RAUK - Archived Forum - Posts by Herpetologic:

I have been looking at Adders and their habitats in South Essex. i can give you photographs of hibernation sites on Langdon Hills, Hadleigh, East Mersea Island, Canvey Island and maybe Epping forest (Long Running)

Would that be useful?

regards

Jon

The East Anglia HGBI Regional Meeting

is being hosted by the Essex Amphibian and Reptile Group and will be taking place on the 25th October 2003. The regional meeting has a general theme of herpetofauna conservation in the region (only three GCN talks). Photographic Exhibitions and displays will be within the foyer of the civic centre.

The meeting is going to be held at the Civic centre, Victoria Ave, Southend on Sea 10.am to 17.30pm. Ticket price will be ú6.00 which will include a buffet lunch teas and coffee.

Talks include -

'Great Crested newts conservation at the landscape' level, 'The path to a successful prosecution'(recent GCN case in Essex), 'The status of Adders and Slowworms in England', 'The Adders of Thetford Forest', European water frogs in East Anglia(tbc), Law Enforcement for Herp conservation', The Status of Palmate newts in East Anglia' 500,000 Years of herpetofauna in East Anglia' and Eye to Eye with the Chameleons of Madagascar'.

Tickets can be bought in advance from the EARG, Ray Cranfield , 47 Wedgwood way Ashingdon, Essex, SS4 3AS.

please email essex_arg@hotmail.com for tickets, a full programme and directions.

Dear Lee,

Adders have been recorded from clay areas in South Essex. The better populations (numbers) are found on sandy or gravelly hills such as Vange, Langdon, Brentwood and Epping Forest but adders are found along roads such as the A127 in london clay areas? is it the road system that has created suitable conditions for the snakes to colonise?

Many roadside verges run through clay areas but these may have features that lowland clay areas do not eg south facing slopes

Another good area for Adders and the other three reptile species in Essex is along railway lines and adders are found well within Urban areas around Railway Stations which are again in clay areas?

regards

Jon

recent reports of 'persons unknown' travelling around the Essex County collecting Adders!!! and possibly other herps from the wild.

So far people have been spotted on Nature Reserves, National Trust Land where healthy Adder populations occur.

Rumours are circulating that the people are collecting Adders for some reason - either to sell as live animals (suggestion 1) or to move them to development or proposed development sites (suggestion 2) or to kill them for their skins for leather and their bones for Oriental medicine (suggestion 3).

Either way at least four Adder sites have been visited over the last year where evidence of the hibernation areas have been disturbed (at Epping Forest) and where people have been spotted handling Adders.

Would anyone have heard any rumours of any snakes being sold in London or elsewhere. I remember visiting a pet shop that sold reptiles and the shop owner told me that adders can fetch a good price in other countries is this true?

Also a very keen adder watcher in the Epping forest Area had overheard someone in a barbers saying he sells Adders for ú20 and Grass snakes for ú10 this was in North East London!!

Has anyone else seen this sort of thing in other parts of the country?

A registration number has been noted in Essex and if anyone would like to have the description of the car and the number please email me

info@herpetologic.co.uk

Does anyone have any views on the craze for coastal realignment where seawalls are breached and the grassland behind that wall is reverted to Coastal Marshland.

There are many coastal realignment schemes the most recent one was at Abbotts Hall in Essex (that I know about). like other man made structures ie road verges, railway lines, and derelict land, seawalls are very important for herpetofauna. Around the Essex sea walls there are many Adder populations and even Great crested newts within the borrow dykes and ditches (as in Mayland, Maldon).

There are two more sites that are being considered for coastal realignment at Weymarks near Bradwell and Wallasea Island both seawalls have reptile populations and Weymarks may at least have Great Crested Newts (the dengie has lots of ponds).

The new wetlands that will eventually be created will provide a habitat for around 3,000 waders that have been flying around the sky for the last ten years as recent port developments had destroyed their breeding or feeding grounds.

So we have the prospect of reptiles being removed from the breaches and then moved inland what effect would the sea water awould have on the remaining reptile populations left on the sea wall which is still standing but is now flooded by all sides with salt water?

Yep i have found the Wasp spidr along the M27 in Hampshire and around the Langdon hills in Essex.

