackett, 1813) The American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus *) is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae. ... Binomial name Ardea purpurea Linnaeus, 1766 The Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, common throughout southern Europe and Asia. ... Binomial name Anas formosa Georgi, 1775 The Baikal Teal (Anas formosa) is a dabbling duck which breeds within the forest zone of eastern Siberia from the Yenisey basin eastwards to Kamchatka. ... Binomial name Ciconia nigra Linnaeus, 1758 Black Stork range (in color) The Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. ... Binomial name Phoenicopterus chilensis Molina, 1782 The Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis) is a large species (110-130 cm) closely related to Caribbean Flamingo and Greater Flamingo, with which it is sometimes considered conspecific. ... Binomial name Cygnus melanocoryphus (Molina, 1782) The Black_necked Swan (Cygnus melanocoryphus) is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. ... Binomial name Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is a large Buteo which breeds from western Alaska and northern Canada to Panama and the West Indies. ... Binomial name Falco biarmicus Temminck, 1825 The Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus) is a large bird of prey that breeds in Africa, southeast Europe and just into Asia. ... A county is generally a sub-unit of regional self-government within a sovereign jurisdiction. ...

Extinctions

The crane and bittern were exterminated by hunters and the draining of marshes in the 18th century.^[2] The last Great Auk seen in Britain was killed on Stac an Armin, a rocky pinnacle in the St Kilda archipelago in July 1840.^[59] Genera Grus Anthropoides Balearica Bugeranus Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds of the order Gruiformes, and family Gruidae. ... † see also: Heron The bitterns are members of the heron family Ardeidae. ... Binomial name Pinguinus impennis (Linnaeus, 1758) The Great Auk (Pinguinus impennis) is an extinct bird. ... Mercator projection map of the St Kilda Island group with inset of the British Isles. ...

Fish and sea life

Of the 42 species of fish found in Scottish fresh waters, only half have arrived by natural colonisation. Native species include Allis Shad, Brown Trout, European Eel, River Lamprey and Vendace. Scottish rivers support one of the largest Atlantic Salmon resources in Europe, with nearly 400 rivers supporting genetically distinct populations.^[62] Five fish species are considered ‘late arrivals’ to Scotland having colonised by natural means prior to 1790. They are the Northern Pike, Roach, Stone Loach, Perch, and Minnow. Rarer native species include the Powan, found in only two locations and now under threat from introduced Ruffe and the Arctic Charr. The latter may have been the first fish species to re-enter fresh waters when the last ice age ended and circa 200 populations exist.^[37]^[63]^[64] Species See text. ... Binomial name Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758 Morphs Salmo trutta morpha trutta Salmo trutta morpha fario Salmo trutta morpha lacustris The Brown Trout (Salmo trutta morpha fario and morpha lacustris) and the Sea Trout ( morpha trutta) are fish of the same species distinguished chiefly by the fact that the brown trout... Binomial name Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758) The European Eel, Anguilla anguilla, is a snakelike fish. ... River Lamprey redirects here. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Binomial name Salmo salar Linnaeus, 1758 Atlantic salmon, known scientifically as Salmo salar, is a species of fish in the family Salmonidae, which is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the Atlantic. ... caught by an angler in the river DrÃ¡va, Hungary. ... Binomial name Rutilus rutilus Linnaeus, 1758 The Roach (Rutilus rutilus, family Cyprinidae, plural also roach) is a small freshwater and brackish water fish native to most of Europe and western Asia. ... Genera Acanthopsoides Acanthophthalmus Acantopsis Botia Chromobotia Cobitis Enobarbichthys Formosiana Iksookimia Koreocobitis Kottelatlimia Lepidocephalichthys Lepidocephalus Leptobotia Misgurnus Neoeucirrhichthys Niwaella Pangio Parabotia Paralepidocephalus Paramisgurnus Protocobitis Sabanejewia Serpenticobitis Somileptes (Gongota loach) Syncrossus Yasuhikotakia Loaches are freshwater fishes of the family Cobitidae, small benthic (bottom-dwelling) fishes with a flattened ventral profile. ... Species P. flavescens (Yellow perch) P. fluviatilis (European perch) P. schrenkii (Balkhash perch) For other meanings of the word perch, including fish not in the Perca genus, see Perch (disambiguation). ... The word minnow can mean, in decreasing order of specificity: The Eurasian minnow, Phoxinus phoxinus (Linnaeus, 1758) Any, particularly small, fish of the family Cyprinidae Fish of the family Galaxiidae, in particular those of genus galaxiid occurring in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Binomial name Coregonus clupeoides (Lacépède, 1803) The powan (Coregonus clupeoides) is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family (family Salmonidae). ... Binomial name Gymnocephalus cernuus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus) is a freshwater fish found in temperate regions of Europe and northern Asia. ... Binomial name Salvelinus alpinus Linnaeus, 1758 Arctic char or Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) is both a freshwater and saltwater fish in the Salmonidae family, native to Arctic, sub-Arctic and alpine lakes and coastal waters. ...

