Sarah's Species Spotlight: Species in Peril

Sarah's Species Spotlight: Species in Peril

A new report by Natural Resources Wales has found that 1 in 6 Welsh species are in peril. Almost half of these species are only found on a single site in Wales. The list is almost 3,000 species long but most of us will have never heard of some of them! Let me introduce you to some of the lesser-known species in peril.

Blackberries in Custard

Sounds delicious, looks like a fungal infection. This lichen is found growing on smooth barked trees like Hazel. This lichen can have many colourful forms, such as the olive green form pictured here. This lichen gets its name from its mature form where black clusters form on a yellow background.

A green lichen on a tree trunk.

© Ray Woods

Beddau Beast

The Beddau Beast is nowhere near as menacing as its name. It’s a teeny-tiny little white millipede only found on coal spoil in Beddau! Little is known about this tiny critter but it’s commonly found under rotting wood and is thought to feed on algae.

A small white millipede.

Beddau Beast © Liam Olds

Rainbow Leaf Beetle

The Rainbow Leaf Beetle is a rainbow-coloured, metallic, and is an absolute stunner. The Rainbow Leaf Beetle is also known as the Snowdon Beetle as it is only found on Yr Wyddfa. Unfortunately, this jaunty little guy is classified as endangered.

Glutinous Snail

The Glutinous Snail is only found in one lake in Wales. Because of it's scarcity this snail is considered one of Europe’s most endangered species. These tiny snails have an incredibly delicate shell. Their shells are so thin they almost look like glass! They are also often covered in slimy mucus, giving the snails its name. Glutinous Snails are a freshwater species and are very sensitive to pollution. Increased water pollution in Wales is one of the factors threatening this species.

Ever wanted to see a glutinous snail having a snack? Check out the video here.

A tiny snail on a finger.

Glutinous Snail © Ian Hughes

The full list of species in peril is available in the Natural Resource Wales Report here. For more ways that you can help species in peril click here.