1st Adder of 2013 - At Long Last!

It has felt like and age and I was starting to think that the winter weather was never going to leave (well the Forest of Dean anyway).
Then, on Saturday 30th March the sun came out and for a change I wasn't at work, so with Scott Passmore (GlosARG compatriot), I grabbed the camera and headed to our first of three survey areas for the day.
Within 10 minuets of being at the first sight we found our first adder (Vipera berus) of 2013!

GlosARG 1st Adder of 2013 

Unfortunately, this was the last sighting in this area and this was disappointing as this is by far, one of the best areas that we know of.

The other two sites were fruitless, but as we didn't see any lizards of slow-worms either, the lad in the photo above must be the rebel of the area as he was last to go in and first to come out!

GlosARG on Facebook HERE

GlosARG Website HERE



Rob

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.

Please support GlosARG by clicking the links below, thanks!

GlosARG Official Website

GlosARG on Facebook

GlosARG on Twitter

Rob

 

Adder Macro!

PLEASE VISIT MY PREVIOUS POST FOR A NEW ARG GROUP IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Another very special encounter with a female adder recently. I took quite a few images, but here is just one as a teaser!

Female Adder (Vipera berus)

Rob

"New" ARG Gloucestershire

With a friend I have started a new amphibian and reptile conservation group in the Forest of dean, Gloucestershire.
This group is called GlosARG and we are an affiliated group of ARG UK.

Our aim is to.....

Raise awareness
Recruit volunteers
Survey Gloucestershire
Manage existing habitats
Create new habitats
Achieve protection status on existing and new habitats
See Gloucestershire recognised as a special place for Herptile Conservation

This isn't going to happen overnight and it isn't going to be easy, but with our passion, focus and some much needed help, I am sure we can achieve our goals.
Until now Gloucestershire did not have a ARG group, so Scott and I decided to change this and show the world the wonders of this special place.
Please contact me if you would like to help. We will be organising walks, talks as well as teaching volunteers how to survey all the magnificent amphibians and reptiles we have in Gloucestershire.

ARG Website

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As well as many other species, these are just some of the amphibians and reptiles we will be surveying and looking after throughout Gloucestershire.

Great Crested Newt

Adder

Grass Snake

Common Lizard

Toads

Frogs

Rob

Adder Kiss!

In this short adder film you will see a male adder that is preparing to slough, or shed his skin. When this happens the snake's eye scale turns blue as fluid builds up between the new inner and old outer skin. The fluid helps the snake discard the old skin.

When this happens the snake's vision is severely impaired and it can cause irregular behaviour, like you will see in this clip. 

Adders do not generally approach large mammals as they have identified them as a possible threat, not a food source, but when their vision is impaired they are attracted to the heat source as they can not identify what it is, or how big it is. All they see is a heat signature and a possible meal. In this case he was focusing on my camera and my hands.

I was lying on my belly using my elbows as support when he started to approach me and this is when I had to quickly shuffle backwards. At one point he actually licked the front of my camera!

I hope you enjoy my video.

Rob

Adder Behaviour Video

Here we have some video footage of adders in their natural environment, with no disturbance. I like filming the snakes in this way as it shows their true natural behaviour, however, it does mean setting up the camera and sitting back to wait for them to actually move and this can take some time!

I have increased the playback speed on some of the snakes featured as they are quite slow movers and this gives the film an extra special look.

PS: The black one is the only recorded melanistic adder found in the Forest of Dean and I was over the moon when I found it. Might never see one again in this area and as I haven't seen him for a while this snake ranks right up there as one of my best ever adder encounters.

Rob

My Wildlife on TV!

Great to see they featured the female adder I found for BBC Autumnwatch on last night's programme.
Also the hornets and wild boar, although all credit goes to them for actually finding the wild boars. I just put them in the right location.

A massive thank you to all three presenters for standing up for the wild boars in the UK, a creature very close to my heart.

CLICK HERE FOR AUTUMNWATCH; EPISODE 1

Rob

BBC Autumnwatch are Here!

Today I spent the morning with a film crew from BBC Autumnwatch. The main subject was supposed to be wild boar and although I found them a fantastic location (filming tonight), I couldn't resist taking them to one of my adder hot-spots!
It wasn't long before I found a lovely "big" female for them to film and although she was quite shy, hopefully they captured enough decent footage to be included in the programme.
I also found them some hornets building a nest! This was something I really didn't expect to find as this species dies off during the winter months, so this is not really the best time to start building a nest. We are seeing some unusually hot weather at the moment and this is probably the reason for this unusual activity.

