Travelling Reptiles

Hi

Here is a question for our resident experts.

I am interested that generally (unless we know where to look and particularly in my part of the country) reptiles are seldom seen by the average person (particularly me). I know that they are generally secretive but I understand that some species (eg Slow Worms) are said to be widely distibruted. Does that mean that these animals are found everywhere in the country and are very good at hiding or are there areas (with a suitable habitat) where for some unknown reason they are absent? Also - if there is a colony of reptiles, will they just breed and stay within the colony or do some individuals or groups go off and set up camp elsewhere or perhaps join other colonies? I don't expect that the answers will be simple and perhaps will differ between species. I do find it quite fascinating though.

Steve

Steve,

I would say slow-worm are pretty much undectable at most sites without refugia, they can be seen in the open and I sometimes spot them openly basking when looking for adder, particularly gravid females after summer showers, though this isn't the norm, many overgrown brownfield sites have huge slow-worm populations that would remain undetectable without using tins and mats. Grass snakes are also hard to detect without refugia, I'm not saying I don't see them in the open, but they are usually chance sightings.

I've just moved to Essex and have found viviparous lizards on every site I've visited (including our garden), which might make one think they are everywhere in Essex - of course it's really a case of knowing how, where and when to look. Viviparous lizards distribution isn't 'common' as it's other name suggests but 'local' i.e it can be quite abundant locally and entirely abscent from other areas with what appears to be equally good habitat - populations are also know to go into sudden declines, often with a population explosion nearby!

I can echo Lee's comment regarding people who are regular visitors to very good reptile sites who will tell you they are abscent.

A couple of weeks ago I went to a well known adder site in Essex, the warden told me it was a 'bad year for adder', I located 7 in less than half an hour. My favourite adder site in the country has no snakes if you ask some of the locals....

Steve,

I've only just joined the forum, hence the delay on reply. In my experience of study of some 15 years in Epping Forest, Grass Snakes most definitely do stay put year after year. I know this because the snakes within the area have their own identifying features. It may not be well known but most grass snakes can be told apart from one another. I have photgraphed the right profiles (if you hold a snake in your left hand and photograph them with your right, they tend to show the right profile of their face - not sure why) of dozens of snakes and can tell you this. They are a creature of habit and can be seen in their favourite locations time after time. You are very unlikely to find them under logs.... Actually inside rotting logs maybe, but not under them. They are certainly not "everywhere". Most ponds have only passing interest from Grass snakes. They have their favourites.

Forget days when its windy. Grass Snakes will generally retreat within bramble, dense scrub and/or heather when it gets anything like a gusty breeze. Unless you are at a "favourite pond" forget any time after say 1 o' clock on a really sunny day and wait until later when the sun sinks down a bit.

Get up early and tread slow and lightly. Grass Snakes are slightly slower when they have just emerged after dark. Say 8'o clock on a day with a good outlook. you should start seeing them by 9. Once they warm up they see you a long time before you see them and are off before you can get a good look at them. Best time. march/ April for beginners. Look for sunny nooks and crannies. You can try drizzly days if it is warm especially if the snakes are shedding as they tend to lie out in the light rain.

Lastly, try to get off the beaten track as much as possible and just try stopping dead still for say ten minutes. GS gives itself away by you being able to hear it rather than relying on sight.

Happy hunting. Invest in a good SLR with an 80 -400mm zoom. Once you start seeing them I guarantee you'll want to prove it to people!!

Steve,

I'm afraid there's no avoiding it and you're right it smells disgusting - possibly why so few people choose to study Grass Snakes. I initially chose an area of forest and decided to try and record all those that I came across in 3 successive spring/summers. I tend not to handle them as much now, not becuase of the smell (I now pack some of those lemon handwipes in my bag along with the mosquito repellent) but more because I didn't want them getting used to human touch. However, I once caught a female in April and wiped her deposits on my boots and sat silent on a log for a while (sad i know) and had 5 males checking my boots out within an hour!!

Roofing felt may not be a good idea steve. Doesn't it get hot and sticky in the sun? And isn't it made of a bitumous material? It might be toxic to the herps, you never know. Why don't you try getting some tin snips and cutting up some old corrugated sheets into manageable pieces say 600mm by 600mm. If you place and number them clearly so that people know its not just dumped waste, you should get slow worms at least.

Rob 

Steve

If you want some advice on where might be good places to look in your locality, contact Sheila Wright at the Nottingham Museum at Wollaton Hall. 01159 153905. She keeps the Notts records for reptiles (and found the County's adder colony a few years ago) and might be able to point you towards the best places to survey. Possibly the staff at Bestwood Country Park might also have suggestions. Even if no-one has any suggestions for your neighbourhood, it is probably because no-one has ever surveyed the area for reptiles.

Also be careful where you place your felt or tins, as in some locations where kids gather or lots of people are about they can be interfered with. It can result in accidental injury to the animals or in the worse cases deliberate capture or killing.