The Freshwater Pearl Mussel was once abundant enough to support commercial activities,^[65] and Scotland is the remaining European stronghold supporting protected populations in over 50 rivers, mainly in the Highlands.^[66] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2816x2112, 1032 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Atlantic salmon Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2816x2112, 1032 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Atlantic salmon Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... The Scottish Highlands are the mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault. ...

Scotland’s seas, which constitute an area greater than that of the seas around the rest of the UK, are among the most biologically productive in the world. They are home to a third of the world’s whale and dolphin species, most of the UK’s maerl, (a collective term for several species of calcified red seaweed, and an important marine habitat), Horsemussel (Modiolus modiolus) and seagrass beds, and distinctive species like the Tall Sea Pen, Funiculina quadrangularis. It is estimated that the total number of Scottish marine species exceeds 40,000.^[48]^[13] This includes 250 species of fish, the most numerous inshore variety being Saithe,^[28] and deeper water creatures such as the Dogfish, Porbeagle and Blue Shark, European Eel, Sea Bass, Atlantic Halibut and various rays. There are 4 species of sea turtle, the Leatherback, Loggerhead, Kemp's Ridley and Green Turtle.^[67] Scottish waters contain around 2,500 crustacean species and 700 molluscs.^[13] Subclasses Pteriomorpha (marine mussels) Palaeoheterodonta (freshwater mussels) Heterodonta (zebra mussels) The term mussel is used for several families of bivalve mollusks inhabiting lakes, rivers, and creeks, as well as intertidal areas along coastlines worldwide. ... Halophila johnsonii (Johnsons seagrass) in the coast of Florida Seagrass (or sea-grass in British English) are flowering plants from four plant families (Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and Cymodoceaceae) that grow in the marine saline environment. ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold-blooded; covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... This article is about the marine fish pollock, for other uses, see Pollock, Texas, Jackson Pollock, Pollock House and Pollock (movie). ... Spiny Dogfish, Squalus acanthias The name dogfish is applied to a number of small sharks found in the northeast Atlantic, Pacific, and Mediterranean, especially those in the three families Scyliorhinidae, Dalatiidae and Squalidae. ... Binomial name Lamna nasus Bonnaterre, 1788 The Porbeagle (Lamna nasus) is a large pelagic predatory shark. ... Binomial name Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758) The Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) is a carcharhinid shark. ... Binomial name Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758) The European Eel, Anguilla anguilla, is a snakelike fish. ... Sea bass is a name shared by a large number of different species of fish, including: The Black sea bass (Centropristis striata, family Serranidae) is the common name of a species of fish whose range is eastern coast of the United States. ... Binomial name Hippoglossus hippoglossus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus, is a flatfish in the family Pleuronectidae. ... Orders Rajiformes - common rays and skates Pristiformes - sawfishes Torpediniformes - electric rays See text for families. ... Genera Family Cheloniidae (Oppel, 1811) Caretta Lepidochelys Chelonia Eretmochelys Natator Family Dermochelyidae Family Protostegidae (extinct) Family Toxochelyidae (extinct) Family Thalassemyidae (extinct) Sea turtles (Chelonioidea) are turtles found in all the worlds oceans with the exception of the Arctic Ocean, and some species travel between oceans. ... Binomial name Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli, 1761) The Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the biggest of all turtles alive, reaching a length of 2 m (6. ... Binomial name Caretta caretta Linnaeus, 1758 The Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta), is characterized by a large head with blunt jaws. ... Binomial name Lepidochelys kempi (Garman, 1880) The Kemps Ridley (Lepiochelys kempi) is a critically endangered species of sea turtle. ... Binomial name Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758) This page redirects from Chelonia, which is the genus name of this turtle, but has also been used for the order Testudines of all turtles and tortoises. ... Classes & Subclasses Branchiopoda Phyllopoda Sarsostraca Remipedia Cephalocarida Maxillopoda Thecostraca Tantulocarida Branchiura Pentastomida Mystacocarida Copepoda Ostracoda Myodocopa Podocopa Malacostraca Phyllocarida Hoplocarida Eumalacostraca The crustaceans (Crustacea) are a large group of arthropods, comprising approximately 52,000 described species [1], and are usually treated as a subphylum [2].They include various familiar animals... Classes Caudofoveata Aplacophora Polyplacophora - Chitons Monoplacophora Bivalvia - Bivalves Scaphopoda - Tusk shells Gastropoda - Snails and Slugs Cephalopoda - Squids, Octopuses, etc. ...

