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Scarborough Biodiversity Action Plan Status: The Action Plan is currently under development with Scarborough Borough Council leading the project. For more information contact: -Graham Megson North Yorkshire County Council County Hall NORTHALLERTON North Yorkshire DL7 8AH Tel. 01609 532376 
OR
Steven Wilson
Scarborough Borough Council
Manor Road Nurseries
Manor Road
SCARBOROUGH
YO12 7RY
Tel. 01723
383510
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Area Covered By The Plan The Scarborough BAP area is coloured green on the map below.
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A total of 13 priority species or groups of species and 16 priority habitats are included in the plan, listed below. Click on the links to view a picture, details and a distribution map for each species. It is important to note that the distribution maps have been compiled using the records currently held at the North & East Yorkshire Ecological Data Centre (NEYEDC) and are not necessarily representative of the actual distribution.
The following form can be used to record sightings of the Scarborough Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species. These records, on submission, will be automatically e-mailed to the North and East Yorkshire Ecological Data Centre (NEYEDC), a record centre working to National Biodiversity Network (NBN) standards. NEYEDC provides data on the distribution of BAP species to the Scarborough BAP Partnership. By submitting data, you are helping to inform BAP actions and conserve the wildlife of the Scarborough District.
All records submitted will undergo a process of validation before they are added to the distribution maps. Whilst every effort will be taken to resolve any questionable records, NEYEDC reserves the right to exclude a record if it is considered likely to be inaccurate.
N.B. Before completing the form, please read the data licence underneath.
* essential information
Data Licence: "The Small Print".
All personal data submitted to NEYEDC will be regarded as confidential and will be managed in line with the Data Protection Act. Personal details will not be used or passed on to third parties without the specific permission of the individual.
Biological records will be added to the Centre’s Geographic Information System (GIS) and will be used in the normal operation of the Centre. Members of the public submitting data to the Centre on-line, allow NEYEDC full licence to use that data in pursuance of the Centre's mission.To return to Species Action Plan list, click here 
BANEBERRY (Actaea spicata)
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Found in calcareous woodlands, baneberry has creamy-white flowers arranged in a dense spike and glossy, toothed leaves. |
baneberry © Yorkshire Wildlife Trust |
It bears a fruit which ripens to a black berry approximately 1cm long. |
baneberry © Susan Wilson |
known distribution of baneberry in the Scarborough BAP area
To record
baneberry, click here
To return to Species Action Plan list, click here
WATER VIOLET (Hottonia palustris)
Water violet is found growing in pools, ditches and ornamental lakes. It has erect and completely leafless flower stems rising out of the water supporting pale purple flowers (three to eight in each whorl). Beneath the water surface are whorls of delicate finely divided leaves. |
water violet © Whitfield Benson, North Yorkshire County Council |
known distribution of water violet in the Scarborough BAP area
To record
water violet, click here
To return to Species Action Plan list, click here
Bithynian vetch is a member of the pea family and has violet-purple flowers with unevenly-sized petals. The many leaves are arranged in pairs along the stem. |
bithynian vetch © Nan Sykes |
Clary is a perennial and a member of the mint family. It has spikes of many violet-coloured two-lipped flowers that do not open fully, which can be seen from May to August. This plant is found in shady hedgerows or beside small streams on well-drained soils. |
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known distribution of rare flowers (listed above) in the Scarborough BAP area
To record
clary or bithynian vetch, click here
To return to Species Action Plan list, click here
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brandt's bat © John Altringham |
There are 16 species of bat in Britain, 9 of which are found in the Scarborough District. These are common and soprano pipistrelles, noctule, leisler's, brown long-eared, natterer’s, daubenton’s, whiskered and brandts bats. They vary in size from the common pipistrelle which weighs 5g and has a wingspan of about 20cm, to the noctule which weighs around 30g and has a wingspan of up to 45cm. The only mammals to have mastered powered flight, bats emerge around dusk to hunt small flying insects using ultrasound. They roost in various structures including houses, mature trees, caves and old buildings. From October/ November until March bats hibernate. |
brown long-eared bat © John Altringham |
known distribution of bats in the Scarborough BAP area
To record
a bat, click here
To return to Species Action Plan list, click here
WATER VOLE (Arvicola terrestris)
Water voles are often confused with the brown rat, however the rat has much larger and obvious ears, a more pointed nose and a long hairless tail. |
water vole © James Mortimer |
Water voles are thought to be the UK’s fastest declining mammal. They are found on the banks of rivers, ditches, streams and ponds, where they feed on the vegetation. They are recognisable by their small ears, blunt nose and brown furry tail. Their presence is often detected by finding distinctive signs such as footprints and latrines. |
water vole latrine © James Mortimer |
water vole footprints © Yorkshire Wildlife Trust |
