Written by Dr Andrew Smart, Head of Science and Research
Have you seen any of these recently?
- alpine newt
- marsh frog
- edible frog
- Italian crested newt
- midwife toad
- red-eared terrapin
- European pond terrapin
- wall lizard
- green lizard
- Aesculapian snake
These are the more frequently recorded invasive, non-native species of reptile and amphibian found in the UK.
At Froglife we are trying to get an idea of the distribution, range expansion and colonisation of these non-native species which are, for the most part, restricted in pockets where conditions suit them.
Some species, such as the alpine newt and marsh frog (the top two non-native species on our records database), are increasing their range because of accidental movement of eggs or tadpoles. There are risks to our native species as these non-natives expand their range; the possibility of disease spread (some animals are potential vectors for chytrid fungus); some are potential predators on eggs and tadpoles; some are potential sources of genetic change through hybridisation.
Our highest recorded non-native reptile is the common wall lizard. Records from our Dragon Finder Citizen Scientists helped us locate a new population of this species in Kent Johanson & Tse-Leon (2022).
This week, 22 – 28th June 2026, is Invasive Species week and we’d like to ask you to look out for non-native species not just this week, but going forward. Please send in your records via our free Dragon Finder App. It’s easy to upload to your phone and provides information on all the species of reptile and amphibian you are likely to find in the UK (native and non-native).
We share all our species location data with the NBN Atlas each year so that everyone can see where our species are found in their local area.