The Darwin Mounds are an important area of cold water coral reefs discovered in 1988 located at a depth of about 1000 m in the Atlantic Ocean, about 185 km north west of Cape Wrath, and lying in the north-east corner of the Rockall trough. They cover an area of approximately 100 km² and contain some hundreds of mounds of approximately 100 m in diameter and 5 m high, many having a teardrop shaped ‘tail’ orientated south-west of the mound. This feature may be unique globally. The tops of the mounds have living stands of Lophelia corals and support significant populations of the single celled Syringammina fragilissima. Fish have been observed in the vicinty, but not at higher densities than the background environment. Damage from trawler fishing was visible over about a half of the eastern Darwin Mounds surveyed during summer 2000 and the UK government is in the process of taking steps to protect the area.^[68] In 2003 the European Commission provided emergency protection and banned damaging fishing activity in the locality.^[69] First discovered in 1998, the Darwin Mounds are unique. ... Cape Wrath lighthouse Cape Wrath (, ) is a cape in Sutherland, Highland, in northern Scotland. ... Rockall, a small, isolated rocky islet in the North Atlantic Ocean Rockall is a small, rocky islet in the North Atlantic, in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the United Kingdom. ... The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive body of the European Union. ...

Further action on a much wider scale may be required. According to a recent report "Scotland's marine life could be almost wiped out within 50 years unless tough action is taken to manage the way humans use the seas". Fears were expressed by a consortium of environmental organisations that commercial fish stocks, including Atlantic Cod and Salmon are suffering from over-fishing, that fish farming, especially for salmon is damaging the aquatic environment, a reduction in coastal marsh habitats is affecting marine bird life, litter in densely populated estuaries such as the Firth of Clyde is affecting all forms of marine life and that the growth in off-shore tourism was deleterious to populations of for example, Basking Shark. A call was made for a 'Scottish Marine Bill' to co-ordinate and manage human activity at sea and provide more protected areas such as marine national parks.^[70] Binomial name Gadus morhua Linnaeus, 1758 The Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, is a well-known food fish belonging to the family Gadidae. ... Map of the Firth of Clyde and area The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. ... Binomial name Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765) The Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus), also known as the Bone Shark, is the second largest fish alive, after the Whale Shark. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, UK A national park is a reserve of land, usually declared and owned by a national government, protected from most human development and pollution. ...

