The Scottish creatures singled out to be on red alert as climate crisis pushes nature to the brink

The study highlights 12 species from around the world at particular risk including two key Scottish species - the mountain hare and the Atlantic Puffin.

WWF Scotland says the mountain hare, living in the Highlands of Scotland have evolved a "brilliant strategy" to escap predators.

In summer they have brown pelage that blends with environment, while in October they switch to a white coat to help camouflage them in the snow.

But it says snow cover in Highlands is declining meaning hares are more exposed and vulnerable to predators.

It warns that habitat change due to warming temperatures will also push them to move higher in smaller and more fragmented territories.

And the Atlantic Puffin, sometimes called the “clown of the sea” may not delight bird lovers for much longer if ocean temperatures continue to rise.

WWF Scotland says volatile weather impacts feeding and breeding, overfishing severely cuts their food source, while diving for fish risks the getting entangled in fishing nets.

They say even a small change in temperature means that sandeels, a major source of food, can disappear entirely.

They say if we are to keep puffins and other seabird species afloat, "we need to act now and limit the rise in global temperatures".

The conservation charity is calling on world leaders meeting for COP26 climate talks in Glasgow this November to guarantee action is taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions and keep the rise in global temperatures to below 1.5C.

WWF’s Feeling The Heat report warns that climate change is warming oceans and landscapes, and creating more heatwaves, floods, droughts and wildfires – conditions in which many species cannot survive.

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In the UK, other species like bumblebees and bluebells are already feeling the heat, while overseas, species including sea turtles, Amazonian monkeys, frogs, coral and hippos are all under threat.

Sheila George, environment and food policy manager at WWF Scotland said: “Scotland is rightly proud of its diverse and unique flora and fauna, but we need to wake up to the fact it is increasingly under threat from climate change. As this report shows, it’s not just snow leopards that are in danger, but our beloved Scottish species and habitats are too, with 1 in 9 under threat of extinction.

“Even small increases in temperature threaten many of the plants and animals that not only make Scotland unique, but that we also depend on for food and pollination. That’s why it’s so vital the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow are a success and agreement is reached to keep global temperatures below 1.5 degrees. World leaders must agree targets, and the actions necessary to achieve them, to keep the natural world we rely on safe and thriving for us and future generations."

She added: “Scotland must lead the charge by driving down emissions, for example in the way we heat our homes and produce food, and by restoring vital habitats like peatlands and woodlands, that help us capture and store carbon.”

The report said temperatures are already 1C above levels before the industrial revolution, and failing to curb global warming to 1.5C could spell catastrophic damage for wildlife – and people, who rely on the services nature provides.

But on current plans and pledges, the world is on track for temperature rises of 2.4C, with severe consequences for coastal communities and crops, as well as plants and animals already under pressure from other human activity.

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Global wildlife populations have fallen by an average of 68 per cent since 1970, and the report calls for action to protect and restore habitats from tropical forests to Welsh seagrass meadows, and transform farming and how the land is used.

This will help store carbon, boost wildlife and support communities, tackling both the climate and nature crises, the report argues.

The much-loved sight of carpets of woodland bluebells could become rarer as warmer temperatures lead the plants to bloom out of sync with optimum spring conditions, putting them at risk, the report said.

Bumblebees are also at risk from overheating.

Mike Barrett, the charity’s executive director of science and conservation, said: “This isn’t a far-off threat – the impacts of climate change are already being felt, and if we don’t act now to keep global warming to 1.5C, we will slide faster and faster towards catastrophe.”

Around the world, warming temperatures are putting species in danger, reducing the habitat of creatures ranging from monkeys which live in Amazonian forests and snow leopards that are at home in the remote Himalayas.

Hippos risk losing their wetlands and will struggle in higher temperatures, while the Arabica coffee plant does not cope well with warming temperatures, low or unpredictable rainfall or extreme weather, the report said.

Warm water coral reefs will be badly affected even by a 1.5C rise in temperatures, but will all but disappear with global warming of 2C, and emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica face a bleak future in the face of ice loss without action to curb emissions, the report said.

Tanya Steele, chief executive at WWF, said: “If we are to secure a future for some of our most iconic species and habitats, and indeed ourselves, then 2021 must be a turning point.

“World leaders must seize the chance at COP26 to build a greener, fairer future – one with nature at its heart.

“As hosts, the UK Government needs to show it can deliver on its ambitious climate targets by publishing a credible action plan without delay, outlining the steps it will take to cut harmful emissions and reach net zero.

“At the same time, ministers must recognise nature’s vital role in helping to deliver a 1.5C world, and urgently scale up efforts to protect and restore nature at home and overseas, including critical places like the Amazon and the polar regions.”