Flora & fauna of Isle of Man

Isle of Man is a self-governing British Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical centre of the British Isles. The Island typically enjoys 'British' weather tempered by the effects of the Gulf Stream that runs through the surrounding Irish Sea.

Weather

Exposure to sea breezes keeps average summer temperatures in the early to mid twenties centigrade, while winters tend to hover around 9 degrees and snow sometimes strikes in late February/ early March. The thick sea fog that occasionally smothers the island's lowland areas is known locally as Manannan's Cloak, a reference to the Island's ancient Sea God swathing his kingdom in mist to protect it from unwanted visitors. The island consists of a central mountain mass culminating in Snaefell and extending north and south in low-lying agricultural land. Man's coastline is rocky and has fine cliff scenery.

Manx cat Best known amongst the Island's unusual Flora and Fauna is the Manx cat which in the pure 'rumpy' version has no tail at all while a 'stumpy' has a vestige of a tail. Loaghtan sheep, with four horns are also unique to the Isle of Man. During the summer, giant Basking sharks are often seen in Manx waters.

These huge creatures grow up to 35 feet long and two tones in weight but they are harmless to man and live on a diet of plankton. Small animals not found on the Isle of Man include badgers, squirrels, snakes and moles. Foxes are forbidden by law but some were illegally introduced in the 1980s and a handful still survives. There are also small numbers of feral goats and descendants of red-necked wallabies that escaped captivity many years ago.

Ragwort

The unofficial Manx National Flower is the yellow Ragwort, known locally as Cushag, which blooms in late summer. However landowners are legally obliged to clear it as it's poisonous to cattle. Gorse, spurned by farmers in many other parts of Britain, is an integral part of the Manx landscape and many gorse and earth sod hedges date back to Viking times.

Birds

The Island is home to many breeding and migratory birds which are being comprehensively recorded in the Manx Bird Atlas. Local 'specialties' include Manx shearwaters and the red-legged chough. Trees and flowers benefit from the temperate climate - Manx Palm trees are not uncommon and thousands of wild orchids bloom in Spring at Close Sartfield, one of Britain's most important wildflower sites.