I have found some individual spiders had positioned their web above the reptile refugia i had put out along a stretch of motorway (M27). i felt that the spiders were utilising the reptile refugia as many grass hoppers lay out int he sun on the rfugia perhaps the spider was hoping that the grass hoppers would jump into the waiting web?

I have been finding that reptile refugia (tin or felt) have been used by glowworm larva. I have recorded glowworms in Sussex, Kent, Hampshire, Essex and Berkshire all underneath reptile refugia

In reading I found 9 larva under corrugated tins. Glowworm surveys are mainly focused on counting glowing females during July and August and ever since i found a larva in kent under a reptile refugia I have found them this year aswell. It may be a good way of looking out for glowworm sites.

I recently have found another site in Hertfordshire where glowworms are present on the remains of the old railway from London to Braintree. The railway has been cut through by the M11 and I am planning to survey along the Flitchway Country park for more glowworms oh and more reptiles!!!

relaunched in 2002 The Essex Amphibian and Reptile Group has taken off standing up for herps within the county.

There is now a good group of active people that are currently working towards surveys of reptiles and amphibians in Essex. The Herpetofauna Group has also started in the Essex Field Club as a species group which is working closely with the EARG.

Joint events are planned for the coming winter with the usual GCN pond management, Reptile habitat management and of course hosting the East Anglia HGBI regional meeting in October see events page here. Our next meeting will be on the 24th September At Norsey Woods in Billericay please contact us for directions and other info

Contact details

Ray Cranfield EARG Chair

47, Wegdwood Way, Ashingdon, Essex, SS4 3AS 01702 540600 or essex_arg@hotmail.com

This year i have counted around 100+ Marsh frogs at Hadleigh Castle Country Park. i have also found alpine newts in Basildon within a Nature reserve pond.

Now we do need to monitor the spread of these species in our countryside and I am sure that furthe rintroductions should be discouraged but I have one very big concern the fact that Pet shops are still selling the above species to the public!!!!

The problem is there is without doubt that these species may be placed into garden ponds or dumped into the wider countryside.

We have got reports of Marsh frogs from Wivenhoe Marsh, East Mersea Island, Langerhoe Marsh, Witham Golf course, and Epping Forest possibly Theydon Bois Area.

several aquatic centres and pet shops have all these species aswell as Midwife Toads, Green Toads, marbled newts etc but are sold without guidance to the law Section 14 of the WCA1981.

Another species that is also being sold is the European Green Lizard.What is the legal situation regarding these european species?

A recent Article in the national press highlighted the population in dorset as the only colony in the UK. I have heard reports that Green Lizards used to be living around the Tilbury Area in Essex has anyone seen any records or reports of large green lizards in this area?

I am planning to go down to the seawall where they were to see if they are still there 20 years.

 JC

Lee

I have recently visited the site in Kent where I first found Glowworm Larva under reptile refugia. I have found 12 larva in a small area of grassland next to an ancient woodland. One refugia revealed five Glowworm larva. The survey results were 12 Glowworm larva, and 3 lizards (1 male and 2 young).

 The size of the felt tiles are about 50cm by 50 cm and were positioned under tall stands of Broom. The results will be winging their way to you ASAP.

I will be looking out for glowing females next year and i will be trying to find the glowing larva at night this year if I can.

I have found larva in March and al the way to September.

regards

JC

I normally use black roofing felt (reinforced underslating felt) for surveys. i have found that the felt is effective for all four widespread species. Lizards are often found basking on top or under neath, adders Grass snakes and slowworms all use the felt tile.

I do use corrugated iron from time to time for capturing in mitigation projects. I am currently working on a small site which has Viviparous Lizards on it (literally Hundreds and Hundreds)

The tins are only effective in the early morning (7.30 to 11.00am) from then the animals are on the top of very large anthills which is where I catch most of the lizards. A sort of stalk, detect and pounce method the lizards are caught by ligh pressure of the hand which is difficult on tins the animals can get crushed if you miss judge it where the ant hill substrate provides protection to the lizard.

I know people have compared the effectiveness of several refugia materials and they say that thay have found that flat black felt tiles produce the most animals???

it will be interesting to see the reuslt sof the comparision study Lee has made at the regional conference.

