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Dog walking affect on habitat: |
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AGILIS Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 694  View other posts by AGILIS |
Posted: 29 Nov 2008 HI all in some of my write ups I have mentioned the increasing almost epidemic amount of dog walkers near once secluded habitats, what are your personal views of this in your locality and can any disease be transmitted from fecis left on sites that could affect herps or other animals?. must point out I am not a dog hater but things are getting a bit out of control in some areas and should some sort of restriction into areas of habitat be enforced. keith
LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID |
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Alan Hyde Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 1416  View other posts by Alan Hyde |
Posted: 29 Nov 2008 Hi Keith, Just a small part of all the problems our herps face. One of my sites is constantly bombarded with woofers and the snakes have dispersed across the whole site. O-> O+> |
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herpetologic2 Senior Member Joined: 15 Jun 2004 No. of posts: 1369  View other posts by herpetologic2 |
Posted: 29 Nov 2008 I dont think that disease is the problem just disturbance. We need larger semi natural areas to counter the problem. If we are worried about dogs then we should stop surveying reptiles at these sites as we would be causing as much disturbance?
Jon Vice Chair of ARG UK - self employed consultant - visit ARG UK & Alresford Wildlife |
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AGILIS Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 694 View other posts by AGILIS |
Posted: 30 Nov 2008JON if we didnt survey how would we know if any reps were being disturbed keith
LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID |
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Dave1812 Member Joined: 21 Sep 2008 No. of posts: 42  View other posts by Dave1812 |
Posted: 30 Nov 2008 I think a lot has to do with the attitude and/or ignorance of the dog walker. Some owners may not realise the harm that Fido can do if left to its own devices, and unfortunately some will not care. Maybe if sign were places on known walking tracks advising of the disturbance that fido can do if not on a lead. I'm sure this is not the first time this topic has come about - and that's why I say more education of Joe Public is needed. 
David Hind Wildlife Trust (Cumbria) - Member Solway AONB - Volunteer |
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Peter Senior Member Joined: 17 Jan 2008 No. of posts: 260 View other posts by Peter |
Posted: 30 Nov 2008 With the sheer volume of dog walkers at some sites of late, keeping them on a lead has surely got to be better than allowing the animals to run free? Making such rules is one thing however, enforcing them is another matter entirely. 
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AGILIS Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 694 View other posts by AGILIS |
Posted: 01 Dec 2008This is an example of dog walking in its exstreme form on top of Kettlebury hill on Hankley common one woman was in charge of six dogs all unleashed rampaging through the heather + her friend who had 4 dogs with her, never see a thing after that.... This part of the mod common the only disturbance used to come from the military who used the reptiles for target practice and blowing up adders and smooth snakes with thunder flashes ,I think in the past there was some truth in that statment regarding adders.keith
LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID |
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Chris Monk Senior Member Joined: 21 Apr 2004 No. of posts: 157 View other posts by Chris Monk |
Posted: 01 Dec 2008 Peter There are always some people who will ignore any notices requesting their co-operation. In the Peak District there are notices put on the entrances to the moors early in the year asking people to keep dogs on a lead (due mostly to disturbance to ground nesting birds & later on worrying new born lambs). Some dog owners with animals running off the lead when spoken to by Rangers or Estate staff just don't believe that their dog will cause a problem, because they simply don't see the birds or snakes being disturbed by their dogs. As they don't see anything their inference is that there is nothing there to disturb! The other problem is people who react to being asked to amend their behaviour - even if it is only a notice on a gate. It makes them do the exact opposite. Interestingly I was only talking about this today with Ian Rotherham at Sheffield Hallam Uni who in his research some time ago into invasive species engaged with people who go round spreading Himalayan Balsam seeds. Apart from those who won't accept that what in their eyes is a beautiful plant shouldn't be spread everywhere there was a second sub-set of people who knew it was wrong, knew the ecological consequences but did it simply to rebel or as a backlash against "Government/Officials / Big Brother" telling them not to do it. Derbyshire Amphibian & Reptile Group www.derbyshirearg.co.uk |
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Chris Monk Senior Member Joined: 21 Apr 2004 No. of posts: 157 View other posts by Chris Monk |
Posted: 01 Dec 2008 PS Forgot to say that after the Peak District Moors became Open Access after the CROW Act a few years ago, when out adder surveying I have noticed that the larger rambling groups and most other walkers still tend to stick to the paths and most of those blundering cross country are dog walkers. Derbyshire Amphibian & Reptile Group www.derbyshirearg.co.uk |
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Ray999 Senior Member Joined: 07 Mar 2006 No. of posts: 101  View other posts by Ray999 |
Posted: 02 Dec 2008 Human / dog activity is not always a bad thing if it does not get out of hand .In the dunes on the sefton coast the concentrations of sand lizards are higher where there is human traffic and this in part has been attributted to walkers preventing the dunes from becoming overgrown and maintaining bare patch of sand , also though only an opinion dog poo attracts flies which in turn attract spiders etc.
Ray ray999 |
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Vicar Senior Member Joined: 02 Sep 2004 No. of posts: 1181 View other posts by Vicar |
Posted: 02 Dec 2008 Aye, the rangers at Ainsdale use human traffic as a management tool, deliberately directing traffic to create varied structure. Mind you, the La up there are bl**dy difficult to find in similar numbers to heathland....their camouflage works very well on frontal dunes! My personal view is that human traffic and dog walkers can have a detrimental effect, but not everywhere. One site I visited recently had only one ideal herp area, a south-facing hedgerow. The tarmac path was running right along the hedge on the south side. The conga-like queue of dog walkers must provide more disturbance than the odd surveyor. Having said that...the new La site in Surrey is right next to a sandy path used by dog walkers! Steve Langham - Chairman 
Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group (SARG). |
- Dog walking affect on habitat |