RAUK - Archived Forum - Posts by Lisa:

Hi Al,

Great pic as ever and I'm sure I've seen that face before..

Where I used to live in Derbyshire our evening walk to the local pub used to become an obstacle course this time of year as hundreds of tiny tiny toadies clambered about on the footpath. Borrowed a few for an amphibian talk one year, the kids loved 'em and the toadies seemed to enjoy the attention. :-))

Lisa

Hi all,

Just back from some time holidaying in North Spain where we managed to find representatives of most amphibians including some lovely alpine newts which Stewart caught for me in a drainage ditch. Sooo pretty.

Found a coupla dead snakes on the road :-( They looked like grass snakes (juv ~15" long) but no collar. Does anyone know if this is usual in Spain or could they be different sub-species?

Also saw two huge (4 foot long) snakes on an embankment near to a busy road and a railway. Didn't get a long look (partly cos I jumped and scared 'em off..idiot) but they were very dark/black above and paler below. Again no collar but definitely round pupils (managed get a good look as one eyed me up before making good their escape).

Sorry no pics, I've found if I tek the camera everyone hides and conversely if I don't have it... but if anyone could hazard a guess, I thought they could be melanistic grass snakes but the lack of collar bothers me.

Am off back in a month so any information gratefully received

Cheers

Lisa

Hi,

So, whats the crac with the common lizard and its metamorphosing name? I've noticed Zootoca vivipara being used more and more in journals but am no clearer as to when and why the change occurred (and if the term is universal)..please enlighten me

Thanks Lisa

Wow Alan, they are fantastic pics. What camera and lens are you using for the close ups?

Lisa

Hi Alan,

Not kind, just exceedingly jealous. Don't know where I'm going wrong but can't seem to find 'em on my site. I have grass snakes and common lizards and plenty of anecdotal evidence of adders on site but they are stubbonly refusing to show themselves... And me Minolta is all ready to go too!

Lisa

Hi Alan,

Cambridgeshire so they should be about by now. Me thinks they're just shy. (and its chucking it down today which doesn't help). Will keep trying but any hints welcome as I need to prove presence a.s.a.p.

Lisa

Hi All,

I'm beginning to agree with Caleb and wonder if the anecdotal sightings I've had were in fact grass snakes as I've had a couple of 'confirmed' sightings' in the last week which on prising out a description were definitely grass snakes.

Apparently there used to be a sign up when the site was industrial saying beware of the adders so I'm still hopeful though I think there may be too much noise from nearby development now.

Leigh, call me a cynic but I've found signs advertising/warning about adders  invariably do more harm than good. Maybe if you all keep posting the great pics everyone will realise what a beautiful creature they really are.

Sorry will get off my soapbox now and go look for them ther adders

Lisa

Hi Gemma,

Thanks for that, I found Tony's previous messages so its all as clear as mud now!! :)

I expect I shall also be using L.v for some time (hopefully by that time we will have come full circle again eh?). Whatever its latest latin name the viviparous (not the derogatory common) lizard is still wonderful.

cheers

Lisa

Hi Alan,

Unfortunately don't know the answer but in my part of Cambs every time I lift a tin there's a new nest of wood ants under it. I wondered if this would put snakes off using the tins (it'd certainly put me off!)

Mind you I think the woodpeckers appreciate the meals I keep uncovering for them!

Cheers Lisa

Hi Al

Ah yes, have just read the ticks and eye scales thread. Interesting idea about ants using the slough skins, they certainly seem willing to attempt to carry anything (dead or alive!) back to the nest but I still wouldn't fancy sharing a site. Maybe snakes (and lizards) are more immune to bites etc after all they slide through brambles fairly unbothrered?

No adders very sadly. Think Caleb was right about the area though if I could just find em it would be a really useful plus to stop proposed development :). Will not give up..

Cheers

Li

Tony,

Any further news on Hartland and did the piece ever get onto TV?

This is apalling management and has as been said before in this thread far from unique. We need to fight this all the way.

