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The highest number of slowworms...: |
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herpetologic2 Senior Member Joined: 15 Jun 2004 No. of posts: 1369  View other posts by herpetologic2 |
Posted: 24 Aug 2009 Found in a survey? I have been surveying my local churchyard over this summer. I have placed originally 10 pieces of felt (50cm x 50cm) and now have 20 pieces of felt in an area of the churchyard which is roughly 0.07Ha or 700m2. My highest count in one visit has been 109! The animals were mixed ages both male and female adults plus young and I think new born as well. At the weekend John Baker accompanied me and we found 85 slow worms with the highest number under one felt to be 15 or near about. How big is the population? I calculate from the survey counts that the density of the slow-worms is effectively 1500+ per Ha What's the highest slow-worm count has people found in their surveys? 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: 30 Apr 2010 i have always found local churchyards great places for A FRAGILIS here in stroud. im afraid i cant quote numbers and havent trapped them but have found the species regularily in these places since i was a boy (im now 44). in old, long-unvisited-by-relatives boneyards, the grass is normally cut only once a year in summer and the cavities beneath old monuments provide ideal refugia during winter. ideal circumstances of course - providing the sunlight is conducive. yours was a big "haul" by any standard. it must have been a real thrill to see so many. its always impressive to see multiple specimens of any animal eh? if you pull the grass immediately adjacent to upright gravestones aside (when its got a good amount of growth), you can often find slow-worms tucked in there. maybe the sun-warmed stone is an attraction with the grass affording cover as a bonus. dunno. on occasion ive found "nests" with the gold or silvery young this way too. in the stroud valleys at least, you can also often find z vivipara and v berus in these Hammer Horror film-type locations. easy to spot basking on or beside the stones etc long LIVE the cemeteries of the dead. hope this is of interest and sorry i cant give any numbers, all the best, ben Diversity. |
- The highest number of slowworms... |