known distribution of water vole in the Scarborough BAP area
To record
water vole, click here
To return to Species Action Plan list, click here
OTTER (Lutra lutra)
Otters usually inhabit rivers, canals and lakes. However in some areas they are also coastal. They mainly feed on fish. Other prey items include mammals, amphibians and invertebrates such as crayfish. |
otter © James Mortimer |
The otter, one of Britain’s largest carnivores, has a long slender body with short legs, webbed feet, and a thick muscular tail. Due to its’ nocturnal habits and shy nature, the otter is rarely seen in the wild. Its’ presence is often given away by field signs such as footprints and spraint (droppings). |
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otter spraint © James Mortimer |
known distribution of otter in the Scarborough BAP area
To record
otter, click here
To return to Species Action Plan list, click here
The tree sparrow is the smallest of the sparrows, recognised by the brown crown and the black spot on each cheek, with an almost complete white collar. The tail is nearly always cocked. The house sparrow is similar, however this does not have the cheek spot and is a larger bird. This is mainly a bird of open farmland with small woods, single trees or hedgerows. It can also be found in disused quarries, large gardens or coastal cliffs. It nests in holes in trees, nest-boxes and occasionally, though not normally, in houses. Feeds on insects and seeds. |
tree sparrow © Whitfield Benson, North Yorkshire County Council |
known distribution of tree sparrow in the Scarborough BAP area
To record
tree sparrow, click here
To return to Species Action Plan list, click here
The male bird has a dark grey crown, a black throat and breast, and white cheeks. The female is a dull brown above and grey-white below with no distinctive marks. It has a similar appearance to the tree sparrow, however without the black spot on its' cheeks. |
male house sparrow © P. Richards |
Common in urban areas and also found inhabiting cultivated land, although declining. It is sometimes seen in large flocks in winter on farmland. The house sparrow nests in holes (often in buildings), nestboxes, trees and bushes. It feeds on seeds and scraps of food. |
female house sparrow © Yorkshire Wildlife Trust |
known distribution of house sparrow in the Scarborough BAP area
To record
house sparrow, click here
To return to Species Action Plan list, click here
The great crested newt is usually found in large, well-vegetated ponds and ditches during the breeding season. Adults then leave the water and live on land, foraging during the Summer and Autumn then hibernating through the winter months. |
great crested newt © James Mortimer |
This is the largest newt in Britain, adults measuring approximately 6 inches in length. The male has a large crest along its’ back and tail during the breading season (March to June) , and a silver flash along the side of the tail. The female has no crest, and an orange strip along the underneath of its tail. It is dark brown, almost black above, whilst bright orange with large black spots underneath. It can be readily distinguished from the other two British newt species (smooth newt Triturus vulgaris and palmate newt Triturus helveticus) by its size, markings and colouration. The male smooth newt also has a crest and is therefore sometimes confused with the great crested newt. However the smooth newt only reaches approximately 4 inches and is much lighter in colour. |
great crested newt © Jon Traill |
known distribution of great crested newt in the Scarborough BAP area
To record
great crested newt, click here
To return to Species Action Plan list, click here
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This plan includes the following species: brook lamprey, river lamprey, sea lamprey, grayling, sea salmon and brown trout. |
brook lamprey © Brian Morland |
The brook lamprey is the smallest lamprey species in Britain, adults reaching a length of about 15cm. These fish resemble eels and have two dorsal fins. The sides are a silvery colour whilst the back is grey-brown. Adults are found only in freshwater streams and occasionally in lakes. The larvae occur in silt beds, usually in running water. Brook lampreys are seen more often than the other lampreys, especially during spawning time (April and May). |
brook lamprey © Brian Morland |
The river lamprey grows to approximately 30cm and weighs around 60g. Larvae are indistinguishable from those of the brook lamprey, however after metamorphosis they become silver along the sides and grey along the back. Before they spawn they lose the silvery colour to become dark all over. The fins are dark brown. This species can easily be distinguished from the eel by its seven gill openings on each side of the head (the eel only has one on each side). The river lamprey can be found in estuaries, rivers and coastal waters. |
river lamprey © Brian Morland |
river lamprey © Brian Morland |
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The sea lamprey is much bigger than the other two species, measuring around 50cm or sometimes up to 1m, and weighing up to 2.5kg. It has a long, cylindrical body with smooth, scaleless skin and two dorsal fins. Like the river lamprey, this species has seven pairs of gill openings. The larvae are dark grey above and light grey below, whilst adults are brown-grey and mottled. Sea lampreys inhabit coastal waters and rivers. |
sea lamprey © Brian Morland |
sea lamprey © Brian Morland |
The grayling has a long streamlined body, usually measuring around 60cm. The dorsal fin is very prominent. The head is dull grey, the sides are grey-green with black spots and the underneath is silvery white. Usually found in rivers, although can also be found in lakes, the grayling spawning season is from March to May.
