Reptiles and amphibians - cool

Amphibians and reptiles first evolved long before the development of warm-blooded animals like ourselves and have no automated control of their body temperature. Scotland's climate presents an obvious challenge to them but reptiles make use of sheltered places where they can soak up the sun's heat until they are warm enough to hunt their prey at speed.  Amphibians manage but at a more leisurely pace in the cool places where they have to live. 

These two groups of animal are really quite different. Amphibians breed in water and have a soft, water-permeable skin which allows them to breathe underwater as well as on land but means they need to stay in moist places. The dry scaly skin of reptiles prevents them from drying out and they do not need to return to the water to breed. 

Embedded in our culture

Scotland has some of the world's oldest amphibian and reptile   fossils. In Pictish culture, snakes supposedly depicted wisdom, healing, renewal and immortality and can be seen carved in some of their standing stones, for example at Logierait  in Perthshire.

How can you help?

Amphibians and reptiles are declining in abundance in Britain. If you are interested in helping, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation provide useful ecological background on the species and their conservation needs, and ARG-UK represent many local volunteer groups who are working to help conserve them in Scotland.

One of our simplest needs is for better information where our remaining amphibians and reptiles occur.  We are still not even sure whether common lizards occur in the Western Isles.  So if you see an amphibian or reptile please send your records to your local group  or to one or more of the national monitoring schemes  .