I know a friend who has rescued grass snakes from horse stables as eggs hatched them out and relaeased them back where they came from. He had released around 140 snakes over two years and he decided to keep one back as a pet and to use in educational events in Essex.

The snake is 2 years old now and has been fed on small fillets of trout. he described how he feeds the snake just dangling the piece of fish in front of the animal and he takes it. He has grow quite well. If you want to feed up the snake before release then this may worth a try.

And another thing it is Illegal to feed any live vertebrate to another vertebrate in the UK. I found this out when i kept Piranhas and I use to get feeder goldfish from an aquatic centre, my biology lecturer quickly informed me that live goldfish fed to these fish would be illegal so i stuck to earthworms which the grass snake may also take?

I am currently working on a undisturbed grassland site roughly 105 metres long by 70 metres wide which ahs a really good population of Viviparous Lizards unfortuantely the site is going to be developed.

I estimate that around 500 to 600 lizards may be on the site we have translocated around 230 so far to patch of good land on a golf course with a new hibernaculum and we will be managing the population and of course monitoring the site over the next 3 to 5 years. The site has been left untouched for about 40 years!!!

The management of land for nature conservation (mowing or heavy grazing) has a detrimental effect on reptiles especially viviparous lizards

I am currently surveying a Hampshire Wildlife Trust Nature reserve which has good populations of V lizards, Slowworms, Adders and Grass snakes within clumps of Molina, and bramble bushes i am hopefully going to influence the management of the grazing regime to help the reptiles i will keep you informed of any success

There have been declines of V Lizards in Essex which is worrying as these sites are no tover managed?

Yes this seems to be the case. An example of a really good reptile habitat in Essex is the Langdon Hills. This part of basildon hasnt really seen agriculture changes like the rest of Essex.

good populations of all four species of reptile occur in the nature conservation areas in Langdon Hills. Other parts have been turned into housing estates or have been turned to some form of agriculture or very heavy horse grazing.

Of course other sites in Essex which are very good inect sites and contain good populations of lizards are the derelict brownfield sites such as Northwick Road in Canvey and Shell Haven across the water etc.

What colour varieties of Viviparous Lizard have people seen? we have several Green lizard sightings that I suspect were actually green Viviparous Lizards - I have seen green, orange and very dark brown lizards (adults) has there been any albino or other colours in Lizards?

Can anyone tell me if there has been anything published on estimating Viviparous Lizard density or population numbers from Survey and mitigation information  from the field? I believe there are estimates for Slowworm numbers per hectare is there any information on Viviparous Lizards?

I have been carrying out lizard translocations over the last two to three years. I have found massive numbers (Adults and Juveniles) from very small sites that are surrounded by residential areas.

Various habitat types have been assessed Grassland (undisturbed) Grazing meadows, and even an old car wreckers yard.

from sites less than a Hectare in area have produced around 700 animals. the Brownfield site produced around 350 Lizards but 700 Slowworms were found along with 35 Grass snakes! (this wasnt one of my sites) the information was supplied to the county recorder in Essex.

regards

Hello Everyone

I didnt know where this could go on the forum but I thought that herpers need to see a response from a planning authority in Essex to the suggestion that protected species should be surveyed before planning permission is granted (against English Natures Advice)

I refer to the application concerning the above.

'As a result of some of the representations received including your own,
Members decided to defer the application so that further survey work could
be undertaken in order to establish whether there are species on the site
that require protection or special measures to be taken.  I would be
grateful to receive your advice on what types of survey should be
undertaken, especially what species should be covered, how many visits to
the site would be required and over what period of time.  Also it would be
useful to have your advice on whether there is a specific time of year that
surveying would have to occur in order for the surveys to provide meaningful
information.

I would also be grateful for your advice as to whether you would wish to
amend your 'holding objection' to one of refusal if such surveys are not
carried out AND would be willing to provide evidence to support your
recommendation by appearing at an appeal if necessary.  If so and if Members
follow your advice, it may well be that the issue of nature
conservation/biodiversity would be the only reason for refusal of the
application.  As you may be aware if a local planning authority is found to
have acted unreasonably by refusing an application without good evidence
then an award of costs may be made against them by an appeal inspector.  You
may know that English Nature was content with the officer recommendation to
approve the application and therefore to act against that advice would
require substantial justification.  I therefore would like to receive your
advice about whether you would be willing to make a contribution to any
award of costs which may be made against the Council if it follows your
advice and refuses the application.

