RAUK - Archived Forum - Habitat enhancement for slow worms

I have a site, which is to be developed and survey has revealed that it contains slow worms.  The site is around 5ha (including large areas of dense scrub and open grassland) and the largest number of adult slow worms I found in one visit (which was a day of heavy showers and warm sunshine) was 42.  I also found large, mature males and plenty of juveniles.

The site is going to be turned into a sterile car park (great!) and so the only option is to perform a translocation.  I have a potential receptor site, which is former grazed farmland, within the same county, which is currently managed to optimise the population of small mammals for resident barn owls.  The 4 fields are managed so that the 20m wide margins are left as rough grassland (cut once every 3-4 years) and the centres are cut at a length of no less than 15cm, every 2 years during august.  The fields are bordered by mature, dense hedgerows, some with wet or dry ditches.  The fields also contain ponds and ditches, the margins of which are left as rough grassland and ruderal (we also have a good population of GCNs).  The fields have good connectivity with existing slow worm populations to the east and suitable habitats to the south and west.  The fields are designated as SNCI and managed sympathetically, as described.

In total, I have measured the rough margins to be of 4ha.  The 4 fields are of 12 ha in total, including the centres.

My idea (subject to survey to determine whether there is an existing population of reptiles) is to translocate the slow worm population from the development site to the margins of the 4 fields (SNCI).

My question is as follows:

With appropriate habitat enhancements such as providing basking and hibernation opportunities in the form of rubble/gravel/stone bunds and underground chambers and tunnels, would this be sufficient?  The underlaying soil is clay, which is a problem, slow worms being burrwing creatures.  Would the provision of several underground hibernacula be sufficient to counteract?

I look forward to your replies and advice

SL

The population that is going to be translocated would be classed as exceptional according to Froglifes guidance in Reptile Survey Advice sheet. First of where is the county? second what does the doomed site back onto is there natural or semi natural habitat around it - would there be any options to landscaping the surrounding edges within the car park? to provide refuge for slowworms - this may help reduce the numbers that will be moved to the receptor site which to me sound ideal for a slowworm translocation

If suitable habitat is located adjacent the car park then this can be enhanced for the slowworm population there - within the receptor site I would also look at the prey availability - molluscs such as slugs and snails readily use ACO's and so this may give you an indication of the density of prey items for the slowworms.

Building good hibernacula using rotting wood, soil, compost, logs and brash mixed with clean hardcore would provide ideal habitat for the slowworms and other wildlife species - rodents, frogs, etc

The clay isnt really a problem if suitable free draining banks are created besides I have found slowworms living within the cracks of dried clay soils in Essex this is during the summer months - the slowworms head back up the banks (in this case seawalls) in the late summer autumn

I would say that a monitoring survey should be planned for future years with local interest groups aswell

JC

The sites are near bristol.  Yes, I am aware that it is an exceptional population.  The site backs onto a narrow railway line and associated grassland and scattered scrub habitats, but access to this area is very difficult and dangerous.  The development site is also connected to an SNCI which I know harbours slow worms and grass snakes.  Population status unknown.  The car park will be a sea of concrete..no oportunities for planting unfortunately.

Whenever I visit the proposed receptor site, there are always lots of small slugs, grasshoppers, spiders and other inverts.

I am in the process of convincing the client that a monitoring scheme is essential...

Well, this is a grey area, but because the works do not involve actual development of the site (although yes they are development driven, but this is not the same as developing the site) and taking into account the works would actually benefit newts themselves during their terrestrial phase and works can be timed to coincide with their breeding phase (possibly), then in my opinoin, it would be a waste of time and money in applying for a defra licence.  The works do not involve developing the site and they will benefit the newts.

Ahh I missed the GCN's on my first reply - I would say that Lee is right - I remember a habitat restoration project on a nature reserve now termed the 'Scottish' Nature Reserve as the EARG are not allow to talk about this to English Nature's staff - but the protected species there meant that the heathland restoration project would need licensing to make it legal - the license would have to come from DEFRA -

You would need a license whichever way you go either from EN or NE in the future for any 'conservation' work which benefits the GCN or if it was decided that it was development then a DEFRA license would be needed - ooh do you have survey information on the ditches and ponds?

The 'Scottish' Nature reserve in Essex (confused) has a management committee being a SSSI and the EN person responsible suggested that they were not intending to kill newts, bats, dormice and reptiles come to think of it so they were not committing an offence.......man the trouble with interpreting the law.....d'oh!

JC 

You would also need to discount all the alternatives to the GCN site within any DEFRA license application - insitu conservation, adjacent sites, farmland, etc rather than affect a gcn population - though maybe you could build a few ponds around the gcn site put in a monitoring survey for gcns - not sure whether the client would like that.....

As regards the GCN site, we created all the ponds (5 of them) and rhynes and translocated GCNs there many years ago.  All water bodies have been monitored since and monitoring is ongoing.  The GCN population is doing very well. 

Yes, of course I will contact the local wildlife trust and EN.  A site which holds some sort of designation and will not be developed in the future seems sensible to me...we can keep a close eye on the reptiles and carry out monitoring without any quibbles...

I am aware that juvenile and some non-breeding GCNs remain on land for some years before returning to their breeding ponds.

Adjacent farmland may be developed in the future...

We contacted EN about a similar situation with a site known to support GCN and habitat creation/restoration.  We were told that because the works were not actual development, a defra licence would not be required.  We did obtain an EN licence though, even though we were told by EN that technically we did not require one...We will of course need to contact EN to get their opinion on this particular case.

I thought that you dont need to prove intentional disturbance, that reckless disturbance results in contravening the law..

Thanks for all your comments.

A grey area here definitely - how far away is the receptor site from the donor site out of interest?

Indeed!  EN have responded many a time in these sort of situations that it is up to the consultant to determine and decide whether the works warrant the requirement for a defra/EN licence!

About 3km.

Looks like the farmland may come in handy - especially if any is under an agrienvironment agreement -

Regards

Jon