RAUK - Archived Forum - Posts by SteveA:

Suzi, if you live in the south of the county Dawlish Warren has an introduced popn of Sand Lizards which despite recent fires and erosion is not doing to badly.

Interested to hear about introduced Natterjacks at Braunton, Caleb, recently or historical?

Thanks David,

yes a tale about an eccentric Victorian naturalist would have had rather more romance than someone dumping shop rejects!

Hello Chaps,

yes rather a suprising lack of response.

Having spent bit of time on both the Heaths and Sand Dunes of East Anglia I was rather mystified at the lack of La's and Ca's.

But reading around the literature (and much paraphrasing);

English Natures "Pilot Study for Sand Lizard Recovery Programme" 1994, has no historical records for either heaths or sand dunes

Recognised historic distribution seems to follow the 6hrs/ day "bright sunshine" line (isohelos?!) linking southern and western Coasts (hence longevity of introduced population on Coll), Rather than temps.

No suggestion of using vast network of habitat as possible introduction sites after detailed research structure of dunes not considered appropriate (marram dense frontal ridge) and exposure to cold easterly winds. Though nothing stated for rejection of heathlands.

Steve.

PS I thought some authors might be members of this forum?

Curiouser and curiouser....

Suffolk records are from 1960 and 1930's, Norfolk 1930's and Thetford Forest/ Brecks area 1930 and 1920's (If you select Interactive Map on that NBN link you will see that dataset to which records refer is held by ARC nee HCT) Funny they dont appear in many other publications. I know NBN can include odd stand alone records but these have all been allocated to ARC (unless someone has better access privilage then me)

Though cross checking my "library" Shire Publications "Lizards of the British Isles" shows a record for Suffolk coast. But nothing in BeeBee and Griffiths.

The "Sand Lizard Pilot Study" does include reference to other (sometimes single) historical accounts and variously rejects or supports on varying merit. But nothing for East Anglia.

Obviously time to crank this up to a full blown cover up.....

Ref were old records considered unreliable?

It seems a bit variable, some rejected for lack of detail (plus use of terms like "green lizard" clouding the matter) some rejected for unsuitable habitat but mostly not made clear and some records accepted on what doesnt seem very suitable habitat (local to me in south Devon two heaths considered for '94 reintructions that seem a bit stoney). Though as I'm reading a book or a finished report rather than source data it perhaps not suprising that many details are missing.

The real story is that a dearth of historical records is pretty usual for herptiles as yer olden days naturalist weren't interested in them and many accounts of species were dismissed by contempory experts 'cause those species wernt supposed to occur...thus we almost certainly lost species prior to our knowledge of their existence.

Which does make it easy to imagine a population on East Anglian heaths lost before anyone recorded them. Thetford forest largely covers "the Brecks" a once huge tract of heath and naked shifting sands feared by all but the most intrepid there could well have suitable habitat on its fringes.

Steve

ps but just to keep stoking things up... Look at the JNCC website and search Sand Lizard, it mentions "recent re-introduction into Derbyshire"?! and shows an historical record map which includes all sorts of random locations (welsh borders, suffolk/norfolk coast again and  possibly chileterns)

Er yes sorry did rather drift off topic into "tales of the unexplained" my fault, I'm a bit over interested in funny inconsistancies in historical natural history.

Anyway to return to your point, I couldnt agree more that in the face of declining habitat availability we should consider all potential sites.

However I doubt "the authorities" would consider introductions of La into areas with no history of occurence, from an ecological stand point they would be in effect aliens (doesnt WCA include phrase along lines "..an area in which they are not normally resident"?).

S 

Hello,

Nice suprise on an otherwise uneventful day at work.

male sand lizard enjoying some southdevon sunshine.

He was suprisingly colourful. Would he have emerged with yellowgreen tint or has he been out for couples of day?

 (need to compress pic to send it, will try tomorrow)

S

Hello Suzi,

yes Sandies introduced (not a reintroduction as far as im aware) in early 90's, I think from dorset colony.

project was kept fairly low key for first decade which i guess is why you hadnt heard of them.

S

Another Male La out on sunday (rather drab this one) and a female out on monday.

plus around 8 comon lizards, mostly males.

S

As a follow on to early emergence, I observed 3 female L. agilis digging egg sites at three widly seperated points of site.

sadly no time to see if they actually laid eggs (though 2 were to busy to notice i was there!), but hopefully be reporting hatchlings soon.

S

Oops that post would be rather more interesting if I'd added the date of sighting! 26th May.

At time of this post lots of hatchling common lizard but no sandies so far.

S (sorry get a bit over excited when I've actually got something worth posting!)

Hello,

Spring sprung?

Had first Sand Lizard of year today in bright sun but rather chill easterly wind.

I think a large adult male, no colour but big head! Took a short vid and will try and post a still.

Had first common lizard yesterday.

Better get those surveying shorts out of the wardrobe!

Steve

As promised pics of early L. agilis

Adult individual seen on 9th and imm was seen on 21st, I was surprised quite how small he/she was only about 3" in total I assume a late hatcher? (I've had to compress them a bit for web page but hopefully still clear)

Hello,

I'm gonna claim first Sand lizards of year with 3 out on 23rd Feb

As we've had early emergence pretty regularly over last few seasons I've tended to start looking from early Feb and 23rd was a V warm day, though oddly didnt see any common 'til first week of March. Have others been out looking but not seen or are these sighting from first outing?

And (even better )the continued run of very fine weather here in Devon, has encouraged first sub adult Sandies (and commons) out and about today, along with what looks like first adult female.

Hopefully be able submit pics when camera charged up!

S