UK Wildlife Blog

UK Alien animals – an introduction to Britain’s non native wildlife

Wednesday, May 14, 2008 9:17:16 PM

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I thought to start off this series I would make a list of the non native species that do or have occurred in the UK. This is in no way exhaustive and I will probably add to it at a later date. But for now here is the list, including some surprising species…

Mammals
Fallow deer
Muntjac deer
Chinese water deer
Sika Deer
Coypu (now extinct)
Muskrat (now extinct)
Brown rat
Black rat
Hamster
Gerbil
Lesser White-toothed Shrew
Rabbit
Hare
House mouse
Orkney Vole (Common vole subspecies)
Edible dormouse
North American Mink
Grey squirrel
Porcupine (crested and Himalayan)
Red necked wallaby
Black Tailed Prairie Dog
Feral cat
Racoons?
Big cats?
Coati?
Mouse tailed lemur?


Birds
Egyptian goose
Canada goose
Bar headed Goose
Mandarin duck
Carolina Wood duck
Red crested pochard
Ruddy duck
Muscovy Duck
Little Owl
Pheasant species
French partridge
Bobwhite quail
Budgerigar
Ring necked parakeet
Monk Parakeet
European eagle owl
Ruddy shelduck



Reptiles (Lever, 2003)
Green lizard
Common Wall lizard
Slow worm (introduced to Ireland where it is not native)
Tesselated snake
Aesculapian snake
Red Eared Terrapin or Slider
European pond terrapin

Amphibian
Marsh frog
Pool frog
Edible frog
European Tree frog
American Bullfrog
Afican Clawed toad
Midwife toad
Yellow-bellied toad
Italian crested newt
Alpine newt
Marbled newt


Fish
Pumpkinseed fish
Cichlid
Guppy
Wels catfish
Zander
Bitterling
Common Carp
Goldfish
Orfe
Rainbow trout
Brook trout
Top mouth gudgeon


Invertebrates
Harlequinn ladybird
Lily beetle
Rosemary beetle
oak processionary moth
horse chestnut leaf miner (moth)
Stick insects
Termites (wiped out, but may return)
False black widow
wasp spider
Mitten crabs
American + Turkish crayfish
Japenese skeleton shrimp
Bloody red shrimp
New Zealand/Australian flatworm
Slipper limpet
New Zealand mud snail
Zebra Mussel
Leathery sea squirt
Colonial sea squirt
Freshwater jellyfish


Nature Blog Network


Rapheal ParkPumpkinseed fish ( Lepomis gibbosus )

Comments

Loiscakkleberrylane Thursday, May 15, 2008 2:09:29 AM

Such a long list! I'm surprised about the lizards. Are they able to live in that climate, or are they escaped pets?

NeilUkwildlife Thursday, May 15, 2008 8:05:21 AM

We have 3 native lizards anyway, 2 of which give birth to live young (slowworm and common lizard) and a 3rd which is restricted to the south.

The 2 introduced species are found in small colonies are probably a result of deliberate releases. I think the wall lizard is breeding fine but Im not sure the temperature is high enough for the green lizard to breed successfully.

Adele BrandSittingFox Thursday, May 15, 2008 6:23:51 PM

I think sheep ought to be added to that list being that they far outnumber most of our native wildlife put together whistle Yes, we have a huge number of exotics around, some of which are much more culturally accepted than others.

NeilUkwildlife Thursday, May 15, 2008 7:47:51 PM

I decided to leave out sheep, cows etc as they arn't really wild or free to roam, unless there are neglectful farmers with broken fences about. Mind you I might do an article on pet cats...

Adele BrandSittingFox Thursday, May 15, 2008 8:00:48 PM

They use more of the landscape than many free-roaming exotics though! wink

NeilUkwildlife Friday, May 16, 2008 8:17:36 AM

Cats or sheep? lol. Mind you there are A LOT of cats. Ive got hold of a paper about predation by vats but the cat owners aren't going to like its findings worried

ALLY G.ALLY_G Friday, May 16, 2008 3:02:15 PM

Wow, wonderful photos. My fave is the lizard, because the colours are so nice. up

Adele BrandSittingFox Friday, May 16, 2008 5:25:01 PM

Yes, the cat population is, what, 9.2 million?? faint I do love cats, but I'm a very strong advocate of indoor cats, and no cat of mine will ever be willfully permitted to roam loose. If my dog attacked a protected species, in theory I could be jailed for it. I think there should be change in the law to make cat owners responsible for the damage done by an out-of-control cat. I mean, what's the difference, other than culturally it's more the done thing to let cats roam about at will?

This is the US take on the issue.

/end rant

Anonymous Friday, September 26, 2008 1:50:06 PM

matt writes: no european eagle owl theres a few pairs about now

NeilUkwildlife Saturday, September 27, 2008 8:21:30 AM

Cheers matt, its a bit of galring omission - added it now

Anonymous Friday, March 20, 2009 11:15:09 PM

david currie.arisaig writes: a seen a giraffe honest to god it was so strange and not long after that i seen a penguin weird or what a was so scared it was in scotland in the hills.

