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North Yorkshire Adders w015 |
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slippery42
Senior Member Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 57 |
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Gemma Not anyone here but a few on facebook sent messages relating to disturbance and believe it or not some questioned my observations in early February. I am getting too long in the tooth to put up with some people. |
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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Lovely adder shots.
Had to laugh...Yorkshire....February...too hot by 10am. |
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Suz
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Chris Monk
Senior Member Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 282 |
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The adders are much more hardy up north and come out much earlier than the books suggest. Our earliest sightings since we started doing surveys on the moors are virtually all in mid February and these are from different sites across the moors, so not always the same hibernation site or even individual animal. That said there are some sites that are always early and the adders there can be out a good couple of weeks before any emerge at other sites.
The weather statistics are from my garden weather station at an elevation of 300 metres which is a comparable height to large parts of the moors where the adders are, though the first ones seen this year are at about 375 metres. But I am on the White Peak plateau about 20kms south of the Dark Peak moors and the weather on the moors is always much, much worse. |
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Derbyshire Amphibian & Reptile Group www.derbyshirearg.co.uk |
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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Very interesting figures Chris.
If I've got this right - the coldest Feb (2010) had latest adder sighting. Warmest Feb
(2007) had earliest sighting. For seven years adders were first seen out within
the same period of three days. Once maximum monthly average temp. above 5.2 then adders out
very much earlier – up to three weeks. Possibly lying snow is not much of a
factor against emergence when the temperatures are suitable. This goes back to Calebs graph and theory of temp. gradient. With my slow worms I think that once you get past mid Feb, although the nights can still be bitter the temps will rise above zero during the daytime. Similarly the ponds might freeze at night but will now thaw in the daytime. Snakes and lizards can venture forth and then go to ground at night, but they will not have to burrow down to great depths again as the ground is warming up. It would be good to know how early adders on sea cliffs emerge, as frost must be rare and snow more or less unheard of. |
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Suz
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GemmaJF
Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 Location: Essex Status: Offline Points: 4359 |
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The figures compare well with records from Essex of first emergence - for several years we would get the first sightings on Valentine's day Feb 14. So perhaps indicating much less regional variation than might be expected.
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slippery42
Senior Member Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 57 |
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My north yorkshire moor sites were 6-8th February this year. |
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Ben W
Member Joined: 11 Feb 2011 Location: Midlands Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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Yesterday there were Adders out in Derbyshire as early as 9.40am with an air temperature of 3 decrees (according to the car) and significant wind chill which felt nearer freezing blowing onto the slope they were out on, which was receiving weak sunshine. A little later I observed one individual travel at least 6 meters in similar conditions, it was on the move when I came across it and may have already travelled a significant distance. This did surprise me as I would have expected it to be laying out adjacent to it hibernaculum this early in the year. On other occasions I have come across them laying out in cold, damp early morning mist.
They are astonishing, as when I was growing in Essex up from what I read, I believed they would only be seen out on hot summer days...no wonder I never found any! I have attached a picture of a beautifully camoflaged male from yesterday. |
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GemmaJF
Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 Location: Essex Status: Offline Points: 4359 |
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He won't be so well camouflaged in a couple of weeks
They are amazing, the slightest hint of warmth at this time of year gets me out looking and I too have seen them lying out on damp misty mornings, reading the books one would never expect to encounter them in such conditions.
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