Will be on TV next Friday, so get tuned in!

Rob

Snake Found in Bedroom!

I was contacted by the Cheltenham Echo yesterday to identify a snake that a local resident had found in his home. At first I thought I was going to see a pet corn snake or a young python, but I was shocked to see that it was an adder. Britain's only venomous snake!

Click link below for full article.

Snake Article

Rob

Success!

You may remember my post earlier this year when I, along with a friend carried some heavy corrugated tin, on our heads to a location in the Forest of Dean.
This tin was to give the adders some artificial refuge and help with the decline in their numbers in this area.
After giving the reptiles time to get used to the change in their habitat and explore it, I went back for the first time yesterday evening. Although the tin was nearly covered by bracken I managed to take a look underneath and success as the first piece had two slow worms underneath. This was great to see as adders share the same basking spots as the slow worm, so I moved on to the next piece hoping to see one taking advantage of it!
Nothing under the second piece except a large ant nest, so I re-positioned it in a different location.
I dug my way in through the bracken to the third piece and lifted it up. There she was, a lovely female adder, coiled up right in the centre.
I was over the moon and this just shows what a little hard work and determination can achieve!

No pics of the adder I'm afraid, for a couple of reasons.
1. I didn't want to disturb her, so the tin was carefully placed back down straight away.
2. It would have been hard taking a photograph one handed!

A massive thank you to my friend Mark Dando for his help and an equal amount of credit is due to him for helping a species in decline, in the Forest of Dean!

Rob

An Hour With the Adders!

Had a good day with the adders this morning. Found 5 in total and all of them were females ranging from a tiny juvenile to a fully grown lady!
I was bitten by some nasties and got bramble scars all over my legs, but it was my own fault for lying in them while wearing shorts!

The tiny one. Around 9 inches long and a feisty girl. She wasn't too bothered and was quite inquisitive.





And here is mum basking just around the corner.



Same female except this time uncoiled and stretched out!



Another female under a gorse bush. I don't push to get too close to the larger adders as they are more timid than the little ones and it would only disturb them. Anyway, it's nice to see them in their natural habitat.



Rob

Male Adder!

Not a great pic I know, but this male adder was in a gorse bush (they usually are) and it was tricky to get a decent angle.
Unless I can get down to their level, I don't get too close because this just disturbs them and I would rather walk away with a crappy shot than disturb this reptile just for the sake of a photograph!

Will hopefully be getting out tomorrow weather permitting!



Rob

Nine Year Old Girl Bitten by Adder in New Forest!

It happens quite a lot, but when it happens to a young child it is a worrying time. The adder's bite is not that serious, unless you get a allergic reaction called anaphylactic shock, or Anaphylaxis and then it can be very serious, even fatal if untreated!
Unfortunately, nine year old Tylar Butcher was recently bitten while holidaying with her family in the New Forest and suffered an allergic reaction, which required hospital treatment. Thankfully she is making an excellent recovery and has even shown an interest in the adder. This is great news as it will have a very positive impact on the way certain people think and react towards this snake.

The adder has been persecuted for years, for just being able to defend itself and as humans we see it as a threat, so we kill it. Thankfully we are not all like this and some of us want to protect them. I hope Tylar will grow up wanting to help protect them too!
Read Tylar's STORY HERE



Rob

Adder Survey Project & Some Ladies!

It was heavy and the only way of carrying it without making 3 trips back to the car was to balance it on my head! Thankfully I had a friend, willing to suffer a bruised scalp to help!
I selected a spot, which has been a hot spot for adders over the years, but like most locations it has seen a sharp decline in their numbers over the last few years. Hopefully this will give them a safe place to bask and help their numbers grow. One benefit of using artificial refuge like corrugated tin is that it absorbs and holds the heat, so the snakes will be able to bask for longer, especially if it is raining.
Another bonus is that the snakes may be able to put off hibernation for a few weeks and ever emerge from hibernation earlier if they know they have a safe, warm location.

It may take a while for the snakes to get used to it and feel safe using it, but Rome wasn't built in a day, so fingers crossed.
Sorry about the close up shots, but I only had the big lens with me - had enough to carry on my head!










