Workshop 'Spotting amphibians and reptiles - getting your eye in' by ARGUK

all the time :)

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Any time

Summer!

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Generally in the morning

When you look for amphibians and reptiles in the morning

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during breeding season

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Breeding season

Spring through summer

On days when it’s nice and sunny, no strong winds

not at christmas

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In mild weather a day after rain when it's between 10-20 degrees

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I always have one eye out! Especially as I've been hearing about adders not brumating through winter in some areas due to climate change...but doubly so in spring/early mornings!

for breeding

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toads and frogs: Jan-April

newts: Feb-June

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Early morning and late afternoon when it is a hot day. Different locations depending on if it is morning or afternoon due to shade etc

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Allow for seasonal change.

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coming out of brumation

Amphibians - depends on the stage of development I'm looking to find them.

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After a bad weather day

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GCN: late spring. Egg search during the day. Trapping and torching at night

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Check the timings depending on the area of the country

Check the weather forecasts

Late spring/summer/early autumn

Earlier in the morning on a sunny calm day

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in spring

March - Nov any dry spell over 8 deg

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In mornings between March and October, temperature between 10 and 20 degrees. Partly sunny conditions

Warm morning, no hotter than 20C or colder than 10

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Cool days with sun

morning, evening, can be all day.

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amphibians at dusk after rain

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I would love to know more about finding them on days following bad weather - haven't heard about this, does that tend to make them more active?

for reptiles - early on hotter days

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Following a dull, rainy spell

Days with reasonable weather (preferably some sunshine) in spring. Adder as early as late Feb in Kent.

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A colour that is different to the surrounding area and a break in the lines of the vegetation

Reptiles, any day if the conditions are right. Especially after a few days of rain

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18 degrees and humid is the sweet spot for reptiles I have noticed

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Amphibians: This can be anytime but it can depend on species. Frogs Palmates and GCN can often be the first species I encounter, often from Jan/Feb and toads mid feb onwards. Best times Feb-May, but in good habitat/ponds, there can be something to spot most of the year except for very low temps... sub 5 degrees

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Spottingherps — 2024-07-16 19:38:52 UTC

Summer late mornings/ early afternoon when the sunshine is hottest and even better after rain

I found adders on cold day at middle of the day. Also grass snake under unduline on a very rainy day! I also noticed grass snakes are always earlier under mats than slow worms e.g. grass snake at 6.30 in the morning

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Understanding of the animal is important to understand when they may need to bask and why

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I check the mats on my land every week throughout the year.

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Anecdotally I find more slow worms under roofing felt than corrugated tins!

Reptiles: following rain on warm days from March - Oct can be productive. Sometimes slightly cloudy can be better than full hot sun as reptiles warm up slower with cloud cover.

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Sun spots and break in vegetation

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Where two habitat types meet

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Suitable habitat

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Close cover and basking spots

Sunny spots at the edges of vegetation

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sounds e.g. rustles for reptiles, habitat edges as shown with adders, in water- listen for newt tail flicks

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near to a water source for amphibians

Artificial refugia

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For reptiles, transitional areas between different habitats

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usually a movement or an eye

Ponds - vegetation for egg laying

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Amphibians: pond surveys are best, especially torching. Netting can send animals hiding.

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Logs - all the logs

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Small open patches in heath, habitat edges. Shapes and colours (on sunny days) that stand out.

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I look at the edges of fields, paths, etc. I've also started looking in crevices - have found slow worms inside a stone wall, and in the US water snakes in a similar environment.

Edge habitats

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Habitat that provides a mosaic and multi level of potential shelter/hibernacula and areas to bask

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Under/on top of stones, log piles, long grass, ponds and under discarded plastic rubbish!

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Keyhole openings within denser vegetation where the sun is able to penetrate through.

Think like a reptile!

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I always advise people to think like a reptile and so I give them a quick overview of their ecology and that helps them understand where to look

Places for mosaic/cryptic basking

Edges of habitats

Looking for ponds nearby for food sources

Habitat diversity

South west facing slopes

etc....

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Log piles

Amphibians - ponds or wet areas in spring for breeding animals. Under refugia in winter. Rocks and logs.

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Habitat piles - logs, compost heaps, grass cuttings etc

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GCN: egg search - helps to be a botanist! You're looking for folded leaves rather than anything herpetological. If you want to get your eye in practice by folding a few spinach leaves in a bowl!

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Rubbish from humans/plastic/cardboard/wood

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GCN don't mind shredded plastic to lay eggs on

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Great crested newt eggs on larger leaves.

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Flipping large stones

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Movement and change in habitat pattern

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break in patterns- e.g. adder diamonds within straight lines of vegetation

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Reptiles: Mozaic habitats with lots of structure, sunny spots with some low shelter creating wind breaks/sun traps.

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I tend to look more for pattern recognition and can often spots snakes by their curves

habitat edges, sheltered spots, sun traps, sand hill, ant hills.

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pattern changes, movement; sound: rustles,

natural refuga, logs etc.

