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Scotland’s Secret Lizards

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Sand Lizards are one of the UK’s rarest and most elusive reptiles. They are restricted to sandy heathland and sand dune habitats in the south and west of the UK which provide the warm microclimates that they need. They also bury their eggs in hot sand to incubate until they are ready to hatch, so open, sunny, and undisturbed sandy areas are essential. Even in these warmer habitats, Sand Lizards will typically hibernate for longer than other reptiles to avoid cooler conditions, sometimes even from the end of August.

Given Sand Lizards are so reliant on warm, sunny microclimates, it’s hard to imagine that they could ever survive or breed on a Scottish island. Yet, there is a single population of Sand Lizards which has been thriving on the Isle of Coll off the west coast of Scotland for 50 years. In the 1970s, scientists released a population of Sand Lizards on Coll in an experiment to see how they would cope so far north, and they have fared surprisingly well. Coll has plenty of open sandy dunes which are largely undisturbed given the low number of visitors to the island, with patches of vegetation to hide in should a predator appear. Furthermore, Coll is known for being extremely sunny, and as a result, the island may be far better suited to Sand Lizards than we would first think.

Sand Lizards seem to be very dependent on habitats which are being degraded and lost due to factors such as increased urbanisation, human disturbance, dune erosion, and heathland fires. However, if their UK range were extended, perhaps there is still some hope for this rare lizard. Sand Lizards are often thought to be limited by latitude, yet they appear to be thriving on Coll and other more northerly ranges outside of the UK such as Sweden. So why are they so rare here? Well, in addition to limited habitat, it is very difficult for Sand Lizards to colonise new areas due to a lack of habitat corridors and unsympathetic land management. Reptiles generally tend to be an overlooked group, and land management rarely takes their needs into consideration.

The Sand Lizards of Coll demonstrate that they do have the potential to occupy a wider range in the UK than we might think, but achieving this would require more wildlife corridors, and more reptile-friendly approaches to habitat management. This would enable increased movement and give Sand Lizards more opportunities to colonise new habitats, and perhaps provide some hope for this dwindling species.

Artists inspired by Scotland’s messages to COP26

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A set of nine artworks depict why the people of Scotland care about the climate and nature emergency. This is part of a climate change campaign that has gathered support from people around Scotland to send a message to leaders attending COP26 in Glasgow.

Climate Scotland has collected over 7,000 voices from across the nation, to show that the people of Scotland want meaningful action to protect the things they love, and create a better future for people everywhere. 

Nine new mural artworks have been created to depict the messages of the people of Scotland gathered so far, and are on display at the Glasgow Botanic Gardens during COP26. 

Ida Henrich with her mural responding to Health and Wellbeing

The UN climate summit COP26 is a major opportunity to re-energise efforts to tackle the climate emergency. 

Through this campaign, everyone in Scotland has the opportunity to show how much they care about the climate and nature emergencies. The messages gathered online have been shared in the COP26 Green Zone and at the Scottish Government space at The Lighthouse, Glasgow.

Individuals visiting the Climate Scotland website are able to add their voice to the campaign by selecting a theme that is most relevant to them or by writing their own reason. The themes cover a broad range of perspectives, which are depicted in the artwork:

  • Flourishing communities 
  • Future generations
  • Greener, fairer livelihoods
  • Wildlife and nature
  • Sustainable food systems 
  • Protecting the world’s resources
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Beautiful places
  • Solidarity with global neighbours.

Ida Henrich, a freelance illustrator and mural artist based in Glasgow, said: 

“Alongside Kaitlin Mechan and Indrė Šimkutė, I am thrilled to have created these artworks for Climate Scotland. I believe that murals start conversations, and chats about topics we care about, often reveal that other people also care. I’m proud of the artworks we have created and can’t wait to share them with the public.” 

Indrė Šimkutė with her artwork that represents ‘Wildlife and Nature’

Over 40 non-profit organisations, including WWF Scotland, RSPB Scotland, Christian Aid Scotland and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), have come together to create the Climate Scotland campaign.

Anna Fowlie, chief executive at SCVO, said: 

“Thousands of Scots have spoken out about why climate change matters to them. They recognise that strong action is essential for Scotland’s nature, our health and wellbeing, and for future generations. SCVO is proud to be part of Climate Scotland, showcasing these messages in Glasgow during COP26 and demanding climate justice now.”

