This is a list of the known wildlife of the Isle of Man.
- non-native species
- â extinct species
- ? species of uncertain status
Each listing follows the following format: English name (where one exists), binomial/trinomial scientific name with authorities for uncommon species, Manx name (where one exists), status.
Anura (frogs and toads)
Sulidae (gannets and boobies)
- Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo (Fannag)
- Shag, Phalacrocorax aristotelis ()
Ardeidae (egrets and herons)
Anatidae (swans, geese and ducks)
- Mute swan, Cygnus olor
- Whooper swan, Cygnus cygnus
- Pink-footed goose, Anser brachyrynchus
- Greylag goose, Anser anser ()
- Canada goose, Branta canadensis *
- Brent goose, Branta bernicla
- Shelduck, Tadorna tadorna ()
- Wigeon, Anas penelope ()
- Gadwall, Anas strepera ()
- Teal, Anas crecca ()
- Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos ()
- Shoveler, Anas clypeata ()
- Pochard, Aythya ferina ()
- Tufted duck, Aythya fuligula ()
- Scaup, Aythya marila ()
- Eider, Somateria mollissima ()
- Long-tailed duck, Clangula hyemalis ()
- Common scoter, Melanitta nigra
- Velvet scoter, Melanitta fusca
- Goldeneye, Bucephala clangula ()
- Red-breasted merganser, Mergus serrator ()
- Goosander, Mergus merganser ()
- Ruddy duck, Oxyura jamaicensis â *
Accipitridae (hawks, eagles, kites and harriers)
Phasianidae (partridges and quail)
- Black grouse, Tetrao tetrix â (extinct, native status uncertain but an introduced population is extinct)
- Red grouse, Lagopus lagopus scoticus â (native, extinct by 1835, reintroduced 1880 and still extant) (kellagh ruy / â heath hen).
Rallidae (rails and crakes)
- Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes ()
Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies)
Updated July 2023
- Common hawker, Aeshna juncea
- Brown hawker, Aeshna grandis
- Migrant hawker, Aeshna mixta - recent arrival, thought to be breeding (2022) at around seven sites
- Common darter, Sympetrum striolatum
- Black darter, Sympetrum danae - possibly endangered by drier springs drying out its upland pools
- Red-veined darter, Sympetrum fonscolombi
- Ruddy darter, Sympetrum sanguineum
- Four-spotted chaser, Libellula quadrimaculata
- Black-tailed skimmer, Orthetrum cancellatumÃÂ - single photo record
- Emperor dragonfly, Anax imperator - recent arrival
- Lesser emperor dragonfly, Anax parthenope - recent arrival
- Vagrant emperor dragonfly, Anax ephippiger
- Common blue damselfly, Enallagma cyathigerum
- Blue-tailed damselfly, Ischnura elegans
- Large red damselfly, Pyrrhosoma nymphula
- Emerald damselfly, Lestes sponsa
- Azure damselfly, Coenagrion puellaÃÂ - thought extinct as it was recorded in just two years from Poyll Dhooie, Ramsey but refound at Ballaugh Plantation/Glen Shoggle on 10 June 2023.
Orthoptera (grasshoppers and crickets)
- Dark bush-cricket, Pholidoptera griseoaptera - Found only on the Lonan coast and around the Glen Maye ASSI - protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife Act 1990
- Speckled bush-cricket, Leptophyes punctatissima - Found only along south coast, including Glen Chass, Port St. Mary and in the west at Glen Maye ASSI - protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife Act 1990
- Lesser mottled grasshopper, Stenobothrus stigmaticus - Found only on the Langness ASSI, the only locality in the British Isles - protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife Act 1990
- Common green grasshopper, Omocestus viridulus - common
- Mottled grasshopper, Myrmeleotettix maculatus
- Field grasshopper, Chorthippus brunneus
- Common ground-hopper, Tetrix undulata
Hymenoptera (bees, wasps and ants)
Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths)
As of 2023 the Isle of Man has 20 regularly occurring migrant and resident species of butterfly, with a total of 23 all-time records in the wild.
