RAUK - Archived Forum - Posts by Phil Davidson:

Hmm, my first post to this forum doesn't really have much to do with native herps. Hi-ho though.

I'm off travelling this winter, to New Zealand and Australia, and am keen to see as much of the oz herpetofauna as possible, and ideally get involved in some voluntary herp conservation project/s too. Obviously, one does not just get up in the morning and think "I know, I'll lift up some corrugated iron today, and see what I can find" - this is the path to A&E, and is not covered by my travel insurance.

I have made one or two contacts with Australian herp groups, and with the Darwin Wildlife Management Institute, but nothing on the east coast (from Melbourne up to northern Queensland). Having watched Steve Irwin in action (and whilst I respect his ability to not be dead) I'm wondering if anyone could suggest some slightly more down-to-earth herp contacts in that area?

I have a BSc in ecology from Bangor University (hi Dr Wuster), and have been working in environmental education/ecological consultancy for the last two and a half years, so could bring that experience to bear on a project.

If anyone has any contacts, or suggestions for other groups/people to try, please get in touch.

Phil Davidson

Well, as far as I understand it, this kind of operation has been quite successful as part of the sand lizard species recovery programme, so there may well be some merits to reintroductions, providing the factors that meant animals weren't there in the first place have been addressed. As for the long-distance aspect of the adder translocation. - am I right in thinking there is an estrablished population of introduced sand lizards on one of the Scottish islands?

Whilst I don't know quite what was supposed to be achieved by putting them there, it does demonstrate that long distance translocations can work. I think you should generally go for the nearest possible population though, preferably from captive stock, but this will not always be possible. There is the genetic aspect as well, we know little about the genetic variation of British reptiles across the country, and the importance of this in conservation terms has yet to be assessed. I believe there is research underway at Cardiff University that is looking into the genetic variation of adders and grass snakes across Britain so answers may be forthcoming.

Going through the literature you do find constant references to the fact that reptiles are generally poor at colonising new sites, that isolated populations don't recover from local extinction events, etc. I don't know how much research has been carried out on reintroduction success/failure and colonisation of sites, but I do know of a site created on the edge of a widened road, in the middle of arable farmland, that had a new adder population within a couple of years. Hopefully they're better at getting around than we think!

Phil

I've had individuals under felts in Hampshire and East Sussex, but never more than 1 per felt and no more than ten in total on either site, despite each site having approximately 200 felts out. Hampshire site was unimproved species rich grassland/meadow, Sussex site was FC land, with mixed plantation, interspersed with areas of dry lowland heath/heathy grassland.

Phil

Hi all

I've been travelling for a while and this has been the first chance I've had to look at the forum for over six months. When I began to read this thread I couldn't quite believe what was being said, and needless to say I join the ranks of the shocked and appalled on this. The fact that this work was carried ouyt in the bird nesting season screams mismanagement - Tony, do you know if a breeding bird survey was carried out prior to the clearance?

I also join the ranks of 'ecological consultants' who contribute to RAUK. I have recently put together my first couple of applications for great crested newt DEFRA licences, and have put in a huge amount of what I see as necessary data to obtain the licence. Site maps, existing conditions, predicted disturbance, scale, scope and justification of works and a whole raft of mitigation measures etc. - we all know what has to go in, and the level of effort and information required. In the cases I am working on the populations involved are small/medium (as according to GCN mitigation guidelines), and will positively benefit from the work to take place, through the provision of new breeding ponds, and terrestrial habitat.

What has happened at Purbeck in the name of conservation is therefore disgusting, and strong questions need to be asked of the management on-site. If the management committee (if such a thing exists!) had had to satisfy the conditions of a DEFRA licence the work would no doubt have been carried out iin a VERY different manner. I have only been to Purbeck once, reptiles aside it is a fantastic place. I hope Tonys experience will at the very least lead to more sensitive management at the site - I have just recently found a couple of 'new' (to me, and they aren't in SARG's atlas) adder sites in Sussex, and although I can't imagine how bad I would feel if I had studied them for 30 years prior to them being torn up, their loss would still affect me.

Good luck Tony!

Phil