However, I did bump into this girl - a juvenile female adder at a different location and although she was a little grumpy, she did pose for a couple of snaps.



I moved around to get a nice back-lit image of her, before I left her to bask in peace!




The old saying "It's the one you don't see that gets ya!" and I just spotted her in time, but if you go walking in their garden, you need eyes in the back of your head!
Again, when I left her she was happily taking in the morning sun.



Rob

Recent Article

Here is a link to a recent article I have written for the on-line magazine "Landscape Juice", regarding the adder.

Click Here to read the article.

Rob

Male Adder!

Here is a nice male adder, which has recently sloughed (shed his skin). He was in a gorse bush and it was quite tough to get close, but I managed it without disturbing him. This is where a long lens comes in handy, even if it is very hard hand holding with gorse spines sticking in every part of your body!
The trick is to creep up on them, very slowly and very quietly! Ignore the spiders running over your face, don't jump if you are bitten by something, or spiked by a spine or bramble and don't make eye contact as they will always win!

Piece of cake - Not!




Rob

Worrying Times!

As you have most probably heard on the radio or seen on the TV, our native adder is in trouble!
National statistics have shown that adder numbers are dropping throughout the country and the Forest of Dean is one area for concern.
I have been surveying for NARRS from day one (2007) and I have also been monitoring my snake locations for more than 20 years.
During one visit to one of my hot spots back in April 2005 I found 18 snakes in approx 1 hour. I visited he same area at the same time this year and found just one grass snake and no adders! Very disturbing!
However, I did find these two females at a spot, which has not been fruitful over the years and hopefully there will be a few fella's around soon.

No close up's today as they were tucked under a small tree and gorse bush and if I had pushed to get close it would have disturbed them.






Rob

First Adder - 2011

Well, this is my fist adder of 2011, taken a couple of weeks ago now. I have been wanting to get out and capture some better images, but with some other projects I have running at the moment and with work commitments, I just haven't had the time!

This is a male, not fully grown yet and he was heated up when I found him, so it was tough to get close.
Hopefully I can get out tomorrow and find a nice female.




Rob

Official - Snakes in Decline!

From finding my first snake (an adder) at the age of 8, I have always found them fascinating. As I got older this turned to a passion and I can honestly say that our native snakes mean the world to me.
I have been visiting some of my areas for the last 20+ years and although I didn't realise it at the time, I was actually surveying them. As I found more and more areas I started to make notes as to what species, sex and maturity of the snakes, which were there.
One thing I can tell you is that there is not one of my areas which has the same or more snakes today. They all have less!
The biggest decline was in 2010, yep just last year at one of my sites where my best counting day was 18 snakes in a 150 metres stretch, 5 years ago. Last year I counted just 6!
This is a drop of two thirds and it doesn't take a mathematician to work out that if this decline carries on, we could lose our snakes altogether!

My areas have not seen human encroachment, nor have they been disturbed. In fact they are virtually the same as the first time I visited them.
So what is it that is causing our snakes to either die or move away from their typical basking spots?
We have seen some pretty harsh winters over the last few years and this could be the reason for losing a few snakes, but the decline we are seeing is more widespread throughout the country, so I am not convinced that this is the cause.

The female adder and grass snake will not breed in consecutive years and this can give false survey readings unless you take an average over 4 - 6 years. NARRS, National Amphibian and Reptile Recording Scheme have been surveying since 2007 and I have supplied them with data from day one. Their findings are accurate and this evidence confirms that like me, a lot of surveyors throughout the UK are seeing decline in their snake populations.
It is not just the adder and grass snake either.........

Please click below for full story from the BBC.

BBC - Adder in Decline

Rob

Fingers Crossed!

Woop - woop! Bring on the spring and warm weather. I've been waiting very patiantly for this month and this weekend is the first one I have had free to be able to devote a lot of time to my snake habitats.
I did my usual gardening over the winter, so it will be good to see if the snakes have taken advantage of the basking spots I have created for them.
I will be looking out for the snakes I see year after year and also the new arrivals, which are hard to spot as they are so tiny. There is one snake that I really want to see and that is the melanistic adder, which I filmed and photographed last year.

I will update with any pics if I am lucky, but in the meantime here is the main one I will be looking out for.



Rob