Amphibians and land reptiles

There are only six amphibians and four land reptiles native to Scotland.^[71] The former include three species of newt, the Great Crested, Smooth and Palmate,^[72] and the latter the Common Toad, Natterjack Toad (found in only four locations in the south west) and Common Frog. A single alien amphibian is known in Scotland, the Alpine Newt, a recent escapee confined to the Edinburgh area.^[37] â€“ This article is about the animal. ... Binomial name Triturus cristatus (Laurenti, 1768) The Great Crested Newt or Northern Crested Newt, Triturus cristatus, is a newt in the family Salamandridae. ... Binomial name Lissotriton vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758) Subspecies The Smooth Newt, also known as the Common Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris, formerly Triturus vulgaris) is the most common newt species of the Lissotriton genus of amphibians. ... Binomial name Triturus helveticus Razoumowsky, 1789 Subspecies The Palmate Newt (Triturus helveticus) is a species of newt found in parts of Great Britain, Western and Northern Europe. ... Binomial name Bufo bufo (Linnaeus, 1758) The Common toad or European toad Bufo bufo is widespread throughout Europe, with the exception of Ireland and some Mediterranean islands. ... Binomial name Bufo calamita Laurenti, 1768 The Natterjack Toad (Bufo calamita) is a toad native to sandy and heathland areas of Northern Europe. ... Binomial name Rana temporaria Linnaeus, 1758 The Common Frog, Rana temporaria also known as the European Common Frog or European Common Brown Frog is found throughout much of Europe as far east as the Urals, except for most of Iberia, southern Italy, and the southern Balkans. ... Binomial name Triturus alpestris (Laurenti, 1768) The Alpine Newt (Triturus alpestris) belongs to the order Salamander (Urodela or Caudata) in the class of Amphibians. ... Edinburgh (pronounced ; Scottish Gaelic: ) is the capital of Scotland and its second-largest city. ...

The reptiles are the snakes the Adder and the Grass Snake, the Slow-worm, which is a legless lizard and the Common Lizard. Smooth Snakes, found elsewhere in the UK are absent and Grass Snakes are only rarely reported.^[73] Binomial name Vipera berus Linnaeus, 1758 The Crossed Viper, also known as the Common Viper and the European Adder (Vipera berus) lives farther north than any other snake and is known for being remarkably resistant to low temperatures. ... Binomial name Natrix natrix Linnaeus, 1758 The Grass Snake, sometimes called the Ringed Snake or Water Snake (Natrix natrix) is a European non-venomous snake. ... Binomial Name Anguis fragilis Linnaeus, 1758 The Slow Worm (or Slowworm, also known as Blindworm or Blind Worm)(Anguis fragilsi) is a limbless reptile. ... Binomial name Lacerta vivipara Von Jacquin, 1787 The Common Lizard (Lacerta vivipara) is a lizard. ... Binomial name Coronella austriaca Laurenti, 1768 The Smooth Snake (Coronella austriaca) is a non-venomous snake. ...

Terrestrial invertebrates

There are 77 types of land snail^[74] and an estimated 14,000 species of insect in Scotland, none of them 'truly' endemic.^[75] These include Pardosa lugubris, a species of wolf spider first found in the UK in 2000 at Abernethy nature reserve, and the Scottish Wood Ant. These ants, which are the most numerous residents of the Caledonian pine forest, build mounds from the pine cones and needles they find on the forest floor that may be inhabited for decades. A single colony may collect 100,000 insects a day to feed its half million citizens and up to 250 kg in honeydew per season.^[5] In addition to the Scottish Wood Ant there are several Scottish species of invertebrate that are otherwise rare in the UK, and important enough to have a specific 'Action Plan' to provide protection. These are five species of ant and bee, six moths and butterfly, five flies and a single beetle (the Reed Beetle) and snail (the Round-mouthed Whorl Snail).^[76]^[77] Diversity 104 genera, 2304 species Genera Acantholycosa Adelocosa Agalenocosa Aglaoctenus Algidus Allocosa Allotrochosina Alopecosa Alopecosella Amblyothele Anomalomma Anomalosa Anoteropsis Arctosa Arctosippa Arctosomma Artoria Artoriellula Aulonia Auloniella Brevilabus Bristowiella Camptocosa Caporiaccosa Crocodilosa Cynosa Dejerosa Diapontia Dingosa Dolocosa Donacosa Dorjulopirata Edenticosa Evippa Evippomma Geolycosa Gladicosa Gnatholycosa Hesperocosa Hippasa Hippasella Hippasosa Hogna Hognoides... Abernethy is a village in Perthshire, Scotland, situated eight miles south east of Perth. ... Formica aquilonia is a species of wood ant of the genus Formica which are widely distributed in Europe and Asia, occurring from Scandinavia in the north to Bulgaria and Italy in the south, and from the UK eastwards through France and Germany to Russia, while they are also found in... Honeydew is a sugar-rich sticky substance secreted by aphids and some scale insects as they feed on plant sap. ... Subfamilies Aenictinae Aenictogitoninae Aneuretinae Apomyrminae Cerapachyinae Dolichoderinae Dorylinae Ecitoninae Formicinae Leptanillinae Leptanilloidinae Myrmeciinae Myrmicinae Nothomyrmeciinae Ponerinae Proceratiinae Pseudomyrmecinae Ants are social insects that belong to the same order as the wasps and bees. ... Families Andrenidae Apidae Colletidae Halictidae Megachilidae Melittidae Stenotritidae Bee collecting pollen Bees are flying insects, closely related to wasps and ants. ... A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly. ... Families Superfamily Hesperioidea: Hesperiidae Superfamily Papilionoidea: Papilionidae Pieridae Nymphalidae Lycaenidae Riodinidae A butterfly is an insect of the order Lepidoptera, it belongs to either the Hesperioidea (the skippers) or Papilionoidea (all other butterflies) Superfamilies. ... Suborders Nematocera Brachycera Dance fly male Empis tesselata The flesh fly, Sarcophaga carnaria Close-up of the head of a blow-fly. ...