Aedán Smith, Head of Policy and Advocacy RSPB Scotland, said:

“1 in 9 species in Scotland is at risk of extinction. We must address this by protecting and restoring nature, increasing access to nature for everyone and making decisions that support nature, our climate and people. The Climate Scotland campaign is a way for people in Scotland to show how much they care about these things.” 

Sally Foster-Fulton, Head of Christian Aid Scotland, said:

“The Climate Scotland campaign is a fantastic opportunity for people in Scotland to show leaders and decision-makers that they care about our global neighbours. We stand together against the climate crisis, raising our voice as one to create lasting change and to ensure that communities are equipped to adapt and respond to the impacts of climate change.”

To add your voice to the campaign, visit climatescotland.org.

Why is the Climate Emergency Important to Froglife?

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Written by Kathy Wormald, CEO of Froglife.

Froglife is a wildlife conservation charity with a specific remit to conserve the UK’s native reptile and amphibian species and their habitats. Froglife is concerned about the impact that climate change is having on the UK’s reptile and amphibian populations. Globally, amphibians are declining at a faster rate than mammals and birds. These declines are being witnessed in the UK with Froglife research showing a 68% decline in the UK’s common toads (Bufo bufo) over a 30 year period. 

There are several reasons for these declines with climate change a major contributor. All of our species are dependent on good quality habitats and reliable climate/weather conditions. The most obvious/immediate way in which the climate emergency is affecting our species is in the increasingly erratic weather we are experiencing. This year’s prolonged drought in Southern Scotland (effectively no rain through June and July when amphibians need freshwater in order for young to develop) has led to many ponds drying out too early in the season. This has resulted in mass mortality of amphibian larvae. Our own habitat monitoring in Scotland and other regions of the UK coupled with the number of enquiries we have received from people across the country about either the lack of spawn/eggs or mass mortality of amphibian larvae or tadpoles, confirms this is the case. These weather conditions have occurred a few times over the last few years. 

Related to the nature emergency, our species rely heavily on insects for food, and there is international concern of severe declines in insect populations. With such a severe shortage of food sources, our species are struggling to survive, certainly this is the case at a population level, where vast numbers of insects are required to keep whole populations sustained. 

Scotland has so far largely escaped the effects on amphibians of chytrid disease, but aspects of climate change, such as higher temperatures, could begin to favour the spread of the disease. Immediate and urgent action is required now to stop these devastating declines of these species as they are a central part of our ecosystem. They are also a vital food source for other wildlife including birds and small mammals and are an excellent learning tool for young children learning about full lifecycles. Most importantly, they are a crucial part of our heritage and for their intrinsic value must be conserved for future generations to enjoy.  

Froglife is a proud partner of Climate Scotland.

 

People of Scotland have their say on the climate and nature emergency

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The global climate summit COP26 will be a major opportunity to re-energise efforts to tackle the climate emergency. Organisations including RSPB Scotland, Christian Aid and National Trust for Scotland have come together to create a new campaign, Climate Scotland, to bring the messages of thousands of people in Scotland to the talks.

Through Climate Scotland, people in Scotland can send leaders a message to show they want strong and meaningful action to protect the things they love, and create a better future for people everywhere. 

Climate Scotland is a sister campaign to another running in Wales, Climate Cymru. Together, they will represent voices from two of the four UK nations and their devolved governments.

Individuals visiting the Climate Scotland website are able to add their voice to the campaign by selecting a topic that is most of interest to them and adding a comment to say why. The topics, as follows, cover a broad range of perspectives:

  • Flourishing communities 
  • Future generations
  • Greener, fairer livelihoods
  • Wildlife and nature
  • Sustainable food systems 
  • Protecting the world’s resources
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Beautiful places
  • Solidarity with global neighbours.

The campaign aims to collect 10,000 messages and share them at the COP26 talks in November, either at the Green Zone (an official UK government space) or another high profile venue. Through this, everyone in Scotland has the opportunity to show world leaders how much they care about the climate and nature emergencies.

Over 20 charities, civil society groups and non-profit organisations have already signed up to be a campaign partner including Froglife, so why not add your voice to the campaign yourself? You can do so here.

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