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Slow Worm :-) |
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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Another thing I've noticed, nothing to do with slow worms, and there is no scientific reason I guess, is that in a set of say 5 refuges, snakes tend not to to be under the ones on either end. I am only talking about adders and grass snakes as I don't see smooth snakes but wherever a set might be there are best results under the refuges not on the ends. The distances between the tins will vary slightly but in the region of 5 or 6 metres probably.
Has anyone else noticed this? |
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Suz
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GemmaJF
Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 Location: Essex Status: Offline Points: 4359 |
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I hadn't noticed it before Suzy, but I just thought that for 3 years I had 5 refuges around the bund in the garden. you are right, the grassies were always under one of the middle ones! Now that is just plain weird!
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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This is a view of my three compost heaps. One concrete, one corrugated iron and one open wooden slats. Normally they are all covered in plastic but the wooden one has its plastic removed to heap more vegetation on it. There is a metre of long grass behind them and normally the fronts are obscured by tall comfrey, which has been cut down for the winter. Without exception grass snakes, when present, are always in the tin heap.
This view shows one of my Coroline sheets next to the heaps. I took these shots at 4.15 yesterday afternoon, temps of 12 deg C all day although sunny. I also lifted the Coroline and found... This shows the end of my garden which is overshadowed by a large oak. I have a cover here too and it usually has between one and five slowies underneath it. The end of the garden has a banking and then a drop of 12-15ft into a stream. Some gardens don't have this drop, but rather a slope, and this is likely a grass snake highway. |
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Suz
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Noodles
Senior Member Joined: 05 Dec 2010 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 534 |
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Do your grass snakes lay eggs in your compost heaps Suzy?
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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Sadly grass snakes do not breed here in my heaps. I've had various ones over the years, but no luck. This year I had two at once (a first!) so I hope they are spreading the word that it's a good place to be.
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Suz
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GemmaJF
Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 Location: Essex Status: Offline Points: 4359 |
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I think grass snakes have used ours as I've seen adult females around and found the tiny bootlace young each year under felts. I've never though seen the evidence when I turn over the heap. I think a key factor for attracting grass snakes is a good heat producing heap. It was best when we had a rabbit as the wood shavings and rabbit poop mixed in with green materials produced some serious heat when it was kept nice and moist. Made great compost too!
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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I have good mixes in my heaps and they do get hot. In the photo the wooden slat one is piled up with dry Spanish oats stalks which is useless for a good mix but it is end of garden season stuff and will be spread in the other heaps shortly. We didn't touch the heaps after midsummer, except to add more stuff a few times, so I was hoping for some grass snake babes, but no luck.
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Suz
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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Lifted the coroline sheet near my compost heaps today and was surprised to find a slow worm. It would be a last year's young I reckon. The sun was shining but it was cool/cold.
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Suz
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will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
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wonder if this will be the last reptile sighting of the year, Suzy! depressing thought...but well done on the spot
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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Was rather surprised to find two young slow worms under a piece of Coroline this afternoon. It was 4pm and we've had negligible sun today. The temperature 9/10C all day. They seemed quite warmed up as they moved off quickly.
I said the other day that the one I saw was a this year's babe but I'm not so sure now. These two were the same colour and size - coppery - as the one the other day (which might have been one of those visible today). I expect those shiny bronze ones with the black stripe as new season's but perhaps I am wrong and they change colour before hibernating in some instances. Certainly I see bronze bodkins in spring. These were certainly more the size of this year's young. |
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Suz
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