The most well-known invertebrate may be the midge (Culicoides impunctatus), a tiny flying gnat which is the scourge of summer visitors and residents alike. Its predations results in the loss of up to 20% of summer working days in the forestry industry.^[78] Others of significance include the Pine Weevil, Black Pine Beetle, Clytra Beetle, and the Timberman, a long-horned beetle.^[5]^[79] The archeological site at Skara Brae provided the earliest known record of the human flea Pulex irritans in Europe.^[75] Midges on a car Midges are small, two-winged flying insects. ... Subfamilies Aseminae Cerambycinae Disteniinae Laminae Lepturinae Necydalinae Paradrinae Prioninae Spondylidinae etc. ... Skara Brae is a large stone-built Neolithic settlement, located in the Bay of Skaill on the west coast of mainland Orkney, Scotland. ... Families Tungidae â€“ sticktight and chigoe fleas (chiggers) Pulicidae â€“ common fleas Coptopsyllidae Vermipsyllidae â€“ carnivore fleas Rhopalopsyllidae â€“ marsupial fleas Hypsophthalmidae Stephanocircidae Pygiopsyllidae Hystrichopsyllidae â€“ rat and mouse fleas Leptopsyllidae â€“ bird and rabbit fleas Ischnopsyllidae â€“ bat fleas Ceratophyllidae Amphipsyllidae Malacopsyllidae Dolichopsyllidae â€“ rodent fleas Ctenopsyllidae Flea is the common name for any of the small...

Cryptozoology

A variety of exotic cats are rumoured to exist^[80] including the 'Beast of Buchan'.^[81]^[82] The 'Kellas cat' of Moray is a jet black, long-legged animal, and is probably the result of a modern Wild Cat/domestic Cat hybrid, or a melanistic Wild Cat.^[83] In earlier times it may have spawned the legend of the Cat Sidhe or Fairy Cat.^[84] The fabulous Loch Ness Monster, possibly a form of water horse, has a lengthy history, the first recorded sighting allegedly taking place in 565 AD.^[85] Trinomial name Felis silvestris catus (Linnaeus, 1758) The cat (or domestic cat, house cat) is a small carnivorous mammal. ... Buchan comprises a traditional area and earldom of north-eastern Scotland. ... Moray (Moireibh in Gaelic), one of the 32 unitary council regions (or areas) of Scotland, lies in the north-east of the country and borders on the regions of Aberdeenshire and Highland. ... For other meanings of Wild Cat and wildcat, see wildcat. ... Trinomial name Felis silvestris catus Schreber, 1775 For alternative meanings see cat (disambiguation). ... Melanism is an increased amount of black or nearly black pigmentation (as of skin, feathers, or hair) of an individual or kind of organism. ... For other meanings of Wild Cat and wildcat, see wildcat. ... Cat Sidhe or Cait Sith (pronounced caught shee) is a fairy creature from Celtic mythology said to resemble a large black cat with a white spot on its breast. ... The Loch Ness Monster, sometimes called Nessie or Ness (Scottish Gaelic: Niseag), is said to be a mysterious and unidentified animal, or group of animals, claimed by some to inhabit the Scottish loch of Loch Ness, the largest freshwater loch, or lake, in Great Britain by volume. ... In Celtic Mythology, a Each uisge is a water spirit, in Ireland called the Aughisky, and is analogous with the Kelpie, but far more dangerous. ...