Grass/compost heaps

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Think like a reptile,where would I bask or hide, but get some warmth and away from cool winds and predators

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checking wooden objects like fence posts & rails for common lizards basking esp new born lizards

derbyshirearg — 2024-07-16 19:44:52 UTC

Compose heaps regarding slow worms and toads

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Different colors and shapes that don’t fit into the surroundings.

Not just in the open but in bushes etc. seen grass snakes moving up bramble bushes

dont follow any ecologist

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Kids - their natural curiosity is the best for finding frogs/toads

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If you're in a cooler part of the country, think about which part of the pond will get most sun. Amphibians are amazingly good at discerning very small changes in temperature

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Problem with relying on shapes for snakes is getting far too excited over bits of plastic, rope, string, etc.!

South facing slopes

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using an ID book

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By colouration/spots

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With grass snakes, I always look for the collar!

pattern, size, colour

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Head structure can help distinguish adder from smooth snake for me!

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Take multiple photos to compare to a guide or book or even ask for help from someone more experienced

the habitat they were found in

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Eyes are different between snake species

Physical features such as colour, size, markings. Also, behaviour.

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Small newts: 3Ts toes (rear), tails and throats (in hand)

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Understanding the region and what it could/ couldn't be due to that

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Practice, repetition, mental search images

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Grass snake by yellow collar and green colour. Also round pupil

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gets easier with experience,

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Each species has telltale signs, eg. Zigzag on adders, occelations on sand lizards, other patterns or physical features

Think about your geographic location and what species are usually present there

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Not just going by colour. As a result of colour variation

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Texture of skin

Smooth v palmate newts: ideally look at throat. Palmates have transparent skin so their throats look pink. Smooth have opaque skin. Some of the books will tell you they're spotted but many aren't. They're always opaque though, often a plain creamy colour

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I'm ok with all amphibians but sometimes need to photograph (or commit it to memory) reptiles to check with ID materials

Palmate newt by thread at end of tail

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I look for one thing that indicates the species quickly, then try to see something else to verify it.

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Lizards vs newts: skin texture (smooth vs scales) & speed! If you can catch it - probably not a lizard...

Colour, patterns, amphibian feet & throat, crest, length, texture, eyes, width of head - hard to identify young Palmate and Smooth

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Making myself aware of colour variations like melanistic adders

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Adder by zig zag on back plus slit pupil

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Colour variation, not just going by colour other features too

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Lizards can be pretty quick and tend to move quickly if they aren't in areas regularly used by walkers

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sexual dimorphisism

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I try to avoid pupil shape having seen very drastic changes in other snakes just due to light! My carpet python has gone from having slit pupils in high light to fully circular in low light

Smooth newt by orange belly and wavy crest (males)

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Bottle trapping is useful for ID whether female newts are smooth or palmate, as can examine identiying features better than when doing torchlight surveys as males can be distinguished by torchlight surveys

derbyshirearg — 2024-07-16 19:52:07 UTC

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White tubercles on soles of the feet in Palmate newts are often a good indicator.

The bulge on the male for the hemipene

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male vs female lizard - shape of base of tail

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Bump after the tail for the larger cloaca on a male common lizard! Also gravid females more obvious

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Common Lizards

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Males have swollen base of tail, also have more speckled pattern whereas females often more stripey

Female GCN black without crest

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Juvenile small newts can be ID'd by their vertebral stripe

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Female common lizards and slowworms both have a strong stripe along the back (broken up or barely present in males) and dark flanks.

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friend has lizards in her garden and they do not care about her toddler or dog

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Common and sand lizards bask together near a beach car park. People pass by without seeing them!

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cooler animals usually hang around longer ive found

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If you're starting out, carry a guide. The FSC guides are light and durable and I highly recommend them.

Female lizards are longer in body (distance between front and back legs) males have a bulge at the base of the tail

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Melanistic grass snakes which we have in Derbyshire in two distinct areas will confuse lots of people.

derbyshirearg — 2024-07-16 19:54:39 UTC

Adders more skittish if regularly disturbed eg by dog walkers.

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skin pattern, e.g. collar, flank marks, scales or skin, distinguishing marks e.g. palmate feet,

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chins for small newts, and sexing frogs. how animals behave. head shape with identifiable neck for distinguishing sex from photo. learning the differences takes time and help.

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My experience on a narrow coastal path I survey with high density of common lizards are habituated, in my opinion, to people and dogs.

Male toads are smaller & have chunky arms!

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The male toad is the one on top...

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Nuptial pads on male toads and frogs

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Mature toads have two nuptial pads on each front foot, on the two inner toes

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Female frogs in breeding condition can have quite granular skin, not warty like toads but definitely rougher

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How reliable do people find the colouration of the labial scales as an indicator of sex in adders?

Pretty sure that Malcolm Smith talks about pearly granulations on female frogs.

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if the labials are dark and black usually male

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Grass snakes are harder to tell on tail as theres a crossover on caudal scale numbers

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