蘇格蘭動物相

苏格兰动物相通常指的是的生活北欧地区古北界的动物。尽管该地區一些體型较大的哺乳动物在信史時期因猎杀而灭绝，但隨着人类的活动也引入了各种野生动物。苏格兰多样化的温带环境裏居住着62种野生哺乳动物，其中包括野生猫科類動物、大量的灰海豹、港海豹以及世界上棲息地最北的宽吻海豚 。 蘇格蘭動物相中生活许多棲息地為沼泽地的鸟类，其中包括黑松鸡和红松鸡。該地區還拥有着北方塘鹅和海鸟的国际重要筑巢地。其中金雕是該地區的代表動物，後來白尾海雕和鹗也在最近重新回到了这片土地。其中是苏格兰交嘴雀是該地唯一的特有脊椎动物 。 苏格兰是世界上海洋生物最豐富的地區之一。据估计，苏格兰的海洋生物总数超过4万种。達爾文山林（英语：Darwin Mounds）是1998年发现的深海冷水珊瑚礁的主要棲息地。在内陆，有近400名基因独特的大西洋鲑生活在苏格兰的河流中。在该地區的淡水中发现的42种鱼中，其中一半是自然发现的，而另一半則是透过人类引进的。 Thompson, P.M.; Corkrey, R.; Lusseau, D.; Lusseau, S.M.; Quick, N.; Durban, J.W.; Parsons, K.M. & Hammond, P.S. An assessment of the current condition of the Moray Firth bottlenose dolphin population. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report (Perth). 2006, (175).  Matthews (1968) p. 254. Mammals. Scottish Natural Heritage. [1 January 2007]. （原始内容存档于2006-12-30）.  Fraser Darling and Boyd (1969) pp. 7, 98–102. Benvie (1994) p. 12. In the past, this claim has been made on behalf of other species such as the red grouse (now considered to be a sub-species of willow ptarmigan) and Irish stoat (Mustela erminea hibernica), also now considered to be a sub-species of stoat. Loxia scotica 's position as a true species is a matter of debate but the current consensus is that it does have this status (see for example Miles and Jackman (1991) pp. 21–30 and Benvie (2004) p. 55.) The position of the freshwater fish the vendace Coregonus vandesius is disputed, with many authorities considering it to be a synonym of Coregonus albula. Adams, William Mark (2003) Future Nature （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）. British Association of Nature Conservationists p. 30. Retrieved 14 July 2009. This source lists the UK's endemic species as being "14 lichens, 14 bryophytes, 1 fern, 21 higher plants, 16 invertebrates and 1 vertebrate (the Scottish crossbill)." Perhaps because endemic vertebrates are all but absent from the UK neither SNH nor JNCC appear to provide a definitive "list" but it is clear that the Scottish crossbill is the only endemic bird, (Gooders (1994) p. 273. and "Scottish Crossbill: Loxia Scotica" （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆） (pdf) JNCC. Retrieved 7 July 2009.) and that there are no endemic freshwater fish (Maitland, P. and Lyle A.A. (1996) "Threatened freshwater fishes of Great Britain" （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆） in Kirchofer, A. and Hefti, D. (1996) Conservation of Endangered Freshwater Fish in Europe. Basel. Birkhauser.) or mammals ("The British Mammals list" （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆） ppne.co.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2009.) in Britain. There are too few amphibians and reptiles native to the UK for there to be any doubt that no endemic species exist. The position is implied, although not stated by SNH in their Information and Advisory Note Number 49 "Priority species in Scotland: animals" （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆） Retrieved 7 July 2009. See also Myers, Norman (2003) "Conservation of Biodiversity: How are We Doing?" （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆） (pdf) The Environmentalist 23 pp. 9–15. Retrieved 7 July 2009. This publication confirms there is only one "endemic non-fish vertebrate species" in the British Isles, although it fails to identify the species concerned. Inshore Fisheries in Scotland. The Scottish Government. [24 August 2008]. （原始内容存档于2012-08-31）.  Protecting and Promoting Scotland's Freshwater Fish and Fisheries. Scottish Executive. [13 January 2007]. （原始内容存档于2009-08-29）.