Salmon are very variable in size, however most are around 70cm long. This species is predatory and has well developed teeth. Colour is similar in males and females, being silver-sided with a silvery white belly. Some individuals are spotted. Peak spawning time in Britain is usually in November, however spawing can occur at any time between October and January.
The brown trout is a very variable species. It is typically about 26-42cm long, weighing 226-900g. Like salmon, this fish has well-developed teeth. The scales are smaller than those of salmon. Colour varies as much as size, with some individuals being quite silvery, whilst others brown-yellow or very dark. Many are also spotted to varying degrees.
known distribution of migratory fish (listed above) in the Scarborough BAP area
To record
one of the migratory fish species, click here
To return to Species Action Plan list, click here
GOLDEN-SHELLED SLUG (Testacella scutulum)
The golden-shelled slug is yellow or brown and measures approximately 10 cm. It gets its’ name from the fact that it has a fingernail-like shell covering the mantle at the rear end. This slug lives mainly underground and feeds on earthworms. It is uncommon outside of parks and gardens. |
golden-shelled slug © Brian Cockerill |
known distribution of golden-shelled slug in the Scarborough BAP area
To record
golden-shelled slug, click here
To return to Species Action Plan list, click here
WHITE-CLAWED CRAYFISH (Austropotamobius pallipes)
Britains’ only native freshwater crayfish, this species is found in clean rivers, streams and canals (usually calcareous). It is an omnivore, feeding on a wide variety of animal and plant matter. Predators would include the otter, mink, brown rat, some birds and fish such as perch, trout chub and pike. In some parts of England and Wales it has declined due to the spread of non-native signal crayfish which spread the crayfish plague fungus. |
white-clawed crayfish © Yorkshire Wildlife Trust |
Usually less than 10cm in length, the white-clawed crayfish has a smooth body which can vary in colour from olive to dark brown. The claws are brown above and whitish below. The native crayfish can be confused with the signal crayfish, introduced from America. The signal crayfish however has a parallel-sided rostrum (a central forward point of the shell covering the head of the animal) and a white-turquoise patch on each claw (diagram to the right). |
crayfish identification © James Mortimer |
known distribution of white-clawed crayfish in the Scarborough BAP area
To record
white-clawed
crayfish, click here
To return to Species Action Plan list, click here
There are four species of reptile known to occur in the Scarborough District – adder (Vipera berus), grass snake (Natrix natrix), common lizard (Lacerta vivipara) and slow-worm (Anguis fragilis).
The adder is easily recognised by the dark zig-zag pattern along its back and tail. Males have a grey background colour, whilst female colouration is more of a pale brown. They are usually less than 80cm in length. The adder is Britains’ only venomous snake, however it rarely poses a threat to humans. Distribution is mostly limited to heathland areas. It preys on small mammals and other reptiles. |
adder © Richard Sunter |
The grass snake is larger than the adder, reaching lengths of 1 metre or more. It is usually a grey-green colour with a yellow collar just behind the head and black markings along the sides. The leathery eggs can often be found laid in compost heaps. This snake is regularly found near water and feeds on amphibians amongst other things. |
grass snake © Richard Sunter |
| The common lizard various in colouration, but is usually brown or green with dark spots, lines or flecks above and pale underneath. It has a distinct, pointed snout. It can be found in areas of heathland and grassland. |
common lizard © Richard Sunter |
The slow-worm is a legless lizard, which superficially looks like a small snake. It is a silvery colour, cylindrical with very small scales. Some are coloured gold with a fine dark stripe along the back. The preferred habitat of the slow-worm is tussocky grassland, and it is often found in allotment gardens. |
slow-worm © James Mortimer |
known distribution of reptiles in the Scarborough BAP area
To record
a reptile, click here
To return to Species Action Plan list, click here
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& East Yorkshire Ecological Data Centre. All rights reserved.
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