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
In early stages of development in amphibians, it has been discovered that convectional gas transport, the method through which hemoglobin is carried throughout the body, is an unnecessary process. This is important because it indicates that the coupling of ventilator gas transport and hemoglobin gas transport are independent mechanisms and not yet coupled as they are in adulthood. An example of this difference is seen in the response to hypoxia between organisms at differing developmental stages. In juvenile newts, there is no cardiovascular response in conditions of hypoxia.