Keep at it

Lisa

PS I am a so called ecological consultant but for those who deride the likes of me please note I am an ecologist first and foremost and find that EN's blase attitude when it comes to licensing otherwise illegal activities can be incredibly frustrating. I have seen areas with large numbers of GCN have a licence handed over with no queries and other nearby building work go ahead with no licence at all (and yes EN and the local council and DEFRA were informed). What we need is proper leadership from the licensing authorities to allow EC's to do their jobs and to have the power to say no to a development if it is against wildlife interest whether that is european protected species or just a 'common' lizard. :(

Hi Al,

Could try the specs and tache. Its probably me existing face thats scaring em off in the first place LOL :)

Li

Hi Lee,

I agree with you entirely. My concerns are that you or I may walk away from a job but without adequate back up from the licensing authorities all that happens is a less ethical company move in, do what is asked by the client and wildlife and habitat subsequently suffer even more.

I have noticed particularly an increase in large general building and engineering companies getting into EIA which is seen as very lucrative, especially for widespread protected species such as GCN. The problem is they know little to nothing about these species or their requirements but they do know how to exploit the law.

I feel ecological consultants need their own compulsory regulatory body which EN and DEFRA should then refer to before granting licences.

Lisa

Alan

The forum will be first to know!! :)

Lisa

I completed my undergraduate dissertation with Op Wall in Indonesia working on riverine amphibians. The on site herpetologist Graeme Gillespie (who I assume is still co ordinating from Arthur Rylah Inst) was excellent to work for.

Although I was only there as a volunteer (and spent all me savings in the process) I would highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to work with species we cannot dream of in the UK..although I love 'em all, nothing can compare to a king cobra or 5M boa for a herp thrill. Nor for that matter rediscovering a 'lost' frog species.

cheers

Lisa

Mmm good point :) who indeed

Lisa

Hi Wolfgang/Matt,

Thanks for the comments/suggestions. I was in Galicia, NW Spain.

I would say the two dead snakes were definitely Grass snakes; they were identical to our natives apart from the lack of collar. IÆm interested that you say Spanish Natrix donÆt tend to have the distinct collar Wolfgang as the populations are fairly close together (though I guess separated by salt water). Are the Spanish snakes a different sub species of N natrix? I then got thinking why two populations would evolve differently and what the purpose of the collar was anyway...it canÆt be sexual as I didnÆt think Nn was sexually dimorphic. Is it a warning?

The other two are more tricky without the benefit of pics and with a fading memory (but then thatÆs been going a while!) They could be very dark montpeliers but IÆm not sure if they would be found so far north as the climate is more similar to the UK than the Mediterranean side of Spain or Greece. The pics I found on the web of Zamenis longissimus looked closer in terms of colour and body shape but I couldnÆt find anything about habitat. Would a railway embankment be at all likely?

I enjoy a puzzle, Thanks Guys

Lisa

Hi Matt,

I don't recall a freshwater source near to either snake. They were both on coastal roads in the NorthWest (Asturias/Galicia border). You said in your previous post that Montpeliers were common except on the North Coast so I dismissed them for the dead snakes (The live ones were further inland near to the Portugese border). What is their distribution? and are Natrix rare even in the NW? I thought they'd be more like here.

Please keep trying with the pics, a good view would be really helpful

Thanks

Lisa 

Hi,

Thanks for the links guys. The R scalaris seems to have a distinct stripe. If that is normal then I stick to the dead ones being Natrix.

The photos of Montpeliers do look similar to the two live ones I saw, at least the dark coloured one from the site Wolfgang posted does. The others are far paler than the two I saw in fact they seem to be very variable Matt? They were still in Galicia though (near to Ourense). Am I still too far north? A distribution map would be great.

Am back there next week so will see if I can do better with photos!

Cheers Lisa

David,

That would be fantastic - we are actually buying a house in the area so it would be great to speak with a local herpetologist. The maps are excellent and have tested my dire Spanish to its limit!

Matt,

Looking at the maps, Ourense is certainly well within the limits for Montpeliers. I promise to try for a pic but can't see me managing to catch one at this time of year given their apparent turn of speed. I hope I won't find any roadkills but will keep the camera handy.

cheers

Lisa