Nature conservation in Scotland

Challenges

Conservation of the natural environment is well developed in the United Kingdom. Arguably, even now the resources of the organisations concerned are insufficient to the challenge but the contrast with earlier attitudes is striking. In Victorian times few animals became extinct in Scotland, but the scale of the slaughter on hunting estates was staggering. On a single estate in the Cairngorms between 1837 and 1840 the following "vermin" were exterminated by keepers purely in the interests of preserving the grouse population: Victorian can refer to: people from or attributes of places called Victoria (disambiguation page), including Victoria, Australia, people who lived during the British Victorian era of the 19th century, and aspects of the Victorian era, for example: Victorian architecture Victorian fashion Victorian morality Victorian literature This is a disambiguation page... The Cairngorms: Ben Macdhui seen from Carn aMhaim This article is about the Scottish mountain range. ... Binomial name Lagopus lagopus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Willow Grouse (Lagopus lagopus) is a medium-sized bird in the grouse family. ...

Writing in 1947 the recorder of these activities stated that his "first reaction to this dreadful black-list was that of amazed incredulity. I still find the details incredible. However, they were supplied by the lessee himself." ^[86] To modern sensibilities it can be no less extraordinary. In several instances the totals are larger than the currently resident numbers for the entire country.

It remains to be seen if the destruction wrought by the Victorians continues to be the nadir for the Fauna of Scotland. In addition to other difficulties the marine environment faces, climate change is a challenge facing all of Scotland's habitats. Amongst the birds, Ptarmigan, Dotterel and Snow Bunting in particular may be affected as they depend on high altitude habitats and populations are likely to decline if warmer weather brings competitors into their restricted ranges.^[3] Mammals and other vertebrates may fare better, although localised invertebrate populations are at risk. Marine life is already being affected. Planktonic species that prefer cold water are declining and not able support the crucial food chains on which many seabirds depend.^[87] Binomial name Lagopus mutus (Montin, 1781) The Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) is a small (31-35 cm) bird in the grouse family. ... Binomial name Charadrius morinellus Linnaeus, 1758 The Eurasian Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus), or in Europe just Dotterel, is a small wader in the plover family of birds. ... Binomial name Plectrophenax nivalis (Linnaeus, 1758) The Snow Bunting, (Plectrophenax nivalis), is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a family now separated by most modern authors from the finches Fringillidae. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Conservation organisations

Scottish Natural Heritage is the statutory body responsible for natural heritage management In Scotland. One of their duties is to establish National Nature Reserves in Scotland. Until 2004 there were 73 National Nature Reserves but a review carried out in that year resulted in a significant number of sites losing their NNR status, and as of 2006 there are 55.^[88] Cairngorm is a variety of quartz crystal originally found in the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland. ... Cairn Toul is the fourth highest mountain in Scotland, surpassed only by Ben Nevis, Ben Macdui and Braeriach. ... Sgor an Lochain Uaine is a mountain in the Cairngorms, Scotland. ... Braeriach is the third highest mountain in Scotland, surpassed only by Ben Nevis and Ben Macdui. ... Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is a Scottish public body . ... National Nature Reserve is a United Kingdom government conservation designation for a nature reserve of national significance. ...

The Forestry Commission in Scotland serves as the forestry department of the Scottish Executive and is one of the country's largest landowners. The Forestry Commission is a government body in the United Kingdom. ... The Executives logo, shown with English and Scottish Gaelic caption The term Scottish Executive is used in two different, but closely-related senses: to denote the executive arm of Scotlands national legislature (i. ...

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee is the statutory adviser to Government on UK and international nature conservation.

The National Trust for Scotland is the conservation charity that protects and promotes Scotland's natural and cultural heritage. With over 270,000 members it is the largest conservation charity in Scotland. The standard of the NTS The National Trust for Scotland, or NTS, describes itself as The conservation charity that protects and promotes Scotlands natural and cultural heritage for present and future generations to enjoy. ...

The Scottish Wildlife Trust is a leading voluntary conservation organisation, working to protect Scotland's natural environment. The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) is a Scottish conservation charity. ...

