Do covers used for surveying benefit reptiles?

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And slow worms too, on most sites they would remain totally undetected without felts. 
Oddly though we have discussed grass snake populations being affected by using felts, it is also a species due it it's mobility and hence often low density at a given site that might go undetected too! Particularly at some industrial sites where though they are present, they are moving through the area or foraging but not strictly 'resident'. We still need to know that though to be able to cater for them during mitigation projects and not close down important habitat corridors etc.

Edited by GemmaJF - 28 Feb 2013 at 4:23pm

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GemmaJF Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 Location: Essex Status: Offline Points: 4359	Post Options Post Reply Quote GemmaJF Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 28 Feb 2013 at 4:21pm
	And slow worms too, on most sites they would remain totally undetected without felts. Oddly though we have discussed grass snake populations being affected by using felts, it is also a species due it it's mobility and hence often low density at a given site that might go undetected too! Particularly at some industrial sites where though they are present, they are moving through the area or foraging but not strictly 'resident'. We still need to know that though to be able to cater for them during mitigation projects and not close down important habitat corridors etc. Edited by GemmaJF - 28 Feb 2013 at 4:23pm

Robert V Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1264	Post Options Post Reply Quote Robert V Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 28 Feb 2013 at 6:33pm
	I do agree with you Gemma, that felts are certainly a practical way to allowing an insight into the species present, especially on some of the industrial sites as you say, but, like Suzy I was thinking more in the long term where group study is undertaking by repeated use of felts for prolonged periods. This defeats the object, because if snakes are moving through a site to gain access to a second further site, any favourable habitat found along the way (felt tin) can (in the case of Grass Snakes) become the "new" home range base, which wasn't (I assume) the point of study anyhow. Its complex I know, and I'm not sure that it would matter too much with slow worms, as they wouldn't travel that far, but its one more thing to think about if assuming high numbers are resident when the populations locally could be much lower in density. R
	RobV

GemmaJF Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 Location: Essex Status: Offline Points: 4359	Post Options Post Reply Quote GemmaJF Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 28 Feb 2013 at 8:09pm
	Yep I think we totally agree Rob. I remember a few years back now taking over a mitigation site. They had felts down for well over a year for survey. They then placed more down for the mitigation. When I first saw the site, there were hundreds of felts out. Yet no exclusion fencing, this was to be added before the capture works. You can imagine it took months of constant work to even see a significant reduction in capture rates. And this was done by so called professionals! So I've no doubt putting a lot of felts on a site usually transited by grass snakes could easily attract them to stay and concentrate there. It's a good topic and hopefully might lead people to think a little more about long term felt deployment and the pros and cons.