BlogSpot
This new page is designed to hold anything that CARG members wish to share with the group and the wider world. This could include photos and reports on surveys, habitat work or conservation work. It's intended to be informal and fun to browse!
At the moment CARG members can't add to the page themselves, but if you send articles and photos to CARG secretary johnj.sweeney1@virginmedia.com these can soon be added here. So please, tell us what you are up to !
Slow start but plenty of Slow-worms. Reptile survey, Mill of Chon Kinlochard, 7th April. Added 20th April 2011
A search for reptiles in early April in Central Scotland can sometimes be a bit of a lost cause for the herpetologist. On arrival at Loch Chon a light mist and the promise of strong sunshine later meant that John Sweeney and I were confident that we would see something but we thought best to wait a while for things to warm up first. Whilst waiting our optimism was increased when we spotted an Osprey flying over us, surely if the Osprey’s were back then there must be reptiles about as well!
Our early optimism proved to be justified as on lifting the first in-situ refugia (a piece of old boarding/door) we found a superb male Slow-worm curled up beneath. With our hopes high we went on to check the artificial refugia, finding to our delight another three slow-worms, including two more than 30cm in length in near perfect condition. Clearly the harsh winter hasn’t impacted Trossachs slow-worms; but what about the other ‘common’ Scottish reptiles? Surely they should be found in this habitat as well?
Female slow-worm looking a bit puzzled ! photos: John Sweeney
Our second site nearby was similar habitat (bog with some heathy vegetation and scattered bracken), so potentially good for all three common species. By now the sun was getting hot and not only warming up the reptiles! After a slog across the bog to our disappointment we only found one further slow-worm curled up under an artificial refuge, plus a lightning-fast (by slow-worm standards) common lizard, which John had previously recorded at this site.
Don't be shy Dave - it won't bite !
Male and female
So in summary, it’s not necessarily the ‘early birds’ that capture the worms but maybe the early birds capture the lizards!
Dave Garner
Toads on Roads in East Kilbride. Added 6th April 2011
CARG member Erik Paterson appeals to his local communuity to help protect toads on roads during their current spring migfration to the spawning ponds. Here is the article that appeared in the East Kilbride News.
ToadsOnRoadsArticle.jpg (756,6 kB)
Chytid Monitoring, Balgray Reservoir. Added 4th April 2011
This year, the Zoological Society of London and Amphibian and Reptile Groups of the UK (ARG-UK) are repeating their 2008 project to monitor the spread of Chtyid amphibian disease within Britain. This involves collecting skin swabs from a range of amphibians at many sites throughout the country. The swabs are then sent off to be tested for the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the cause of Chytrid disease which has been responsible for serious declines in the populations of some amphibians in some parts of the world.
As part of the sampling effort, John Sweeney has recently been taking swab samples from Common Toads at Balgray Reservoir (Barrhead). A total of 30 toads were sampled there last night (3rd April), out of an estimated population of at least 200 animals. No photos unfortunately, due to a lack of free hands (these things can wriggle!) but further sampling is planned targetting Palmate and Smooth Newts and photos of this type of operation will appear here very soon.
Other CARG members are planning to obtain swabs this spring, from other sites and species (including the locally rare Great Crested Newt). Watch this space for news.