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds promotes conservation of birds and other wildlife through the protection and re-creation of habitats. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is Europes largest wildlife conservation charity. ...

Cairngorms National Park includes the largest area of arctic mountain landscape in the UK. Sites designated as of importance to natural heritage take up 39% of the land area, two thirds of which are of Europe-wide importance.^[89] The Cairngorms National Park is a national park in North-eastern Scotland. ...

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park includes Loch Lomond, Britain's largest body of freshwater, the mountains of Breadalbane and the sea lochs of Argyll. Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is a national park in Scotland. ... Breadalbane is one of the four main branches of the Clan Campbell One of the interesting aspects of the Campbells history is the way in which they are hated in many parts of the Highlands still, largely, but not solely, because they were triumphant winners when competing clans failed. ... Argyll, archaically Argyle (Airthir-Ghaidheal in Gaelic, translated as [the] East Gael, or [the] East Irish), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a traditional county of Scotland. ...

Highland Wildlife Park, is a safari park and zoo near Kingussie, which specialises in native fauna. The Highland Wildlife Park is a safari park and zoo near Kingussie, Highland, Scotland. ... Kingussie is a small burgh in the Scottish Highlands adjacent to the A9 road, although the old route of the A9 served as the towns main street. ...

The John Muir Trust is a charitable trust whose main role is as a guardian of wild land and wildlife, through the ownership of land and the promotion of education and conservation. The trust owns and manages estates in various locations, including Knoydart and Assynt, on the isle of Skye. It has links with the Sierra Club in the United States which also celebrates the legacy of Dunbar-born John Muir.^[90] The John Muir Trust (JMT), is a Scottish charity, established in 1983 to conserve and protect wild places with their indigenous animals, plants and soils for the benefit of present and future generations. ... Conservation biology, or conservation ecology, is the science of protecting and managing Earths biological diversity. ... Knoydart is a peninsula on the west coast of Scotland, in the UK, sandwiched between Loch Nevis and Loch Hourn—often translated as Heaven and Hell respectively. ... Parish in West Sutherland, North West Highlands, Scotland, north of Ullapool. ... The Old Man of Storr, Skye The Isle of Skye, usually known simply as Skye (Scottish Gaelic: An t-Eilean Sgiathanach) is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. ... The Sierra Club is an American environmental organization founded on May 28, 1892 in San Francisco, California by the well-known conservationist John Muir, who became its first president. ... View towards Belhaven Bay (John Muir Country Park) with North Berwick Law and the Bass Rock in the distance. ... John Muir (1838-1914) John Muir appears on the California quarter John Muir (April 21, 1838 â€“ December 24, 1914) was one of the earliest modern preservationists. ...

Trees for Life is a charity that aims to restore a ‘wild forest’ in the Northwest Highlands and Grampian Mountains. ^[91] Trees for Life (Scotland) is a registered charity begun in 1981 as a direct result of the inspiration and example of Richard St. ... The Northwest Highlands are the northern third of Scotland that is separated from the Grampian Mountains by the Great Glen (Glen More). ... The Grampian Mountains or Grampians are one of the three major mountain ranges in Scotland. ...

Contents

Habitats

Mammals

Carnivores

Rodents, Insectivores and Lagomorphs

Artiodactyls

Other mammals

Extinctions

Possible re-introductions

Avifauna

Raptors

Seabirds

Game birds, waders and water fowl

Other non-passerines

Passerines

Vagrants

Extinctions

Fish and sea life

Amphibians and land reptiles

Terrestrial invertebrates

Cryptozoology

Nature conservation in Scotland

Challenges

Conservation organisations

See also

Main References

Citations and footnotes

External links

Contents

Habitats GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Mammals

Carnivores

Rodents, Insectivores and Lagomorphs

Artiodactyls

Other mammals

Extinctions

Possible re-introductions

Avifauna

Raptors

Seabirds

Game birds, waders and water fowl

Other non-passerines

Passerines

Vagrants

Extinctions

Fish and sea life

Amphibians and land reptiles

Terrestrial invertebrates

Cryptozoology

Nature conservation in Scotland

Challenges

Conservation organisations

See also

Main References

Citations and footnotes

External links

Habitats