Fauna of Scotland

The fauna of Scotland is generally typical of the northwest European part of the Palearctic realm. Scotland has more than 90% of the volume and 70% of total surface area of fresh water in the United Kingdom. Conservation agencies are concerned that climate change, especially its potential effects on mountain plateaus and marine life, threaten much of the fauna.

About Fauna of Scotland in brief

The fauna of Scotland is generally typical of the northwest European part of the Palearctic realm. Scotland’s diverse temperate environments support 62 species of wild mammals. The Scottish crossbill is the only endemic vertebrate species in the UK. Scotland has more than 90% of the volume and 70% of total surface area of fresh water in the United Kingdom. There are more than 30,000 freshwater lochs and 6,600 river systems. Conservation agencies are concerned that climate change, especially its potential effects on mountain plateaus and marine life, threaten much of the fauna. The number of islands with terrestrial vegetation is nearly 800, about 600 of them lying off the west coast. The Hebridean islands off Scotland’s west coast have only half those of Britain. The population of a third of the land mammal species are thought to be in decline due to environmental pollution, habitat fragmentation, changes in agricultural practices and competition from introduced species. No mammal species is unique to Scotland, although the St. Kilda field mouse is an endemic subspecies of mouse that reaches twice the size of its mainland cousins. The Shetland Pony breeds Highland Cattle, the Highland Terrier and the Scottish Terrier are all native to Scotland and may have been introduced by early settlers about 4,000 years ago. It is estimated that the total number of Scottish marine species exceeds 40,000. The Darwin Mounds, covering about 100 square kilometres, are being considered as the first offshore SAC.

Scotland was entirely covered in ice during the Pleistocene glaciations. As the post-glacial weather warmed and the ice retreated, mammals migrated through the landscape. However, the opening of the English Channel prevented further migrations, so mainland Britain has only two-thirds of the species that reached Scandinavia. About 14% of Scotland’s land is wooded, much of it in forestry plantations, but before humans cleared the land it supported much larger boreal Caledonian and broad-leaved forests. Caithness and Sutherland have one of the world’s largest and most intact areas of blanket bog, which supports a distinctive wildlife community. Seventy-five per cent of Scotland’s land is classed as agricultural while urban areas account for around 3%. The coastline is 11,803 kilometres long, and the number of Islands with terrestrial Vegetation is about 800, with about 600 lying off Scotland”s west coast, including the Hebrides and the Orkney archipelago. The country has internationally significant nesting grounds for seabirds such as the northern gannet. Inland, nearly 400 genetically distinct populations of Atlantic salmon live in Scottish rivers. Of the 42 species of fish found in the country’s fresh waters, half have arrived by natural colonisation and half by human introduction. Only six amphibians and four land reptiles are native in Scotland, but many species of invertebrates live there that are otherwise rare in the U.K.

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