List of endemic species of the British Isles

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Wildlife of Great Britain
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Flora
  • Ferns and allies
  • Conifers
  • Superrosids
  • Asteraceae
  • Rosaceae
    )
  • Monocotyledons

The

glaciations and because of the proximity to Continental Europe and former land bridges which enabled species to re-colonise the islands from the continent following glaciations.[1] Most endemic species to the British Isles are considered to be subspecies
of a larger species, with mutations or adaptations slightly changing the species in the islands or in certain localities.

British

conservationists often describe this as a "wiped clean effect" with repeated glaciations forcing many species out of the modern area of the islands to more southern latitudes in Europe and perhaps even driving some species extinct.[1]

Some species which were present in Britain before past glaciations, often during periods with a warmer climate than now failed to return after the Last Glacial Maximum. Amongst these are Rhododendron ponticum and rabbits, now considered invasive and non-native.

A species is only deemed native if it reached the British Isles without human intervention (either intentional or unintentional). That means that to be native the species must have reached Britain before the

collared dove
which arrived in the 1950s, this also applies for plants which spread seed in the wind.

A few endemic species are Arctic-Alpine species, survivors of Arctic species of plants and animals which either adapted to the warming climate or became isolated in suitable areas of mountains or lakes which still retained a suitable micro-climate. A common misconception is that the entirety of the British Isles was under glaciers and was uninhabitable both for humans, plants and animals. Whilst unsuitable for most species, a number of Arctic species survived in the areas not under glaciers in southern areas of England, Wales and south west Ireland and were either driven to extinction in the British Isles or to micro-climatic refuges as the climate warmed and the Arctic conditions retreated north.

Most endemic species or subspecies however date to more recent, post-glacial times, many having spread via land bridges or along the Atlantic seaboard of Europe.

Origins of endemic species

  • Ice Age survivors in suitable micro-climates
  • Subspecies (offshoots) of a larger species, many may in turn develop into new species
  • Glacial or pre-glacial survivors which have become extinct across much of their former range or have never occurred outside of Britain.

Fungi

  • earthstar fungus, first seen in Norfolk by Jonathan Revett, and confirmed as a distinct species in 2015. It has so far (2015) been found in at least fifteen locations in England and Wales.[2]

Bryophytes

Vascular plants

Primula scotica, endemic to the north of Scotland and Orkney

In 1999, 47 species of flowering plants (430 including

microspecies[4]) were considered to be endemic to the British Isles, 32 of them in the "critical genera" Euphrasia, Limonium and Sorbus.[5]
Further additions are made from time to time, as cited below.

Subsequently,

Sorbus pseudomeinichii was discovered on the island of Arran in 2007.[10] In 2015, a newly formed and endemic species of monkeyflower (Erythranthe peregrina) was identified in Scotland and the Scottish islands.[7] Bromus interruptus is an endemic to England, which was extinct in the wild but has been reintroduced from saved seed.[6][11]
The total number of endemic plant species has now grown to 52.

Spiders

Amphipoda (freshwater)

Insects

Isopods

St. Donat's
.

Birds

Britain has few endemic species of birds but quite a few

Sub-Arctic
conditions as the ice retreated. Furthermore, these species were later reinforced by newer arrivals as the climate assumed temperatures and conditions more similar to the present day.

pied wagtail
(Motacillia alba yarellii) highlighted in blue.

Mammals

Britain has a few subspecies of mammals but no endemic species. Many again are Ice Age survivors that adapted to the new conditions; others arrived in warmer conditions whilst the land bridge still existed.

A wildcat

Aquatic fauna

Cnidaria

The

cnidocytes, specialized cells that they use mainly for capturing prey.[18][19]

Fish

In some areas of uplands in the British Isles the retreating glaciers left melt water in hollows which had been carved out by the movement of ice. In these, Arctic species of fish survived, due often to the sheer depth of the lakes and the colder temperatures. For the young endemic fish varieties of the British Isles, it is usually controversial whether they should be considered as distinct taxa (species or subspecies) or just as isolated populations of their ancestral species.

As global warming affects the British climate there is some concern for these species, some confined to a handful of lakes. Action has been taken to protect them, as is the case with vendace which has been moved to tarns in nearby mountains due to the cooler temperatures. It is hoped that these will act as refuges should the species die-out in the lower-level lakes where they occur naturally.

Extinct

  • Presumed British subspecies of the grey wolf (Canis lupus)
  • Essex emerald moth
    (Thetidia smaragdaria maritima, a British subspecies)
  • St Kilda house mouse (Mus musculus muralis, subspecies of the house mouse from St. Kilda)
  • Lycaena dispar dispar
    )
  • Presumed British strain of the subspecies of the Old British/Irish black bee (
    Apis mellifera mellifera
    )
  • Hieracium cambricogothicum

Distribution

The distribution of endemic species seems to have a north western bias and with endemic species on the whole showing an oceanic / alpine distribution with most endemics being found in upland areas or islands.

Endemic livestock breeds

See also: Rare Breeds Survival Trust

Human bred-animals are not usually classified as distinct subspecies but rather breeds which is a similar concept. However some animals such as

Iron Age pigs
are classified as a distinct species from their wild relatives.

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-0-19-967945-4
    . Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  2. ^ Blackman, Stuart (July 2015). "New Species of the month". BBC Wildlife. 33 (402): 17.
  3. ISBN 978-1-901685-01-5
    .
  4. ^ T. G. C. Rich; G. Hutchinson; R. Randall; R. G. Ellis (1999). "List of Plants Endemic to the British Isles". BSBI News. 80: 23–27. Archived from the original on 2013-08-20. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
  5. ISBN 1-870393-48-1
    . ECOFACT Volume 2 Technical Annex.
  6. ^ a b Royal Botanic Gardens Kew - Grasses
  7. ^ a b Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh - New to Science 2015
  8. ^ "BSBI Species accounts archive: Fumaria purpurea". 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  9. ^ New Journal of Botany - Hieracium attenboroughianum (Asteraceae) a New Species of Hawkweed
  10. ^
    Scottish Natural Heritage
    . 14 June 2007. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  11. ^ European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation - Bromus interruptus
  12. ^ "Britain's rarest spider found at new site, and photographed". buglife. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  13. ^ Gainey, P A. Amphipoda. In Red Data Book For Cornwall And The Isles Of Scilly (2nd ed.). Praze-an-Beeble: Croago Press. p. 177.
  14. ^ "202 Eudarcia richardsoni". UKmoths. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  15. ISBN 978-1-901685-01-5
    .
  16. ^ Beavis, Ian (2003). "Bees, Wasps and Ants of Scilly". Isles of Scilly Bird and Natural History Review 2002: 168–183.
  17. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2745.2000.00477.x
    .
  18. ISBN 978-1-901685-01-5
    .
  19. PMID 6695186
    .
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