- Large white, Pieris brassicae (fairly common resident)
- Small white, Pieris rapae (common resident)
- Green-veined white, Pieris napi (common resident)
- Orange tip, Anthocharis cardamines (fairly common resident)
- Clouded yellow, Colias croceus (irregular migrant - an immigration occurring in 1947 and 2025 107 records of NBN Atlas Isle of Man as of May 2022)
- Brimstone, Gonepteryx rhamni (very rare migrant)
- Small copper, Lycaena phlaeas (common resident)
- Common blue, Polyommatus icarus (common resident)
- Holly blue, Celastrina argiolus (fairly common and widespread resident)
- Grayling, Hipparchia semele (residential restricted to grassy, rocky cliffs and the Ayres - 355 records of NBN Atlas Isle of Man as of May 2022)
- Speckled wood, Pararge aegeria (recent coloniser, since 2005 on the east coast, reaching the west coast by 2009, now very common and widespread)
- Meadow brown, Maniola jurtina (common and widespread resident)
- Wall, Lasiommata megera (relatively common and widespread but in reduced number)
- Small heath, Coenonympha pamphilus (common and widespread, particularly on rabbit-grazed coastal grassland an in uplands)
Nymphalidae (fritillaries and aristocrats)
- Dark green fritillary, Speyeria aglaja (widespread resident along Manx coast but local. Inland population at Sulby Glen)
- Red admiral, Vanessa atalanta (common annual migrant)
- Small tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae (widespread and common, but declining)
- Peacock, Aglais io (fairly common resident)
- Comma, Polygonia c-album (fairly recent coloniser, since 1990s, local, mainly in north - rare)
- Painted lady, Vanessa cardui (annual migrant)
- Ringlet, Aphantopus hyperantus (extremely rare vagrant - NBN Atlas Isle of Man contains only a single record from 1937 in Peel)
- Scotch argus, Erebia aethiops (extremely rare vagrant)
- Monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus (extremely rare vagrant - four records of NBN Atlas Isle of Man as of May 2022)
- Scarce crimson and gold moth, Pyrausta sanguinalis, a small distinctively marked moth, dark yellow with crimson bands across the forewings merging with crimson edging. It is scarce and local in the British Isles and appears to be confined to areas of Northern Ireland, the Burren in the Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man. Here, it is only found along the northern coast at the Ayres National Nature Reserve, where its larvae live in silken tubes and feed on the flowers of wild thyme growing in the former sand pits. At the Ayres adults fly during the day mostly in June but have been recorded in July and into early August. The species was once more widespread in Britain but has declined in recent years and is thought to be extinct in its former range in north-west England and Scotland.
Arctiidae (woolly worm moths)
As of 2020 research by the Manx Bat Group has found that there are at least nine species of Chiroptera on the Isle of Man:
- Mountain hare, Lepus timidus â * (), once extinct but now reintroduced, found only on the Northern Hills
- European hare, Lepus europaeus * (), uncertain if introduced, found locally across the Isle of Man but not the Calf of Man
- European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus * (), found across the Island and on the Calf of Man in good numbers
- European hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus * (), accidental introduction from a shipwreck
- Pygmy shrew, Sorex minutus (), the common shrew is not found in the Isle of Man as commonly thought. Also found on the Calf of Man.
- Wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus (), formerly found on the Calf of Man.
- House mouse, Mus domesticus * (), not present on the Calf of Man.
- Brown rat, Rattus norvegicus * (), invasive non-native species formerly found on the Calf of Man.
- Stoat, Mustela erminea hibernica (, known as a 'weasel' in the Manx English dialect)
- Ferret, Mustela furo * (), invasive non-native species known as polecats but really just feral ferrets
- Cat, Felis catus * (), invasive non-native species with a widely established feral population
- Irish elk, Megaloceros giganteus () â Globally extinct.
Pinnipedia (seals and walruses)
Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates or hoofed mammals)
- Feral domestic goat, Capra hircus * (), a 2024 study found 245 feral individuals on the Island's east coast
- Feral domestic sheep, Ovis aries *, as of 2025 approximately 25 or more feral Manx Loaghtan sheep are present in an unmanaged apparently self-sustaining population along the coast of the Meayll peninsula on the Manx National Heritage owned cliffs and brooghs from the Chasms westward to Spanish Head.
- Bos, possibly Bos primigenius â Remains found in 2024. Globally extinct.
- Horse, Equus ferus caballus, feral herd formerly on the moorland above Glen Auldyn, with a single remaining individual as of August 2025.
- Red-necked wallaby, Macropus rufogriseus * (), a 2024 study found between 950-1050 feral individuals across the Island
Cetacea (whales and dolphins)
Note that Manx nomenclature traditionally did not differentiate between species. Most whales are known as (sea pigs) or and small dolphins as .
Regularly seen species
Rarely seen species
Vagrant species
- Sei whale, Balaenoptera borealis â a single adult was stranded on Langness in May 1925. Its skeleton is on display in the Natural History Gallery of the Manx Museum
- Long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas â no known records in Manx waters, but have been sighted in the Irish Sea
- Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba - on 20 December 2017 a single striped dolphin beached and died in Castletown harbour and was preserved for display within the Manx Museum
Extinct populations
- Grey whale, Eschrichtius robustus â a coastal whale probably once found in the Irish Sea, however the species' North Atlantic population was extirpated in the 18th century.
Domestic animals
All sorts of domesticated species have been brought to the Isle of Man by humans over the millennia. Two notable landrace breeds have evolved distinctively on the island:
- Manx cat, a domestic cat (Felis catus) with genetic abbreviation of the tail, which may range from no tail at all to essentially full-size. Developed as a standardised breed in the late 19th century, the Manx cat has become a popular breed worldwide, but is in danger of disappearing on the island itself, as it is being out-bred by other cats imported over the last century by primarily English immigrants. The long-haired variety is called the Cymric cat in some breed registries, and was primarily developed in Canada, not the Isle of Man.
- Manx Loaghtan, a variety of domestic sheep (Ovis aries) with brown wool and four horns, rare outside the island and considered "at risk" by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.
