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The water vole
The water vole, Britain’s fastest disappearing mammal, has vanished from over 90% of its former range since 1970. It faces threats from agricultural intensification and habitat loss due to unsympathetic waterway management, as well as urbanisation and predation by mink.
Photograph: Terry Whittaker/WWF
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The basking shark
UK seas and coasts are home to some incredible wildlife, including the basking shark – the second largest fish in the world after the whale shark – which can reach up to 10 metres in length. The basking shark is considered ‘vulnerable’ and while it is a protected species in the UK it still faces threats from fishing gear, boat traffic and microplastics.
Photograph: Alex Mustard/WWF
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The common seal
The smaller of the two UK seal species, the common seal, also known as the harbour seal, can be found around the coasts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and eastern England. Inhabiting coastal waters, beaches, rocky shores and mouths of rivers, its diet consists of fish and squid, and it generally eats about 5% of its body weight daily — roughly 4 kilos. In addition to entanglement in fishing gear, the common seal is also threatened by pollution and conflict with fishers.
Photograph: Alex Mustard/WWF
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The goldcrest
A female goldcrest, Britain’s smallest bird. Being so tiny, many of them used to die in hard winters but this is no longer the case. Since global warming has led to Britain’s winters being much milder, the goldcrest has become more common.
Photograph: Global warming images/WWF
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Cotton grass
Thriving in boggy conditions, cotton grass is the county flower of Manchester and is a plant that grows vigorously across Britain. Though the white, fluffy seed heads dotted across the nation’s landscape are a symbol that summer is here, the plant species can be affected when the ground dries out in warmer weather.
Photograph: Global warming images/WWF
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The common frog
Widespread across mainland Britain, the common frog population has been reported as being in decline since the 1970s because of habitat loss and fragmentation, and pollution. This semi-aquatic amphibian species has also been impacted by climate change and started to breed much earlier in the spring due to rising temperatures.
Photograph: Global warming images/WWF
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The hawthorn
Known for its display of blossom in spring and red ‘haws’ in autumn, the hawthorn tree has often been grown as a hedging plant and is a popular choice in wildlife gardens across the UK. As a food plant, it can support more than 300 insects, but can also be prone to aphid attack, gall mites and the bacterial disease fireblight.
Photograph: Global warming images/WWF
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The wall butterfly
Labelled one of the UK’s most rapidly declining species, the wall butterfly has suffered long term declines, with trends revealing an 87% drop in abundance since 1976. Climate change in particular is a problem for this species when considering the habitat fragmentation that has occurred in recent decades, preventing species from moving freely to new regions that are suitable. Additional factors such as increasing nitrogen pollution can add yet more pressure to already dwindling populations.
Photograph: Alex Hyde/WWF
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The bee
There are more than 250 species of bees in the UK, including the honey bee that normally lives in hives managed by beekeepers. Bees are pollinators and play a critical role in healthy ecosystems, so are essential for our food production – pollinators are worth a staggering GBP690m per annum to the UK economy. Yet bee populations are suffering. Here in the UK, habitat loss and fragmentation combined with climate change are having huge impacts.
Photograph: Greg Armfield/WWF
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Water crowfoot
One of the most common water plant species in the UK, the water crowfoot can be found in streams, ponds and rivers. Part of the buttercup family, this annual or shortlived perennial plant can be identified by its white, five-petalled flowers that have a yellow centre.
Photograph: Charlotte Sams/WWF
