Adder Wildlife Report

Got my latest copy of British Wildlife this morning and there is a good report on the problems facing adders and adder initiatives being carried out (some by the experts on this forum). Coming close on the heels of the BBC prog this all seems promising for raising the adder profile. The article is by Howard Inns of the Herpetological Conservation Trust.

My only disappointment with this publication is the lack of column inches given to reptiles and amphibians against other species. Is this because of perceived lack of interest by readers or because they have lots of reports sent in by those interested in other species?

Returning to adders there is a website indicated in the publication that I hadn't known of www.adder.org.uk

After all the hot weather flash floods here in East Devon this morning. Had a look at the slow worms in their compost heap and was surprised to see a large grey slow worm that I haven't seen before.

'Returning to adders there is a website indicated in the publication that I hadn't known of www.adder.org.uk'

Ummm there has been a link to adder.org.uk on the RAUK homepage for a couple of months  (though I have to own up to Chris that I haven't got around to updating the title to 'Adders then and now' as he requested but is on my to do list)

Essex 'heathland' restorers (adder habitat wreckers) also beware.. rudeness and generic arguments won't stand up against survey data and specific site analysis.. and I am not going to go away.

Gemma,

Oops sorry didn't know there was a link through to the adder.org.uk on the homepage. Glad I said it was a site I hadn't known of as I guess most other regulars here already know of it!

That's the danger of wooshing straight to the Forum without going via the homepage!

To be honest Jon I would find the whole thing amusing if it wasn't for the fact that I've got to know a lot of the adder at Backwarden (It didn't take long there are not that many left). When someone with absolutely no knowledge of a species dismisses a report as 'flawed' or 'floored' as I think he spelt it with nothing to back up his argument other than some anecdotal rubbish about reptiles needing open spaces (read as bare earth cleared by heavy plant) one really does have to wonder. I particularly liked the way he got annoyed when I suggested their plan was single goal management, whilst at the same time accusing me of promoting single species management by submitting a report outlining my concerns regarding adder at the reserve and suggesting some very basic precautions they could take to safeguard them. At no point has there been any reasonable communication, the EWT simply don't reply to any correspondance whilst the NT response comes clearly from someone who isn't even familiar with what is happening at the site telling me I'm confused..what can one say.