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Tuesday March 19th 2024

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Reptiles & Amphibians

Reptiles

Both the Grass Snake and the Adder can be found in the parish; neither are common, but records of both appear most years. Grass Snakes are the more common, often found near garden ponds where they hunt for small fish, frogs or newts. Grass Snakes are harmless. Adder sightings seem to be limited to Berrow Hill, Collins Green or the Pudford ridge. Never common, they feed on voles, mice and small birds. Although they will bite, they normally move before they are seen.
The Slow Worm or Blind Worm  is a common legless lizard, feeding on most garden pests. A thriving colony can be seen in St. Peters churchyard and along the edge of fields in the St Peters estate area. There are no records of any other lizards being found in the parish.

MISSING FROG IMAGE

Amphibians

Common Frogs: are found at most of the damp locations in the parish and many garden ponds have a small population, often introduced.
Common Toads: as this amphibian is mainly nocturnal, it is often missed but it does exist in good numbers throughout the area. They rest up during the day in any old damp hole or crevasse, often favouring rockeries. Theyfeed on most garden pests, including young mice and fallen fledglings.

Common or Smooth Newts: are found in many of the older ponds during the breeding season, early spring, after this they can be found in any damp part of the garden, often under bricks. They are only found in water during their breeding cycle and are often confused with Lizards in summer. Like all amphibians, they hibernate during the winter.

Palmate Newtsdiffer from Common Newt, males by having webbed hind feet and a filament at the end of a truncated tail, while the females have no spots on the throat. They also spend a longer period in the water than Common Newts.

Great Crested Newts: These are the rarest of British Newts; there is only one proven colony in the Parish, but others may exist. Great Crested Newts are much larger than the other species, being almost twice as long. They also have a tendency to remain in the water throughout the year.

 

By kind permission of Brian Draper M.B E

2005