Stylommatophora (common land snails and slugs)
- Limax cinereoniger (ash-black slug) found in remnant ancient woodland in 2011 after not being recorded for over 100 years.
- Brown trout, Salmo trutta including the anadromous form, the sea trout
- Rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss *
- Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar
- Ocean sunfish, Mola mola (recent vagrant)
- Swordfish, Xiphias gladius (rare vagrant, single record on 27 August 2022)
- European eel, Anguilla anguilla
- Minnow, Phoxinus phoxinus
- Three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus
- Nine-spined stickleback, Pungitius pungitius
The format here is common English name (if one exists), followed by scientific name, followed by authority in brackets. There are no Manx names.
218 species of Arachnids have been identified in the Isle of Man as of 1 January 2002.
- Agrimony, Agrimonia eupatoria
- Alpine clubmoss, Diphasiastrum alpinum
- Beech fern, Phegopteris connectilis
- Blunt-leaved pondweed, Potamogeton obtusifolius
- Brackish water crowfoot, Ranunculus baudotii
- Burnet saxifrage, Pimpinella saxifraga
- Carline thistle, Carlina vulgaris
- Celery-leaved buttercup, Ranunculus sceleratus
- Common bladderwort, Utricularia vulgaris
- Common cow-wheat, Melampyrum pratense
- Common sea lavender, Limonium vulgare
- Common skullcap, Scutellaria galericulata - rediscovered on 4 July 2022 after an absence of records for 142 years.https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2022-09-01/rare-wildflower-rediscovered-for-the-first-time-in-142-years
- Common wintergreen, Pyrola minor
- Cranberry, Vaccinium oxycoccos
- Dioecious sedge, Carex dioica
- Dodder, Cuscuta epithymum
- Dune fescue, Vulpia fasciculata
- Eelgrass, Zostera marina
- Fennel pondweed, Potamogeton pectinatus
- Few-flowered spike rush, Eleocharis quinqueflora
- Field gentian, Gentianella campestris
- Floating burr-reed, Sparganium natans
- Floating club-rush, Eleogiton fluitans
- Grass-leaved orache, Atriplex littoralis
- Greater broomrape, Orobanche rapum-genistae
- Greater spearwort, Ranunculus lingua
- Hare's-foot clover, Trifolium arvense
- Hay-scented buckler-fern, Dryopteris aemula
- Horned pondweed, Zannichellia palustris
- Iceland cress, Rorippa islandica
- Ivy-leaved bellflower, Wahlenbergia hederacea
- Killarney filmy fern, Trichomanes speciosum
- Least willow, Salix herbacea
- Lesser clubmoss, Selaginella selaginoides
- Lesser tussock-sedge, Carex diandra
- Lesser twayblade, Neottia cordata
- Lesser water-plantain, Baldellia ranunculoides
- Maidenhair fern, Adiantum capillus-veneris
- Marsh hawk's-beard, Crepis paludosa
- Marsh stitchwort, Stellaria palustris
- Mountain pansy, Viola lutea
- Narrow buckler-fern, Dryopteris carthusiana
- Narrow-leaved water-plantain, Alisma lanceolatum
- Nodding bur-marigold, Bidens cernua
- Oyster plant, Mertensia maritima
- Pale butterwort, Pinguicula lusitanica
- Pale sedge, Carex pallescens
- Parsley fern, Cryptogramma crispa
- Parsley water-dropwort, Oenanthe lachenalii
- Pennyroyal, Mentha pulegium
- Pillwort, Pilularia globulifera
- Pink water speedwell, Veronica catenata
- Portland spurge, Euphorbia portlandica
- Rock sea lavender, Limonium binervosum agg.
- Saltmarsh flat-sedge, Blysmus rufus
- Sea purslane, Atriplex portulacoides
- Sea wormwood, Seriphidium maritimum
- Shepherd's cress, Teesdalia nudicaulis
- Slender spike-rush, Eleocharis uniglumis
- Smooth cat's-ear, Hypochaeris glabra
- Spring sandwort, Minuartia verna
- Stagshorn club moss, Lycopodium clavatum
- Strawberry clover, Trifolium fragiferum
- Tubular water-dropwort, Oenanthe fistulosa
- Viper's bugloss, Echium vulgare
- Western clover, Trifolium occidentale
- White sedge, Carex curta
- Wilson's filmy fern, Hymenophyllum wilsonii
- Wood fescue, Festuca altissima
- Wood melick, Melica uniflora
- Wood small-reed, Calamagrostis epigejos
- Wood speedwell, Veronica montana
- Wood vetch, Vicia sylvatica
As of September 2022, 1801 distinct species from the kingdom Fungi have been recorded on NBN Atlas Isle of Man.
- Hymenoscyphus fraxineus ash dieback fungus (previously known as Chalara fraxinea). First identified on Great Britain in 2012 and the Isle of Man in 2017. Since then the fungus has rapidly spread throughout the island.
Sixty-two species of dung fungi have been recorded in the Isle of Man as of 13 April 2009 by Michael J. Richardson, a British mycologist. The following are from a sample of rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) pellets collected at the Ayres on 6 January 2008.
References