RAUK - Archived Forum - Posts by Robs adders:

Hi

 I have been directed to this forum buy a friend of mine to ask for some opinions and answers to a few questions.

I am a keen (amateur) wildlife photographer  who has been studying a colony of wild adders for the last 5 years but there is one particular area I regularly visit that has some very unusual black lizards!!  On  my first encounter with one I thought I had just found a one off melanistic lizard but over most of 2007 every time I searched this area I found up to 5 different individuals, the most I counted in a day was 9 all in a area of about 3 acres!! Could this be a sub species of or common Lizard??  Or has the melanistic gene just been spread in one area. I have thought that they may be doing better doing better than the ordinary common lizards in this area as there main predators would be the snakes and the black lizards would warm up quicker than the regular ones!! Giving them the edge and the opportunity to escape predation earlier in the day!!

Here are some pics of them I have lots and lots of pics of them if any one is interested I will post more pics.

Regards Rob

some Common Lizard pics from 2007pics from 2007

Hi i am a new member

 I have been directed to this forum buy a friend of mine to ask for some opinions and answers to a few questions.

I am a keen (amateur) wildlife photographer  who has been studying a colony of wild adders for the last 5 years but there is one particular area I regularly visit that has some very unusual black lizards!!  On  my first encounter with one I thought I had just found a one off melanistic lizard but over most of 2007 every time I searched this area I found up to 5 different individuals, the most I counted in a day was 9 all in a area of about 3 acres!! Could this be a sub species of or common Lizard??  Or has the melanistic gene just been spread in one area. I have thought that they may be doing better doing better than the ordinary common lizards in this area as there main predators would be the snakes and the black lizards would warm up quicker than the regular ones!! Giving them the edge and the opportunity to escape predation earlier in the day!!

Here are some pics of them I have lots and lots of pics of them if any one is interested I will post more pics.

Regards Rob

Another shot of one of the black ones and a normal one!!

Hi

I am a keen (amateur) wildlife photographer  who has been studying a colony of wild adders for the last 5 years here are a few shots taken last year some shots of them fighting mating and hunting i have lots more shots ! i will try putting the pics on individualy as they seem to take a long time to upload!!

Regards Rob from Bristol

Hi will

 thanks for your response cool pic !! It is interesting I wonder what percentage of the UK population are melanistic lizards and how wide spread they are??

HI

This could be the same area ! as the area i am refering to is on the mendips.

Hi

May be it isnt the same area there is a pond not to far away but the area i am in has no walls just really long grass that never gets grazed by farm livestock. I would be pleased to talk with anyone working that area.

regards Rob

hi Vicar

These are definatly not juveniles they are as big if not a little bigger than the adult regular ones not sure about being able to sex them as I have not got that close to look at their underside i use a big zoom 500mm and my working distance is usually about 8-9 feet away!!

Regards Rob

This is a shot of them mating in 2004 (22^nd April) if you look closely you can see they are joined. I watched them for over 2 hours on this particular day there were several males around one female, some of the males were fighting I have only seen this a few times amazing to watch. As for recording numbers it always varies from each visit but In my area I usual see 6 û 7 females and similar numbers of males there are several hot spots were I see the same female basking in the sun depends on time of day weather and time of year as to how active they are I always see the females first each year, then they just seem to disappear. I start seeing the odd male and then around 10^th April both sexes are about. I will start taking a few notes this year.

This is a shot of them mating in 2004 (22^nd April) if you look closely you can see they are joined. I watched them for over 2 hours on this particular day there were several males around one female, some of the males were fighting I have only seen this a few times amazing to watch. As for recording numbers it always varies from each visit but In my area I usual see 6 û 7 females and similar numbers of males there are several hot spots were I see the same female basking in the sun depends on time of day weather and time of year as to how active they are I always see the females first each year, then they just seem to disappear. I start seeing the odd male and then around 10^th April both sexes are about. I will start taking a few notes this year.

i have a few crap pics of the males fighting my mission this year is to get some good shots of this !!!

Hi Rob

I usually use a D200 with a sigma 50-500 lens as this gives me a good working distance so I donÆt disturb them a mono pod helps! the 50 -500 allows me to zoom in and out to find the target without me moving around to much I just sit very still its surprising how they will start to ignore you when they are sure you are not a threat.

Regards Rob