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Adder 2007!

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Peter Vaughan View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Peter Vaughan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Apr 2007 at 3:26pm

I visited my local Adder site at 11:30 on Monday morning.  The large male Adder was not in his usual spot and neither it seemed were any other animals about - but having set-off home I spotted the first female I have seen at this site, a little away from where I've seen the males.  She was at the base of a birch tree, in a slight hollow in the ground surrounded by a ring of dead braken.  Weather was mostly bright sunshine.  Question for the Adder experts - is there any easy way of telling whether a female has mated yet by her behaviour?

PS - Tony, your old monopod used for this shot.

Peter Vaughan
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Jimpklop View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jimpklop Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Apr 2007 at 3:47pm
As they will be incubating their young i guess they will spend as much time in the sun and a little less reluctant to run off so soon, not sure as for this early, just a thought.

James
Im Craving Adder's(www.jimpklop.moonfruit.com)
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Peter Vaughan View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Peter Vaughan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Apr 2007 at 4:49pm

Tony -

I'm a bit confused here - do you mean the picture I posted aaaabove is of a male?  I thought the zig-zag was sufficiently light-brown to make it a female...

Peter Vaughan
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Jimpklop View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jimpklop Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Apr 2007 at 5:54pm
Hi Tony

Just did a quick search on Leonard Appleby and nothing is coming up whats the book called, might need to get my hands on it!

Do you know of any more books that are a bit more in depth than "Adders are venomous and are live bearing"? because i have yet to find one.

Thanks

James
Im Craving Adder's(www.jimpklop.moonfruit.com)
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Jimpklop View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jimpklop Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Apr 2007 at 6:13pm
Ive seen behavioral changes in the last few visits there is no males rushing about, so i was guessing i have missed it, whens the competition closed then Tony?

James
Im Craving Adder's(www.jimpklop.moonfruit.com)
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Vicar View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vicar Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2007 at 4:36am
Appleby Adders


(c) 1971 Leonard G. Appleby - reproduced for non-commercial educational & research purposes.


Edited by Vicar
Steve Langham - Chairman    
Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group
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Alan Hyde View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alan Hyde Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2007 at 4:58am
James (Jimpklop) That is one very beautiful male that you took a pic of there, well done!
O-> O+>
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote arvensis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2007 at 5:59am
One of the animals from yesterday, I don't know what you lot think about melanistic animals but this one is a nice example:


Managed to bag all 6 native reptiles yesterday for the first time this year.

Mark
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Jimpklop View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jimpklop Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2007 at 3:09pm
Steve, Thanks for posting that picture, i have learnt to look more closely.

Mark, Cracking picture mate, and well done for getting all six.

Tony, as for receptive females i have only seen one (against at least 5 males).  of one litter is there any evidence that shows most are males / most are females? Probably completely random but....

James
Im Craving Adder's(www.jimpklop.moonfruit.com)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote herpetologic2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2007 at 5:27pm

Hi Mark

 

I hope you got some clear shots of that one's head - I am trying to count the head scales so I can match it with animals I caught last year.....I suspect its an old friend

I may pop down to the site tomorrow to get some counts and some head markings - possibly some weights and measures to compare with the animals I captured last year - in situ mitigation study coming on here we already know that the animals shifted from their release areas - approx 150 to 200 metres

and we have some recaptures - we had one deformed neonate on the site so keep an eye out for that one if it has survived. The high numbers of melanistic adders on this site and deformed babies suggests possible inbreeding.

And this year I will be working very close by on the motorways in this area so we will find out more about the adders in this area.

Question - how many males are there in the Appleby photo?

Jon

 

PS remember Mark I need to have at least 3 counts from AP and PFS ideally over 5 counts through April and May - for MTAC - Make the Adder Count - come people get out there count adders, go over your notes and send in forms for 2005 & 2006 we need as much count data as possible from as many sites as possible

Pass counts are just as valid

 

Report your sightings to the Record Pool http://arguk.org/recording
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