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Wall Lizards at Ventnor

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Chris Newman View Drop Down
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    Posted: 08 Apr 2003 at 9:37am

On Saturday last we made a trip to the Isle of Wight to see if we could find any of the Wall Lizards that were alleged to have been established at Ventnor.   Within moment of arriving in the car park and adult male was seen sunning himself on a nearby wall.

In all about 30 adults were seen in the space of about half to three-quarter of an hour.  It would appear that  this colony is thriving.

Chris
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-LAF View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote -LAF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jul 2003 at 2:20pm
Hmm, I just came across reference to an article in Dec 2000 British Wildlife that suggest the wall lizards at Ventor may be a remnant native population. Is there any information that may support this, or any oppinions on the matter?

Many thanks, Lee.
Lee Fairclough
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote -LAF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jul 2003 at 2:07am
Thanks David, I normally wouldn't have given too much attention such such claims but it is even stated on the HCT website that the origins of some colonies are unknown and that some *may* be native. It doesn't seems likely though, for a lizard that seems to do SO well at some of it's (introduction?) sites one would really expect that an historic population would remain widespread and abundant.

Similarly to Podarcis, I have heard there is a bit of uncertainty to the alien nature of some Emys orbicularis populations. To be honest I don't even know of any Emys orbicularis populations in the UK, let alone any that are actually breeding. But then the same assumptions of introduced colonies were made with R. lessonae and we all know what happened there (probably).

As far as testing for legitimacy of UK Podarcis I would have thought that looking for some similarities among UK populations would be a logical first step. Whether morphometrics would be a fully valid method in Podarcis I'm not totally sure... from what I've seen in Anolis, much relative morpholgy can be more closely related to habitat than liniange. However, I'm not sure if Podarcis follow that pattern. Scalation should certainly be robust though and using morphometrics is undoubtedly cheaper and easier than mtDNA bootstrapping, not to mention a lot more accessible!

Thanks again for all the info. Hugely helpful.

Cheers, Lee.

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Lee Fairclough
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bearde Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Oct 2004 at 9:50pm
hi i was wondering does any 1 no wall lizard care of Podarcis muralis pls
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vicar Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Oct 2004 at 11:52pm

Anybody compared the Ventnor colony to the Farnham colony ?

Are they even the same species ?

I asked the English Heritage chap and some of the Castle Gardeners about the Farnham Castle colony, nobody had ever seen a Lizard !

I really should have wandered about the castle more, earlier in the year...especially as its only 10 minutes walk from my house ! (cough), but I was tramping heaths at Frensham and Hankley :P

I've read somewhere that Podarcis are more active than our natives over the Winter months ? Is this so ?

If so I'll wander down on some warmer days over the next month or 2.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vicar Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Apr 2005 at 11:51pm

Finally got an excuse to wander down to Ventnor this weekend, was pretty late in the day when we got there, but managed a few snaps.

Hopefully pics are good enough for somebody with more expertise than I to identify the race ?

 

 

 

 



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Steve Langham - Chairman    
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vicar Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Apr 2006 at 2:00pm

Managed another trip to Ventnor this over the last couple of days, and might be there again this May. Attached are some pics. Can the sub-species be identified?, or what measures would be required to make a positive ID ?

Oh, and they bite !

 

Steve Langham - Chairman    
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote arvensis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Apr 2006 at 3:10pm
I may go up and look at the Farnham colony.. If I can find out exactly where they are.

Mark
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vicar Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Apr 2006 at 3:24pm

Mark,

None left at the castle, I've asked EH staff and the gardeners and looked myself. Only hope is that they are in one of the local walled gardens, I'll do a mailshot one of these days, as I live 10 minutes walk from the castle :P



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Steve Langham - Chairman    
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lucym Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Apr 2006 at 6:15am
Hi Steve, glad to see you got some results on your travels, love the pics especially the one attached to your finger!
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