The matter is likely to be considered again at the next meeting of the
Development Control Committee on 13 October 2003.  I would appreciate
receiving your comments by then.'

Yes this looks like a threat that the Essex ARG may be liable for costs if the council refuses the application because the applicant havent provided the ecological information needed to determine the application.

What do other people think of this? Should Protected species be relegated to being 'dealt with' as part of the many planning conditions?

regards

Has anyone found Slowworms out at night?

Adders and Grass snakes are known to be active at night int he summer, A slowworm was found after dark within my Parents garden munching on a snail (10.30pm).

Obviously the sighting of such a secretive reptile would be hard but has anyone stumbled across them after Dark?

regards

Last year I found a grass snake within a pond at around 10.30pm in late May. It was very active and was moving along the edge of the pond I was surveying for newts. A week or so later I found a different grass snake swimming in a newt pond in the same area. Both these occasions the water in the ponds were warmer than the air temperature (steam was rising from the pond's surface) and the snakes were hunting I suspect.

The Local warden had seen grass snakes hunting smooth newts under water this year in the daytime in the same pond. 

My Father found the Slowworm this year in the flower beds when he wa sout counting smooth newts frogs and toads with a torch. It was a warm night in August I think. A few nights later the night temperature dropped and nothing was out.

I also feel that it would beneficial for Adders to come out on very warm nights and I suspect this may be happening more often or has it just always happened?

I feel that there needs to be a consistent policy on Protected species and Ecological surveys for planning permissions.

Local Authorities do not always have the relevant experience on protected species especially GCN's and other European Protected species.

All protected species are a material consideration within a planning application. The presence of fully protected species (especially GCN's) should be part of the Town and Country Planning act along the same lines as Archeaological investigations and Building regs.

The Great Crested Newt Mitigaiton Guidelines I think were published to give guidence to local Authorities and all the players involved (LA, EN, other conservation bodies). Wouldnt the same exercise be a good idea for the 'widespread' reptiles. There are two documents that relate to Reptile Surveys and Mitigation the HGBI guidance and the Froglife reptile Survey Advice sheet 10 surely thera is a need for a planning document for planners regarding reptiles and their conservation?

Yet there is remarkable inconsistency between Local Authorities and even Local English Nature Teams in what they understand should be requested and when, For instance in a planning application protected species should be surveyed before planning permission is granted!!! and not 'dealt with' by a planning condition.

I use the quote of 'dealt with' as that was what an English Nature team told me about the presence of Reptiles and Amphibians within an important wildlife site. The use of translocation can be used on these species so they are not focussed on despite the use of an in situ conservation measure may help the rare 'unprotected' species. By providing habitats for conserved reptiles this habitat would be available to the other rare species on the site.

Regards

Well cats do have an dramatic effect on reptiles placed into small habitats etc. but I have found that Slowworms, Grass snakes and in some cases V lizards live in close proximity to Urban areas and with large cat populations bu tthe animals are still doing well.

Its like the argument that natural predators should be culled to protect rare species ie foxes on ground nesting birds or species should be removed ie Grass snakes from garden ponds (eating frogs) or putting up bamboo stakes to stop sparrow hawks eating sparrows and starlings on bird tables etc etc

Lizards I feel ar emost prone to cat predation yet i stil find these animals in large populations within residential areas - the key maybe down to the habitat suitability (compensates for the losses to cats and other predators)

I have recently rescued 60 slowworms and 2 grass snakes from a damaged garden area where a few houses are going to be built. At first i was told to translocate the animals but I created habitats around the edge of the site enclosed in with a reptile fence to help keep these animals on site while the new houses and gardens are built. The grass snakes are long gone (though I hope they breed in the many compost heaps in the area) The Slowworms are doing okay in their 'raised flowerbed hibernaculum', surrounding compost heaps and hedges.

There are lots of cats in this area and I am confident that the slowworms will survive here as they have over the last 30 to 40 years.

Regards