State of Nature 2024 - Reptiles & Amphibians

Native Reptiles

The Common or Viviparous Lizard (Zootoca vivipara) is the only extant species of land reptile native to the Isle of Man. Its population is believed to be stable, however owing to historic declines from habitat loss it is a specially protected species under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife Act 1990. Common Lizards are found in a variety of open habitats including rough grassland, dune grassland, brownfield sites (including abandoned mines, deads and quarries), heathland and larger gardens. As they are cold-blooded, they benefit from stone walls or stone-faced Manx sod banks for basking, a habitat which has undergone significant decline in the last century. They are diurnal, spending their nights beneath piles of rocks or logs, or in small burrows underground. During the winter, they also hibernate in similar places. There are thriving populations on the Calf of Man and at the Ayres National Nature Reserve. The are also commonly reported from the Marine Drive Area of Special Scientific Interest. 

Extinct Reptiles

The eminent Manx naturalist Professor Edwards Forbes (1815-1854) recorded the rare Sand Lizard (Lacerta agilis) at the Ayres which is no longer present on the Isle of Man. There is no reason to question the identification of such a skilled biologist, noting that Sand Lizard are found on the similar and nearby dune systems of the Lancashire coast, however it is not known what led to the loss of this species on the Isle of Man as they Ayres remained virtually undisturbed until the Second World War.

Ref: Forbes, E. (1858). Zoology in M. A. Quiggin, Illustrated Guide and Visitor’s Companion Through the Isle of Man (pp. 40–42). Douglas: M.A. Quiggin. 

Non-native Reptiles

Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta) are occasionally reported in the wild, including in ditches in Ballaugh (presumably as escapes from the Curraghs Wildlife Park) and on the disused quarry at Scarlett. It is not known if any populations are yet to be self-sustaining.

Native Amphibians

We equally only have a single native amphibian species, the Common Frog (Rana temporaria) which is also a specially protected species under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife Act 1990 because of historic losses of wetland habitats, especially farm dubs (ponds) and the continuing vulnerability of freshwater ecosystems upon which frogs depend during their reproductive cycle. The rapid increase in garden ponds in recent decades has likely offset the significant loss of farm dubs in the wider countryside in recent decades. Frogs spend the majority of the year on dry land, benefitting most from damp, invertebrate-rich grasslands and scrubby habitats.

Non-native Amphibians 

In recent years, MWT have received a very small number of verified records of the non-native Common Toad (Bufo bufo), but no self-sustaining population is thought to exist on the Island. The Island does not have any native newt species, however in recent decades newts were widely sold, including from garden centres (this is now illegal under the Wildlife Act 1990). This, along with likely accidental imports has resulted in occasional records of Smooth Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris - in lowland wetlands and especially in suburban areas) and Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticus - in more shallow upland or acidic wetlands) , especially in some suburban areas, however they remain rare or localised on the Island.