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"Tins" |
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Mervyn
Admin Group Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 41 |
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Posted: 12 Jul 2003 at 3:02pm |
Could someone let me know if "Tins" can be purchased and if so where from.
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Mervyn J. COTTENDEN, CPA
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Martin
Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 87 |
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Hi Mervyn, did you particularly want tin tins? (So to speak!) A cheap and easy way that I've used is to buy a cheap roll of roofing felt and cut it into wide strips, then lay them out in your target area.
Any other thoughts anyone? Martin. |
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Mervyn
Admin Group Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 41 |
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Mervyn J. COTTENDEN, CPA
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-LAF
Senior Member Joined: 03 Apr 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 317 |
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Out of interest David, did you use the standard angle grinding head when you tried it, or did you use a disk cutter blade? I've seen a 5" disk cutter (not sure which type off hand, there's at least 3 for every job) cut scaffold poles, and I beleive you can get ones that are compatible with high powered mains drills as well as ones for angle grinders (and ones for Stihl saws too should you like that sort of thing ). I'd be surprised if there wasn't one up chomping tin with little effort. Just a thought, Lee.
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Lee Fairclough
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calumma
Senior Member Joined: 27 Jun 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 375 |
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Be aware that different materials will generate different survey results. Lots of consultants rely on roofing felt, but are their results representative of the area under study?
I am currently engaged in a pilot study that involves a pairwise comparison of felt v tin on a 4 species site in Kent (although grass snake are rare on the site). Results are interesting and will be previewed at this year's HGBI SE Regional meeting (hosted by KRAG in Sevenoaks). SE Regional meeting Dave's preference for tin is well deserved, particularly if you are surveying for adder... Edited by calumma |
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administrator
Admin Group Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Status: Offline Points: 10 |
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I often stumble across roofing mats used for surveys and have yet to find much under one at all. Though I do see reptiles openly basking not too far away. (I would note that I do not check mats in areas likely to contain animals that require a licence for disturbance) Last Wednesday I was at a site with roofing mats, none had any signs of life, yet a few yards away the upper surfaces of discarded tyres were being put to good use by many Common Lizards throughout the heat of the day (recorded as peaking at 99.8F ouch!). The mats in question may be from a now discontinued survey, but were quite shaded by meadow grasses and cool to the touch, whereas the tyres stood proud and in full sun. I wonder how effective a mat is if placed on flat ground as opposed to on a slope where it is more likely to become heated? Thanks for the references David, I for one will benefit from finding out more about the techniques involved. Edited by administrator |
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calumma
Senior Member Joined: 27 Jun 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 375 |
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A list of refs that deal with cover boards would be useful for all surveyors. Another quick ref to add to Dave's list:
Tofts, R. and Craine, R. (2000) The effectiveness of ætinningÆ in the translocation of slow-worms (Anguis fragilis) populations. Practice, No. 27. Gemma, my own surveys suggest that roofing felt is very effective for viviparous lizard (I refuse to call them common) and slow-worm. Carpet tiles can be good on some sites, particularly early in the season. Placement of refugia is critical as is re-positioning between years (and even within a year). However, results can often be very specific to individual sites and (as Dave has said elsewhere in the forum), describing a standardised method for surveying reptiles is fraught with difficulties. My own preference is to use a combination of different refugia material. Lee |
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calumma
Senior Member Joined: 27 Jun 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 375 |
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Although tins seem to be preferred by adder (at least on the sites I survey in Kent), I do have to fess up that I have recently recorded an adult male adder from under roofing felt. This is only the second time that I have found an adder under felt (the first was a juvenile). It would be interesting to know what other people's experiences are with the effectiveness of various refugia with different species.
Lee |
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Herpetologic
Member Joined: 02 Sep 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 35 |
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I normally use black roofing felt (reinforced underslating felt) for surveys. i have found that the felt is effective for all four widespread species. Lizards are often found basking on top or under neath, adders Grass snakes and slowworms all use the felt tile. I do use corrugated iron from time to time for capturing in mitigation projects. I am currently working on a small site which has Viviparous Lizards on it (literally Hundreds and Hundreds) The tins are only effective in the early morning (7.30 to 11.00am) from then the animals are on the top of very large anthills which is where I catch most of the lizards. A sort of stalk, detect and pounce method the lizards are caught by ligh pressure of the hand which is difficult on tins the animals can get crushed if you miss judge it where the ant hill substrate provides protection to the lizard. I know people have compared the effectiveness of several refugia materials and they say that thay have found that flat black felt tiles produce the most animals??? it will be interesting to see the reuslt sof the comparision study Lee has made at the regional conference.
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calumma
Senior Member Joined: 27 Jun 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 375 |
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You may all be interested in some preliminary findings from the KRAG Adders in Decline Project (2003 pilot).
By comparing different refugia (88 tins v 88 roofing felt) at three different Kent sites over 58 survey visits, I have calculated the following preliminary results: % of 47 Adder Observations Basking openly - 8% (only adults) Roofing Felt - 15% (all lifestages, but only 2 adults) Tin - 77% (all lifestages) There are a few caveats to these results. Most notably the survey was set up quite late in the season (mid-late June; meaning that animals basking openly upon emergence from hibernation were missed), felt and tins were not always the same sizes etc. However, the results are certainly food for thought and remember it was only a pilot to help plan next year's big project. This project (Adders in Decline) will be launched at the SE Regional Conference. Lee Edited by calumma |
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