New Reptile Habitat Discovered

Great news for Gloucestershire as GlosARG has discovered a new unique reptile habitat!

Scott Passmore and I (Founders of GlosARG) decided to survey a new location on Thursday 30th August and we were stunned by what we found.

In just 30 minuets of surveying we found the following...

Mature Female Adder - x3

Mature Male Adder - x1

Juvenile Adder - x1

Mature Grass Snake - x2

Common Lizard - x6

Slow-worm - x2

It goes without saying that this is a "significant discovery", especially as we only had 30 minuets due to time restrictions.
We only covered a very small area where this habitat is concerned and we are confident that when thoroughly surveyed, this site will produce upwards of 20 snakes. In fact we are confident that this could be one of the most important discoveries in the Gloucestershire area for many years.
Due to this, I have contact the right people with the hope that this site is preserved and protected as a site of special interest, so that these remarkable reptiles can carry on thriving.

Why are there so many reptiles at this one site? The answer to that is quite simple. See list below.

1. There is a healthy food source for all reptiles present
2. Although the site is frequented regularly my members of the public, the habitat and therefore the reptiles themselves have been undisturbed
3. Most importantly the corridors the reptiles use to move around have been undisturbed

To elaborate on the 3rd point; corridors are grassy rides, ditches, hedgerows and forest edges, which have not been cut off by walls, roads and building development, allowing these creatures to move around. This is vital, especially during the breeding season.

When an area is developed the construction companies sometimes leave a nature area, such as a small plot of woodland, field or park and these areas may have once been, or in some cases still are home to reptiles. Unlike the lizard, which is capable of climbing, our snakes and the slow-worm are not and are therefore isolated. Over time, due to inbreeding these animals become infertile and slowly die off; something that is now being seen and recorded throughout the whole of the UK.

We must stop this practice now and start to think greener, to protect all wildlife as once the concrete is down, the damage is irreversible.

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Rob