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Sand Lizards...: |
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Paul Ford Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2006 No. of posts: 124  View other posts by Paul Ford |
Posted: 03 Sep 2009 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8234667.stm |
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AGILIS Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 694  View other posts by AGILIS |
Posted: 03 Sep 2009 Yeah Paul heard the news at 8am , but it does seem a bit late in the year for a realocate project and getting cold  keithLOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID |
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Caleb Forum Coordinator Joined: 17 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 448 View other posts by Caleb |
Posted: 03 Sep 2009 I heard this on Radio 4 this morning. They mentioned introduction to mid-Wales; are there historical records from that area? I've heard of records from the Prestatyn area, but not of any further south in Wales. |
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David Bird Forum Specialist Joined: 17 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 515 View other posts by David Bird |
Posted: 03 Sep 2009 I sat there this morning with my remote control in hand to record the item on the BBC breakfast after seeing a trailer with a reporter with a box of hatchlings that said at 8.50 a full report from Surrey where the lizards were going to be released would follow. After sitting through a long discussion with barrister Michael Mansfield, then a piece on the new Meryl Streep film and the important chat with Bananarama to advertise their new album the program then ran out of time to show the Sand Lizard piece, not sure if they will show it tomorrow or not. David British Herpetological Society Librarian and member of B.H.S Conservation Committee. Self employed Herpetological Consultant and Field Worker. |
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Paul Hudson Member Joined: 24 Sep 2004 No. of posts: 33 View other posts by Paul Hudson |
Posted: 03 Sep 2009 Hi Agilis, All the re-intros using current year juvs take place in September and it works a treat! I have bred over 500 young sand lizards( Merseyside )race for this project over the past 6 years. Cheers Paul Hudson. Paul Hudson |
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Iowarth Admin Group Joined: 12 Apr 2004 No. of posts: 222 View other posts by Iowarth |
Posted: 03 Sep 2009 Hi Agilis Firstly I would confirm what Paul has said. This programme has been going on at its present high level for 15 years. During that time in excess of 60 new Sand Lizard colonies have been successfully established. The eggs are incubated artificially and the young reared on, thus achieving growth consistent with the best possible scenario in the wild. As a consequence their survival rates through hibernation are much higher than with wild hatchlings in a typical year. Certainly this isn't late at all. Even in the South it is not unusual for wild hatchlings to be emerging at this time and in the north even less so. Caleb Regarding Welsh releases which are scheduled for next week there are historical records as far south as the Aberdyfi/Ynyslas dune complexes so, yes, they have been found much further south than Prestatyn etc. One such re-intro in west Wales has proven to be astoundingly succcessful and was based on animals bred by myself, Chester Zoo and latterly Jersey Zoo. From memory (and I may be wrong - in which case I am sure paul will correct me), Paul's animals went to other receptor sites - with similar success. We are very proud of this captive breeding re-intro programme which stands out as one of the best, if not THE best in the world. All the best Chris Co-ordinator, Sand Lizard Captive Breeding Programme Chris Davis, Site Administrator Co-ordinator, Sand Lizard Captive Breeding Programme |
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herpetologic2 Senior Member Joined: 15 Jun 2004 No. of posts: 1369  View other posts by herpetologic2 |
Posted: 04 Sep 2009 It should be reviewed and HCT now ARC Trust shouldget much more credit for this successful project. How does it hold up with other studies across the world? it would be good to see the sand lizard intro project written up as an example of how it should be done J Vice Chair of ARG UK - self employed consultant - visit ARG UK & Alresford Wildlife |
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Iowarth Admin Group Joined: 12 Apr 2004 No. of posts: 222 View other posts by Iowarth |
Posted: 05 Sep 2009 Hi Jon It must be admitted that it is some time since such a comparison was made and at that time it was streets ahead. Nevertheless other such projects have since taken place and while I doubt that any has, as yet, caught up with it, no-one, to my knowledge, has done such a comparison recently. I have a dream of finding enough time to do so and of writing everything up - perhaps as a presentation at one of the International Herpetological Conferences - and then publishing it! But, as ever, time is the enemy - and as you get older it runs away from you at an ever increasing velocity! Thus far we do at least have all the techniques and much of the rationale documented in a 23 page Sand Lizard Captive Husbandry Manual that I wrote some 5 years ago (updated whenever we learn more) - but it needs a lot more to achieve the dream! Probably one of the programme's key features is that the individual volunteers doing the breeding are experts on the Sand lizard in the wild in their own right BUT, equally importantly, have years of experience in breeding other Lacertid species. The participating Zoos actually operate under our guidance/instruction because, astonishingly perhaps, they actually lack BOTH of these areas of expertise. It is this combination of skills and experience which largely account for its success. Chris Chris Davis, Site Administrator Co-ordinator, Sand Lizard Captive Breeding Programme |
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AGILIS Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 694 View other posts by AGILIS |
Posted: 06 Sep 2009 Hi paul & Chris just a line to say your doing a great job sorry it was not a critisism, I thought it was adults being released and therefore thought a earlier release would have been better and did not realise it was new young uns keep up the good work we could do with some here in Suffolk as we have some ideal sandy heaths regards keith LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID |
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Iowarth Admin Group Joined: 12 Apr 2004 No. of posts: 222 View other posts by Iowarth |
Posted: 06 Sep 2009 Hi Keith Not to worry mate - I guess I, at least came over a tad terse! Trouble is we are so damned proud of this programme! Anyway, thanks for your good wishes - and current plans are in place for a good few more years. As for Suffolk, there are a few locations in East Anglia as a whole which have historical records (apart from the obvious fact that they almost certainly came over via the North Sea landbridge and thus, via East Anglia) - so it certainly counts as "historical range"! Currently, we can't seem to get those in power enthused ...... but, perhaps, one day ..... Chris Chris Davis, Site Administrator Co-ordinator, Sand Lizard Captive Breeding Programme |
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AGILIS Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 694 View other posts by AGILIS |
Posted: 06 Sep 2009 Hi Chris I know what you mean, we realy do have some super sights that la ca would do extremely well the sights are almost identical in heather sand dunes in the South real great habitat and dryer warmer weather and its here ready for them to multiply \ also here is the usual brick wall attitudes of the local English nature apppointees running the place as their own private club of little rspb sanctuaries keith LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID |
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Peter Senior Member Joined: 17 Jan 2008 No. of posts: 260 View other posts by Peter |
Posted: 09 Sep 2009 Attended the release today at Ynyslas. Couldn`t have wished for better weather conditions, and at least five of the newly released animals were spotted again, clambering through the Marram, tongue flicking and basking, to the extent that we moved away for fear of treading on them.
Went well, and spotted my ugly mug on the news afterwards. 
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