RAUK - Archived Forum - WALL LIZARDS WHOSE FOR OR AGAINST THEM

Wasn't this sort of done to death last year? Anyway I'm personally against the introduction of aliens and the re introduction of naturals but I'm also strongly against removing either which have become established by fair means or foul.

Wasn't an attempt made to exterminate a Wall Lizard colony last summer - how did that go

[QUOTE=AGILIS]   
JUST be interested to know the overall attitude on the
 introduction of themKEITH
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I didn't know podarcis sicula was an introduction, Keith? ; )

Wasn't an attempt made to exterminate a Wall Lizard colony last summer - how did that go

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I think 'exterminate' is a little harsh, Dave. The prime Dorset habitat where L.agilis has coincidentally dissapeared since the introduction of muralis, has caused concern for various people round here that want any of the few remaining areas suited to the future and safeguard of agilis's survival, to stay that way. As you say, this topic was done to death last year, and i think most people got to aire their views on the matter then. However, to answer your other question, i don't personally have a problem if an introduced species resides somewhere where it is not likely to compete or threaten in any way a native species, especially a species that is known to fall under the title 'nationally endangered fauna/flora'.

 Anyway I'm personally against the introduction of aliens and the re introduction of naturals

hi Davew I cant see why you have a problem with the reintroduction of naturals as many of us think  this is the best way  we can preserve our declining species that have lost so much habitat in this country over the years .keith

[QUOTE=AGILIS]hi Alex Davew I borrowed this pic from a sight called (The Alien Lizards of Topeka) just put is title in to google you might find it interesting its about Euro wall lizards that have been introduced into Kansas US.
KEITH
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Cheers Keith, shall have a search : ) . I think this coming mondays 'Life in Cold Blood' is all about lizards, and David Attenborough will be showing the green and wall lizards that are inhabiting the Dorset coast (?).

Hi - to answer the two points;

How is exterminate harsh. People caught Wall Lizards and though supposed "nature lovers" actually killed them. Exterminate seems about right to me.

In the birding world many reintroductions have been made perhaps the most famous being the Red Kite. I can see only one reason for reintroducing an extremely abundant world species into a country where it hadn't been truly present for centuries - vanity. Somebody had the "nice " idea that wouldn't it be lovely if Red Kites were back here and with no more firm reason than that it started (and yes I've looked into it and I couldn't find a concrete reason). Waste of time and money. If a species is globablly threatened then perhaps it's worth it otherwise why bother.

People caught Wall Lizards and though supposed "nature lovers" actually killed them.

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Who did?

hi

i suspect davew is refering to this debate from last year http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1852 &PN=2 i have to say that some of the comments do imply that the wall lizards would be killed (not by anyone from this site i must add) if caught - see jon's comments about them becoming fertilizer on page 21 for example. no idea if this actually happened though.

tim

Hi

During last summer I was in contact with a friend from "down south" who alledgedly had evidence that a trial had taken place at a certain site and that animals had been killed. I'm not going to reveal the site as it may not be true and the site would infer certain persons. I sincerely hope it didn't happen.

I was once heavily involved in the birding scene and strongly argued the case against the extermination of Ruddy Duck as a European species. I lost, sort of - the plan failed and although many thousands were killed the species moved to many widespead breeding localities now known only by those of us against the action. Still I learned a valuable lesson, basically whatever my feelings I can't win against the majority. I have resolved to be less vocal when confronted by these erradication suggestions and there are a hell of a lot of them. At least 10 species of bird are going to be culled heavily or totally within the next decade and for those of you not fully into British birds you'll hopefully still be saddened to know that Mute Swans have been killed in large numbers in the London area simply because they made a mess of a few parks.

That said I do apologise if I come across as unneccissarily confrontational, this topic does fire me up but I'm not going to get involved. If the majority feel that Wall Lizards must be removed then fair enough, I'm 200 miles from the nearest colony anyway and don't see the effects very often. I do ask that any action is only the result of long and intense study and is deemed neccessary by as large a committee as possible. The Ruddy Duck was targeted because it may have moved to spain and interbred with the endangerd White-headed Duck. The fact that it hadn't or infact hadn't even been proven possible apparently was neither here nor there.

Iam lovely really

What has to be born in mind with this debate is the insensitivity of the introduction in question. I doubt anyone would really mind a local population of Pm at a site with little other interest but we are talking about systematic attempt to establish them over a wide area which included a site used by native La - most of the  previous debate was about how facts could be established (if possible) one way or the other i.e. were they having an affect and how could that be established or was the La decline caused by something else.

That debate died the death when those on high decided that there would be no investigation only removal and most of us then lost interest in it all. Shame because it might have given an opportunity to establish the facts. I'm sure David can fill us in on the current situation - even bigger shame was that I would have quite happily have funded an investigation, but not an extermination.