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Vanishing Adders

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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 Topic: Vanishing Adders
    Posted: 17 Apr 2003 at 3:26pm

I have walked the heaths of Chobham, Brookwood , and Bisley Surrey since early childhood (70's). In this time I have noticed a climb in the number of berus during the 80's , and a serious drop in numbers during the 90's up untill now.

Two areas in particular are of serious concern to me , xxxxxxxx in Chobham , and Sheets Heath Brookwood. Both of these areas where extremely good with regards to berus , and at Chobham one muggy overcast day in 87 a friend and myself saw 28 in less than two hours. Sheets heath had a high number of Large berus ranging between 28-30 inches .

Sadly over these past 5-6 years I have watched the numbers drop rapidly ,and now in both areas it is very hard to even spot one.

There has been an increase in horseriders and dog walkers to both of these heaths ,and both are poorly managed in my opinion. With regards to Chobham I have often wondered whether Inbreeding or lack of prey items could have caused thier demise. This is quite a small compact area and as I said it held a large population of adders , (perhaps they ate themselves out of thier area?).

The heath I walk mostly these days is at Bisley/West end , and I have noticed the same drop in numbers over the last three years .It soon dawned on me that I have been ophotographing the same specimins over and over.

Here's a few pics



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test2 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote test2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Apr 2003 at 9:52pm

Hi Alan,

I am sure you will understand why I have edited your above post as we are particulary careful not to give too precise a location for some species.

Forum policy can be read at the link below.

http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/Forum%20policies.htm

Welcome to the forum

Mervyn



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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: 17 Apr 2003 at 10:00pm

Hi Mervyn,

Sure, I understand totaly , I didn't think before posting ."Doh!"

Thanks, and nice to meet you.

 

Alan

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote test Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Apr 2003 at 11:35pm

Alan, I have visited a site on Hindhead Common Surrey, since the early 1980's, same story I am sad to say. It was an Adder hot spot back then. It wasn't unusual to see one coiled on another or Adders and Grass Snakes using the same basking site.

There has not been much of an increase in walkers or other users, there have always been a few but the site is fairly secluded. I would put some blame on bracken and birch infill, but over the years I spotted less and less young recruits, and more and more of the same old friends, now they too seem to have gone. (With a notable decline in Common Lizards)

It is difficult with these field observations to know the factors, did they just move, were the early eighties a good time for Adders at this site and I observed a peak population? Though I fear inbreeding the most, as part of a 1,000 acre heath it would seem unlikely to have been a totally isolated population. I think many would agree there is a wide spread decline in Adders, hopefully an answer will be found before it is too late.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Martin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Apr 2003 at 12:14am
I firmly believe that frequent daytime disturbance from human connected activities, be it horse riding or dog walking causes a lot of damage for snakes. Not very helpful but at least we may agree.
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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: 22 Apr 2003 at 4:05pm

Thank you everyone for your replies and observations.

I am going to keep a much closer eye on the adders at my usual herping spots in future , and will give regular reports .

Alan

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