Sand Lizards...

Yeah Paul heard the news at 8am , but it does seem a bit late in the year for a realocate project and getting cold keith

Hi Agilis
Firstly I would confirm what Paul has said. This programme has been going on at its present high level for 15 years. During that time in excess of 60 new Sand Lizard colonies have been successfully established. The eggs are incubated artificially and the young reared on, thus achieving growth consistent with the best possible scenario in the wild. As a consequence their survival rates through hibernation are much higher than with wild hatchlings in a typical year.
Certainly this isn't late at all. Even in the South it is not unusual for wild hatchlings to be emerging at this time and in the north even less so.

Caleb
Regarding Welsh releases which are scheduled for next week there are  historical records as far south as the Aberdyfi/Ynyslas dune complexes so, yes, they have been found much further south than Prestatyn etc. One such re-intro in west Wales has proven to be astoundingly succcessful and was based on animals bred by myself, Chester Zoo and latterly Jersey Zoo. From memory (and I may be wrong - in which case I am sure paul will correct me), Paul's animals went to other receptor sites - with similar success.

We are very proud of this captive breeding re-intro programme which stands out as one of the best, if not THE best in the world.

All the best

Chris
Co-ordinator, Sand Lizard Captive Breeding Programme

Hi Jon
It must be admitted that it is some time since such a comparison was made and at that time it was streets ahead. Nevertheless other such projects have since taken place and while I doubt that any has, as yet, caught up with it, no-one, to my knowledge, has done such a comparison recently.
I have a dream of finding enough time to do so and of writing everything up - perhaps as a presentation at one of the International Herpetological Conferences - and then publishing it!
But, as ever, time is the enemy - and as you get older it runs away from you at an ever increasing velocity!
Thus far we do at least have all the techniques and much of the rationale documented in a 23 page Sand Lizard Captive Husbandry Manual that I wrote some 5 years ago (updated whenever we learn more) - but it needs a lot more to achieve the dream!
Probably one of the programme's key features is that the individual volunteers doing the breeding are experts on the Sand lizard in the wild in their own right BUT, equally importantly, have years of experience in breeding other Lacertid species. The participating Zoos actually operate under our guidance/instruction because, astonishingly perhaps, they actually lack BOTH of these areas of expertise. It is this combination of skills and experience which largely account for its success.
Chris

Hi Keith
Not to worry mate - I guess I, at least came over a tad terse! Trouble is we are so damned proud of this programme!
Anyway, thanks for your good wishes - and current plans are in place for a good few more years.
As for Suffolk, there are a few locations in East Anglia as a whole which have historical records (apart from the obvious fact that they almost certainly came over via the North Sea landbridge and thus, via East Anglia) - so it certainly counts as "historical range"!
Currently, we can't seem to get those in power enthused ...... but, perhaps, one day .....
Chris

Attended the release today at Ynyslas.  Couldn`t have wished for better weather conditions, and at least five of the newly released animals were spotted again, clambering through the Marram, tongue flicking and basking, to the extent that we moved away for fear of treading on them.

 

Went well, and spotted my ugly mug on the news afterwards.