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Hatchling sand lizards

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SteveA View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SteveA Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Sep 2012 at 9:38am
Hi all,
 
Despite very southern location of La's here, we've also struggled to get many sightings. There have been some very hot days and even extended dry periods but animals have been in short supply (though I've spent less time looking as had to catch up with wet weather backlog on dry days!). Only saw one definate"pair" and one other gravid looking female in an area I'd normal expect 10+ males and half a dozen females. (despite very early emeregence I didnt see any sign of early breeding).
I have had some babies out over the weekend, but only 4 (again in a patch where I've previously seen double figures), one of last years juvs and an adult male (I assume most of the adults have "gone down" as we're not seeing many over the the last couple of weeks).
Of course this isnt the only bad summer the UK has seen (though the figures suggest the coldest and wetter) so given the longevity of individual animals, will this year just iron out as a population "blip"? As surviving youngsters will have less competition for food or will reduced opportunities to encounter mates from same cohort nullify that??
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mikebrown View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mikebrown Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Sep 2012 at 12:35pm

At least you've seen some hatchlings, Steve! Is this just a small colony, in Dorset presumably?

The picture is slightly more cheerful here on the Merseyside/Sefton coast, as the number of hatchlings seen this year is now up to 17 (all seen by Dave Pennington). Nonetheless, many sites still aren't showing any and the total figure by late September would normally be at least a hundred hatchlings seen, given the amount of searching taking place at present.
 
Cheers
Mike
Mike Brown
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mikebrown Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Sep 2012 at 7:37pm
Just to bring things up to date, the total number of hatchling sand lizards seen on the Merseyside/Sefton Coast this Autumn now stands at just over 50. Although it has surprised me that even that number have been seen this year, most are very small, newly emerged animals and we are going to need a lot of good weather in the next few weeks if many are going to be able to put on enough weight to survive the Winter hibernation period.
Mike Brown
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AGILIS View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AGILIS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Oct 2012 at 5:33pm
Mike if these are from animals that have be captive bred ,would it not be alright in catching and wintering over as a precaution?? keith
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Iowarth Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Oct 2012 at 5:59pm

Hi Keith

A nice idea but only a very small proportion of the animals in the Merseyside/Sefton areas are captive bred (and those will by now be adults) so, I'm afraid that doesn't apply.

So far as the general principle of capturing and rearing in captivity is concerned, there would be no significant advantage apart from protection from predators. This is due to the fact that they have to be hibernated naturally, otherwise they actually, to all intents and purposes, learnt not to hibernate (or at least, not to do it properly). As a consequence the vast majority are lost in their first natural hibernation. Believe you me it has been tried.

Nowadays we try to release all young that are captive bred, and those which we cannot are released into outdoor vivaria where they can hibernate naturally.

That's quite apart from the fact that NE might have a little difficulty with the terms of our license if we captured lots of animals and took them into captivity. After, all, even the ones we breed are officially "wild" from the moment they leave our hands.

All the best

Chris

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GemmaJF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Oct 2012 at 10:16pm
I'm sure if it were possible we would all be cuing up to take some on for the winter though Chris!

I had noticed this before that all the sand lizard releases are done just before hibernation,, I understand why now. You must have nightmares about the exact timing of the releases!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Iowarth Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Oct 2012 at 11:04pm

LOL - I'm sure that you would!

And, yes, you are quite right about the timing - it's a matter of hanging on to the young for maximum possible time to get that crucial headstart over their wild brethren, but still releasing them in time for them to learn theri way around and find hibernation sites. With the vagaries of the British weather and trying to second guess it, it can be quite a challenge at times.

We are very fortunate that young sand lizards tend to be much later in hibernation than the adults - this does give ua a better slot. 

However, you can see why we VERY seldom release earlier than the last week of August and later than the second week of September!

Chirs

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Dave Pennington View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dave Pennington Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Oct 2012 at 10:28am

Hi all! I'm new to this forum but I've been recording SLs for NMARG for the last 3 seasons and I'm just wondering what the numbers are for hatchlings in the Southern areas now. Have they improved much since Mike Brown aked a few weeks ago? As Mike says in his earlier comment, numbers beginning to rise now up here but the weather will be making it hard for them to fatten up for the winter.

Dave Pennington
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will View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote will Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Oct 2012 at 5:47pm
Hi Dave and welcome - great avatar, if that's what those picture thingys are called..

I have yet to see a hatchling in Dorset this year, in spite of a reasonably hard look in the usual hotspots - obviously it's not a scientific study, but I reckon it's been an awful year for them there!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dave Pennington Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Oct 2012 at 6:06pm
Thanks Will
It's a very odd year!Not a great season weather wise but I've had my best year for numbers seen. So far I've recorded 98 SLs on the Sefton Coast  31 of them Hatchlings but only 15 of them adult females and the number of females has only recently reached double figures!
Dave Pennington
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