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measuring slow worms: |
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G Bellamy Member Joined: 22 Mar 2010 No. of posts: 1  View other posts by G Bellamy |
Posted: 22 Mar 2010 Has anyone advice on methods used for measuring slow worms? was thinking of employing clear plastic tube. Graham |
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herpetologic2 Senior Member Joined: 15 Jun 2004 No. of posts: 1369  View other posts by herpetologic2 |
Posted: 22 Mar 2010 The way I have seen slowworms being measured was with Nick Smith - he used a ruler and held the animal gripping the head (along the neck) and then holding the animal lower down near the cloaca - Cooling the animal would help as warm animals will thrash about and probably would lose their tails. J Vice Chair of ARG UK - self employed consultant - visit ARG UK & Alresford Wildlife |
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Suzi Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 No. of posts: 860 View other posts by Suzi |
Posted: 22 Mar 2010 What about holding a length of string along the slow worm. Not 100% accurate I guess but perhaps not very stressful. Suz |
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herpetologic2 Senior Member Joined: 15 Jun 2004 No. of posts: 1369 View other posts by herpetologic2 |
Posted: 29 Mar 2010 Thats the thing you need to stretch the animals to get an accurate length measurement - without holding the animal there would be an error of 1cm+ J Vice Chair of ARG UK - self employed consultant - visit ARG UK & Alresford Wildlife |
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will Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 330 View other posts by will |
Posted: 07 Apr 2010 In the field, you can 'tube' them in clear plastic, but I often use a ruler for scale, and 'measure at leisure' using digital photos and computer screen, by tracing thin wire along the midline of the dorsal surface. It's less stressful to the animal, too. This method gave a length of 460mm plus minus 10mm for the big male below:   |
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herpetologic2 Senior Member Joined: 15 Jun 2004 No. of posts: 1369 View other posts by herpetologic2 |
Posted: 07 Apr 2010 Was that total length? It maybe a little harder if you are measuring just snout vent length - for quick measurements it is often easier to place the animal along the ruler and take the measurement off that to the best of your ability - use an error margin of +/- 10mm - or if you are inclined to like Nick did stretch the animals out (carefully of course) to iron out the error to +/- 1-2mm. Combined with weight it is a good measurement of health - an index of health I will be processing the slow-worms in my local churchyard this year - though I may only do say 25 each visit - it will take me a while with a density of 1200 per hectare lol! Vice Chair of ARG UK - self employed consultant - visit ARG UK & Alresford Wildlife |
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will Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 330 View other posts by will |
Posted: 07 Apr 2010 total length Jon; his unbroken tail being well over half the length. I haven't measured the svl precisely. As you know it's remarkable for an old male to have an intact tail, making him so long overall. Good luck with your churchyard population. |
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herpetologic2 Senior Member Joined: 15 Jun 2004 No. of posts: 1369 View other posts by herpetologic2 |
Posted: 12 Apr 2010 We had a large male in Surrey whose SVL was 256mm A pretty large slowworm - probably the largest known one for a long time according to Nick Smith Can anyone beat that SVL? Jon Vice Chair of ARG UK - self employed consultant - visit ARG UK & Alresford Wildlife |
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ben rigsby Senior Member Joined: 27 Apr 2010 No. of posts: 337 View other posts by ben rigsby |
Posted: 06 Jun 2010 wow! great find. hes massive. ben Diversity. |
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armata Forum Specialist Joined: 05 Apr 2006 No. of posts: 928 View other posts by armata |
Posted: 09 Jun 2010 The ones I found at Steep Holm in the Bristol Channel were larger; hav'nt got the details but they went to Nick Arnold at the NM. If you are near the office; photocopy the slow worm/small snake then measure with string. 'I get my kicks on Route 62' |
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herpetologic2 Senior Member Joined: 15 Jun 2004 No. of posts: 1369 View other posts by herpetologic2 |
Posted: 09 Jun 2010 Yep he wasn't as large as the slow-worms in Steep Holm - though he was the biggest Nick Smith had ever seen J Vice Chair of ARG UK - self employed consultant - visit ARG UK & Alresford Wildlife |
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David Bird Forum Specialist Joined: 17 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 515 View other posts by David Bird |
Posted: 10 Jun 2010 This software may be useful for measuring snakes or Anguids from digital photos. http://www.vipersgarden.at/ click on link dated 13.06.2009 or another at http://www.serpwidgets.com/Apps/measure.html British Herpetological Society Librarian and member of B.H.S Conservation Committee. Self employed Herpetological Consultant and Field Worker. |
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ben rigsby Senior Member Joined: 27 Apr 2010 No. of posts: 337 View other posts by ben rigsby |
Posted: 10 Jun 2010 id love to see a pic of a "steep holm anaconda". Diversity. |
- measuring slow worms |