Gorse fire Boscombe site
Printed From: Reptiles and Amphibians of the UK
Category: Alien & Naturalised species of the UK
Forum Name: Aliens
Forum Description: Concerning non-native species that should be removed from the wild
URL: http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3832
Printed Date: 24 Apr 2024 at 10:53am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.06 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Gorse fire Boscombe site
Posted By: AGILIS
Subject: Gorse fire Boscombe site
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2011 at 3:25pm
Decided to look at the wall liz and green lizard site at Boscombe near the zig zag yesterday morning the weather was crap , but had a shock waiting for me the whole area where most of the green lizards and loads of walls has been wiped out by a gorse fire totaly depressing! keith ------------- LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID |
Replies:
Posted By: kevinb
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2011 at 10:38pm
| Not sure what impact that fire has had Keith, we were there a month ago and saw Wall lizards on the burn site (not sure when it happened). There were plenty of Green lizards nearby and a few Wall lizards on the cliff path. |
Posted By: AGILIS
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2011 at 11:52am
|
Hi Kevin I never see any animals as the weather was crap . but if you see them on tghe burnt out area then lucky there is survivors bit very sad as that was a prolific green lizard sight, reckon that was a arson job as there is always idiots lighting fires in the surrounding area and having barbies keith ------------- LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID |
Posted By: Iowarth
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2011 at 4:21pm
|
The one consolation I can offer is that a friend of mine (unfortunately not a forum member) went down after the fire a couple of weeks ago. At that point even the odd bits of greenery were barely visible! But, in a heavy overcast, bright but no shadows with background temperature in the high teens he saw 20 adult green lizards in various other locations on the cliff top. It is certainly sad to see the destruction of what has always been a 'hot-spot' for them and, of added concern is that it included a number of egg-laying areas. While the eggs may survive the fire and hatch out successfully, survival of the young is likely to be limited. Fortuately, gorse tends to recover far more rapidly than heather, so at least Keith and I might live long enough to see them return to this particular patch! They may well be an alien species but are nonetheless a truly beautiful animal. So long as the existing man-made barriers (roads etc) keep them isolated from the not too distant Sand Lizards, inappropriate or not, they are to be valued and enjoyed. Chris ------------- Chris Davis, Site Administrator Co-ordinator, Sand Lizard Captive Breeding Programme (RETIRED) |
Posted By: AGILIS
Date Posted: 23 Aug 2011 at 6:00pm
|
ABSOLUTELY right Chris enjoyed is a appropriate word for them keith ------------- LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID |