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LACK OF REPORTS |
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GemmaJF
Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 Location: Essex Status: Offline Points: 4359 |
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Posted: 11 Nov 2016 at 8:07pm |
Just picking up on the slow worm movements, several times during mitigations we have seen mini migrations across a site. For example a bank may form a hibernaculum and they start there in the spring then spread out over a site foraging in damp weather that gets the slugs moving. Certainly have observations of individuals using the same refuge at least for a few days at a time. So a picture of a very loose association with a 'home' at times, but I think generally movements are dictated by the slugs and soil conditions and things like available refuges. I once read a mitigation proposal that stated that exclusion fencing was not needed as slow worms are always entirely sedentary. Wrong!
Edited by GemmaJF - 11 Nov 2016 at 8:07pm |
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AGILIS
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1689 |
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What a bottle if cobra lager
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LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
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churchfield62
Senior Member Joined: 10 Dec 2015 Location: austria Status: Offline Points: 71 |
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shortly i saw a cobra (complete black) posing in my garden, but austria. middle sized.
#najanigricollis |
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Camerart
Member Joined: 22 Sep 2012 Location: Poole Status: Offline Points: 34 |
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Ok, First, I have a camera that can spot movement, and I'll place it over the track where I saw the slow worm,and see if I can figure out any pattern.
C. |
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will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
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Hi - a study would be good, I would recommend placing a regular grid of sheets of roofing felt etc around the whole area, even those with short grass (slowworms can turn up in surprisingly short sward). They shouldn't be marked - all kinds of problems in terms of increasing risk of predation, causing harm when marking them, as well as the plain fact that I don't think felt tip would stay long. Having said that, individual slowworms can be recognised by the patterns of flecks especially above the jawline, also on the nape of the neck, a bit like with adders but on a smaller scale (literally...) this might entail gently restraining them and taking photos. It could build up into a nice project.
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Camerart
Member Joined: 22 Sep 2012 Location: Poole Status: Offline Points: 34 |
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Hi W,
I may try a study. Do you think that the different slow worms will be able to be spotted by their markings, or will they need marking in some way, i,e, felt tip. Is this ok to do. C. |
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will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
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Given that slowworms are so good at being cryptic I think it's maybe more likely that they exist in other parts of your garden and that you have spotted one of these. They can move around in search of mates, prey etc but I don't think they tend to forage in one place and then return to a particular refuge somewhere else, I guess because slugs tend to be found pretty much wherever they are. On the other hand, I don't know if anyone has ever really investigated slowworm movements in a scientific way and I could well be wrong - would make an interesting study!
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Camerart
Member Joined: 22 Sep 2012 Location: Poole Status: Offline Points: 34 |
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Hi, I have a corner of the garden left unkempt, where slow worms live and I have a plastic rug, where they congregate to warm up. I've seen them for years, and today I saw one moving through the 'other' part of the garden. I would like to know if slow worms go 'home' or do they wander and sleep where ever they roam?
Camerart. |
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chubsta
Senior Member Joined: 26 Apr 2013 Location: Folkestone,Kent Status: Offline Points: 430 |
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i wouldn't worry about that, I love seeing what others are encountering, i see so little in the way of anything around here - haven't seen a slow worm in years - that it is just nice to know they are still around
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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Some guys, like Tom and others, have posted some great images.
I think smooth snakes are going to be thin on the ground on here, unless someone has a licence who posts. Admittedly I only post of garden creatures, and, although I've got great tangles of slow worms, I don't want to bore folk with images of them. Because of the GCN/s in the pond I can't do any night photography there So yes, like you Keith I love all the reports, but people have their reasons. The weather hasn't helped! |
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Suz
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