The UK’s patchwork of coasts, moorlands and islands supports a surprising number of species found nowhere else. Studying those endemics reveals how local geology, climate pockets and long isolation have shaped unique plants and invertebrates across Britain and surrounding isles.
There are 31 Endemic Species of the UK, ranging from A Weevil to Young’s Helleborine. For each, you’ll find below Scientific name,Range (where found),Conservation status so you can see where they occur and how at-risk they are — you’ll find the full list and details below.
How can I tell if a species is truly endemic to the UK?
A species is considered endemic when it naturally occurs only within the UK and nowhere else; confirm this by checking national recording schemes (e.g., NBN Atlas), regional floras or faunal checklists, and peer-reviewed literature. Be cautious with subspecies or recent taxonomic changes, and look for corroborating records from conservation bodies or specialist groups.
Why does UK endemism matter for conservation?
Endemic species have conservation priority because their global survival depends on local action; small ranges make them vulnerable to habitat loss, climate shifts and invasive species. Protecting their habitats, monitoring populations and including them in legal and management plans helps safeguard biodiversity unique to the UK.
Endemic Species of the Uk
| Name | Scientific name | Range (where found) | Conservation status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish Crossbill | Loxia scotica | Caledonian pine forests of Scotland | Near Threatened (UK Red List) |
| Schelly | Coregonus stigmaticus | Lakes in the Lake District, Cumbria | Vulnerable (IUCN) |
| Gwyniad | Coregonus pennantii | Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid), Wales | Critically Endangered (IUCN) |
| Vendace | Coregonus vandesius | Derwent Water and formerly Bassenthwaite Lake, Cumbria | Endangered (UK Red List) |
| Horrid Ground-weaver | Nothophantes horridus | A single limestone quarry in Plymouth, Devon | Critically Endangered |
| Lundy Cabbage | Coincya wrightii | Eastern cliffs of Lundy Island, Devon | Vulnerable (GB Red List) |
| Lundy Cabbage Flea Beetle | Psylliodes luridipennis | Lundy Island, Devon | Vulnerable |
| Arran Whitebeam | Sorbus arranensis | Isle of Arran, Scotland | Endangered (IUCN) |
| Arran Service-tree | Sorbus pseudofennica | Isle of Arran, Scotland | Critically Endangered (IUCN) |
| Snowdonia Hawkweed | Hieracium snowdoniense | Snowdonia, Wales | Critically Endangered |
| Welsh Groundsel | Senecio cambrensis | Urban sites in Wales and Scotland | Vulnerable (GB Red List) |
| Young’s Helleborine | Epipactis youngiana | Scotland and northern England | Near Threatened (GB Red List) |
| Bristol Whitebeam | Sorbus bristoliensis | Avon Gorge, Bristol | Vulnerable (IUCN) |
| Leigh Woods Whitebeam | Sorbus leighensis | Avon Gorge and Mendip Hills, Somerset | Vulnerable |
| Wye Valley Whitebeam | Sorbus wyensis | Wye Valley, England and Wales | Vulnerable |
| Least Whitebeam | Sorbus minima | Brecon Beacons, Wales | Critically Endangered |
| No-parking Whitebeam | Sorbus admonitor | North Devon coast | Critically Endangered |
| Shetland Mouse-ear | Cerastium nigrescens | Serpentine hills of Unst, Shetland | Nationally Rare |
| Scottish Primrose | Primula scotica | Orkney and north coast of Scotland | Near Threatened (GB Red List) |
| Hebridean Marsh Orchid | Dactylorhiza ebudensis | North Uist, Outer Hebrides | Vulnerable (GB Red list) |
| Western Ramping-fumitory | Fumaria occidentalis | Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly | Vulnerable (GB Red List) |
| Cave Shrimp | Niphargus glenniei | Caves and groundwater in Devon and Cornwall | Vulnerable |
| Ivory False Snail | Paludinella littorina | Coastal limestone seeps in Devon and Dorset | Vulnerable |
| Swollen Spire Snail | Pseudamnicola confusa | Grazing marshes in SE England | Endangered |
| Purbeck Mason Wasp | Pseudomicrodynerus parvulus | Dorset, England | Critically Endangered |
| A Weevil | Procas granulicollis | SE England and Wales | Nationally Scarce |
| Yorkshire Sandwort Onychiuran | Onychiurus gevorum | Yorkshire Dales caves | Not assessed |
| Isle of Wight Helleborine | Epipactis vectensis | Isle of Wight, England | Endangered (GB Red List) |
| Lindisfarne Helleborine | Epipactis sancta | Lindisfarne, Northumberland | Vulnerable (GB Red List) |
| Catacol Whitebeam | Sorbus pseudomeinichii | Isle of Arran, Scotland | Critically Endangered |
| Devonshire Earthtongue | Geoglossum dunense | Braunton Burrows, Devon | Vulnerable (IUCN) |
Images and Descriptions
Scottish Crossbill
Britain’s only endemic bird species. This chunky, brick-red finch has a uniquely crossed bill, perfectly evolved for extracting seeds from the cones of Scots Pine in its native Highland forests.
Schelly
A rare freshwater whitefish, also known as the Cumbrian Vendace, found only in a few deep, cold lakes in Cumbria. It is a relict species, isolated since the last Ice Age, and threatened by pollution and climate change.
Gwyniad
Another Ice Age relict, this freshwater whitefish is found only in Bala Lake, Wales. Its entire global population is confined to this single body of water, making it extremely vulnerable to environmental changes.
