Fauna of Scotland
Only six amphibians and four land reptiles are native to Scotland. The amphibians include three species of newt: the great crested, of which fewer than 1,000 individuals survive; the smooth, and the palmate. The other amphibians are the common toad, the natterjack toad, found in only four locations in the south-west, and the common frog. A single alien amphibian is known in Scotland, the Alpine newt, a recent escapee confined to the Edinburgh area.
Italian crested newt
As an aquatic species of newt, "T. carnifex" requires areas of standing water such as ponds, lakes, farmlands, etc., for its habitat. It is very susceptible to slight changes in its environment, and is thus considered an ideal bio-indicator species. The species is thought to be on the decline due to an increase in industrialization and housing development, both of which interfere with the habitat of the newt. The greatest threats to the newt are loss of aquatic habitats (most importantly, breeding sites), agricultural pollution and intensification, and the inclusion of new predatory fish into its habitat. The intrusion of humans not only physically destroy their habitats, but introduces chemicals and pollutants that have lethal effects on amphibian populations at what is normally considered a safe amount. Due to its wide distribution, however, extinction of the species is considered to be of small concern at present, even though the populations have been decreasing.