Anonymous Saturday, June 13, 2009 6:22:43 PM

Dave Chester writes: Black Panthers should deffinently be added from the Forest Of Dean and sightings here are continuos! There are thought to be 6 breeding pairs here alone and the police and athoritys have now accepted the issue. I have had a sighting myself, as i drove past an area of forest dear where running alongside the car only around 10 meters away while a large black cat was giving chase i could not belive my eyes as it made a kill it appaered not to be bothered by my presence and i later reported it and 4 other sightings had occured on the same day.

Anonymous Friday, November 27, 2009 2:23:54 PM

Luke Forshaw writes: Me and my younger brother netted 10 15 fresh water jellyfish in manchester debdale park, millions of them on a hot summers day just before a huge thunder storm. We tried to keep them in a pond but they vanished within seconds of putting them in!

NeilUkwildlife Saturday, November 28, 2009 5:29:25 PM

When was this Luke?

Anonymous Tuesday, December 8, 2009 9:16:51 AM

Helen writes: I live in an area surrounded by birch woods in Surrey. I had heard neighbours describe 'very small, short legged deer like animals which resemble guinea pigs'. This morning I saw a pair. Chestnut brown, with faces remarkably like guinea pigs. Any idea what they are??

Anonymous Wednesday, January 6, 2010 6:56:42 PM

T writes: Hi there. You left out the loch lomond island wallabies although I dont think they will be there for much longer as many were killed in the summer by thugs.

NeilUkwildlife Wednesday, January 6, 2010 8:37:27 PM

T I think the wallabys are the red necked species Ive mentioned - I'll look into it

Anonymous Tuesday, April 27, 2010 4:31:30 AM

Nancy writes: Thanks, there are so many invasive species causing problems around the world. The grey squirrels are cute, we have three or four of them in our garden, but they have driven our native red squirrels out. Not their fault, humans brought them to this country! http://www.wildlifeworld360.com

Anonymous Friday, May 14, 2010 5:36:33 AM

Anonymous writes: Here's another species for you, try the californian king snake there roaming around Oxshot woods Surrey, i saw one by the road side squashed !! big bugger as well. Apparently theres a breeding population there.

Anonymous Wednesday, September 22, 2010 12:21:11 PM

Anita Jones writes: Hi, i'm writing a research project for college on the affects non native species can have on u.k. ecosystems and the measures taken to control/prevent this. Pls could i hv input of any1 with their views or any info it would b much appreciated thankyou

NeilUkwildlife Wednesday, September 22, 2010 10:40:43 PM

Hi Anita - best tip I can give is to get hold of a copy of Christopher lever's 'the naturalized animals of Britain and Ireland' Its a great informative book.

Anonymous Thursday, September 23, 2010 12:01:09 PM

Anita Jones writes: Thanks very much i will do

Anonymous Sunday, October 31, 2010 6:41:41 PM

Jimmy Stuart writes: I once saw a chipmunk being chased by two Jackdaws at Apperley Bridge, Bradford, West Yorkshire

Anonymous Wednesday, December 29, 2010 10:07:38 PM

feathersnscales writes: jamie n.wales there is an area near me where i used to catch common lizards. are they protected because this area is being turned into a morrisons. (its in wrexham) also would zebra finches survive in wales? as i had 2 pairs escape. and are the bobwhite quail breeding? http://www.feathersnscales.co.uk/

NeilUkwildlife Thursday, December 30, 2010 10:11:11 PM

Thnaks for the sightings guys..

@featherscales - common lizards are protected from being killed, but sadly their habitat is not protected. They may have to move the lizards but it wont stop a development.
Zebra finches might survive a while in the Uk but probably wouldnt last long before the cold weather too its toll (especially recently) or a sparrowhawk found them. That said its possible they might hang on for a while, mixed in with native finch flocks. Im not sure in regards to the bobwhite quail.

Anonymous Friday, February 18, 2011 10:51:42 AM

Anonymous writes: you can also add corn snakes. milk snakes. cobra and tarantula to your list all positivly ided by teachers and exotic animal keepers in south east

Anonymous Tuesday, May 3, 2011 11:15:31 AM

Peejay writes: You have missed out a number of inverts: The New Zealand Landhopper - a crustacean related to sandhoppers. It's found everywhere in Cornwall. The 'Medium Wasp' - Dolichovespula media Yellow-tailed Scorpion - Euscorpius flavicaudis. There are several established colonies around the Thames Estuary and several seaports in the south east of England. --------------------------------------------------------------- Others that may have become established: Phaneroptera falcata - a bush cricket Southern Conehead bush cricket - Conocephalus Violet Carpenter Bee - Xylocopa violacea Google these for more in-depth information

Anonymous Thursday, July 7, 2011 6:41:53 PM

Anonymous writes: Has there ever been any cases of Turkeys going wild in British forests,as they live like this in the USA?

Charlie Fayersduskynembrotha Tuesday, November 15, 2011 3:31:04 PM

Here's my top 10 species:

http://my.opera.com/duskynembrotha/blog/2011/11/15/non-native-uk

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