Vendace
Once believed to be two separate populations, the Vendace is now considered a single, critically threatened species. A recent reintroduction program aims to secure the future of this fish, the UK’s rarest freshwater species.
Horrid Ground-weaver
One of the world’s rarest spiders, this tiny arachnid lives a mysterious life deep within crevices at a single site. Its habitat is threatened by development, making its protection a major conservation challenge.
Lundy Cabbage
A unique, primitive brassica with yellow flowers, found nowhere else on Earth but Lundy Island. It supports its own endemic insect, the Lundy Cabbage Flea Beetle, in a remarkable two-species ecosystem.
Lundy Cabbage Flea Beetle
This tiny, bronze-coloured beetle’s entire life cycle depends on the Lundy Cabbage. It feeds exclusively on this one plant, making its fate inseparable from that of its host plant on their shared island home.
Arran Whitebeam
A small tree species that evolved on the Isle of Arran through hybridization of Rowan and Rock Whitebeam. It is one of several unique Sorbus species found only on the island, a living laboratory for evolution.
Arran Service-tree
Even rarer than its relative the Arran Whitebeam, this tree is one of the most endangered in the world. It arose from a further cross and is now restricted to just a few hundred individuals on the Isle of Arran.
Snowdonia Hawkweed
Once thought to be extinct for over 50 years, this delicate yellow-flowered plant was rediscovered in 2002 on a remote mountain ledge in Snowdonia. It is one of Britain’s rarest plants, clinging to existence.
Welsh Groundsel
A fascinating example of recent evolution, this plant first appeared in the mid-20th century in North Wales. It is a fertile hybrid of two other groundsel species, now established as its own distinct, endemic species.
Young’s Helleborine
A subtle and beautiful wild orchid, often found in post-industrial habitats like coal tips and old railway lines. Its exact origins are debated, but it is recognized as a species found only in Britain.
Bristol Whitebeam
This rare tree is restricted to the limestone cliffs of the Avon Gorge near Bristol and nearby coastal cliffs. It is part of a unique group of whitebeams that have evolved and diversified in this specific location.
Leigh Woods Whitebeam
Closely related to the Bristol Whitebeam, this species is also found primarily in the Avon Gorge area. These trees reproduce asexually, creating genetically distinct populations in very small geographical areas.
Wye Valley Whitebeam
As its name suggests, this rare tree is found only on the limestone cliffs lining the Wye Valley. It’s another example of how the Sorbus genus has produced highly localised species unique to the UK landscape.
Least Whitebeam
This is one of Britain’s rarest trees, with its entire world population consisting of a few individuals growing on a remote limestone crag in the Brecon Beacons. It is noted for its small leaves and shrub-like form.
No-parking Whitebeam
Humorously named after the “no parking” sign where it was first identified, this tree is only found on the sea cliffs of North Devon. It is one of several recently discovered whitebeam species in the South West.
Shetland Mouse-ear
A tough little alpine plant that forms dense cushions with white, star-like flowers. It thrives on the metal-rich serpentine rock of two hills on Unst, Shetland, and is found nowhere else in the world.
Scottish Primrose
A beautiful, magenta-flowered primrose that is a true Scottish gem. It grows only in coastal grasslands and heaths in Orkney and along the northernmost coast of the mainland, flowering twice a year.
Hebridean Marsh Orchid
A distinctive, small orchid with deeply coloured flowers, endemic to the machair (coastal grassland) of North Uist. Its specific habitat requirements make it vulnerable to changes in land management.
Western Ramping-fumitory
A scrambling plant with delicate pink and white flowers, found only in the mild climate of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. It typically grows in hedgerows, field margins, and disturbed ground.
Cave Shrimp
A tiny, blind, and colourless crustacean adapted to a life of total darkness in underground water systems. This elusive creature is a true troglobite, entirely dependent on its subterranean world.
Ivory False Snail
A minuscule snail, barely visible to the naked eye, that lives in the thin films of water running over coastal limestone. It is known from only a handful of sites, making it highly susceptible to habitat disruption.
Swollen Spire Snail
This tiny aquatic snail is restricted to the clean, slow-moving ditches of grazing marshes in Kent and Sussex. Drainage and pollution of these waterways pose a significant threat to its survival.
Purbeck Mason Wasp
An extremely rare solitary wasp known only from the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset. It nests in beetle burrows in old wood and forages on heathland, making it dependent on a mosaic of precious habitats.
A Weevil
A flightless, nocturnal weevil that was once thought to be extinct in Britain before its rediscovery. It is associated with the Common Figwort plant on which it feeds, and is known from only a few scattered sites.
Yorkshire Sandwort Onychiuran
A species of white, blind springtail discovered in the cave systems of the Yorkshire Dales. It is a tiny, ancient invertebrate adapted to the unique, dark environment of underground limestone passages.
Isle of Wight Helleborine
A species of wild orchid that is endemic to the Isle of Wight. It favours the shady conditions of woodland edges and scrub, and its specific requirements make it one of the UK’s rarest orchids.
Lindisfarne Helleborine
This orchid’s entire world population is found within the dune systems of Holy Island (Lindisfarne). It is a relatively new species, having evolved in isolation in this unique coastal environment.
Catacol Whitebeam
The world’s most recently discovered tree species, identified in 2007. It is known from just two specimens in a remote glen on the Isle of Arran, making it one of the rarest and most vulnerable trees on Earth.
Devonshire Earthtongue
A rare and unusual fungus that looks like a small, black tongue poking out of the ground. It is endemic to the Braunton Burrows dune system, a biodiversity hotspot in North Devon.
