31-Aug August's Reptiles and Amphibians: A World of Minatures

Summary

August is a magical time to witness the emergence of a new generation of reptiles and amphibians. From the venomous young of the adder to the shimmering, metallic offspring of the slow worm, the undergrowth is teeming with miniature versions of their parents. This is the month to catch a glimpse of these elusive creatures, basking in the sun after a summer rain or venturing out on their own for the first time. Learn to distinguish between the adder's cat-like eye and the grass snake's circular pupil, and discover the surprising truth about the much-misunderstood slow worm. We'll also explore the world of young amphibians, from frogs and newts to the rare great crested newt.

Return on August 31st to read the full article!

Article

Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish

August is the best possible time of year to see young reptiles. Last month grass snakes and lizards gave birth and this month it is adders and slowworms. Any large adders seen are likely to be gravid females about to give birth. A good time to see them is just after rain on a warm day which is their favourite time to bask. Unlike most snakes, adders give birth to live young which look like miniature adults and although only 15 cms. long are already venomous. They are most often accidentally encountered when we move a piece of corrugated metal left on a dry heath. Another place they gravitate close to is the charred remains of any recent fire. They seem to avoid rain and move to more mossy areas if it is either too hot or too cold. If you are lucky enough and safe enough to see an adder closely, look for the copper red eye with its vertical cat-like pupil so unlike that of the grass snake which has a yellow eye with a circular pupil. Adder families seem to have a preference for living in dry stone walls. Sometimes a set of small heads can be seen peeping out among the stones, all turning in unison as you walk by.

31-Aug August's Reptiles and Amphibians: A World of Minatures Section Image

31-Aug August's Reptiles and Amphibians: A World of Minatures Section Image

Fortunately, grass snakes seem to rarely be found dead on our roads. It is thought they have a dislike of crossing dry, bare ground which would certainly make them more vulnerable to predators. Adders, on the contrary, are perfectly happy to cross roads, but we tend not to see them as they have become so rare. Lizards are now regularly returning to their favourite basking spots. They also have favourite ‘runs’ where they chase and catch insects and then carefully wipe their mouths afterwards.

31-Aug August's Reptiles and Amphibians: A World of Minatures Section Image

31-Aug August's Reptiles and Amphibians: A World of Minatures Section Image

Slow worms are also now giving birth to their small, shiny, metallic, gold and black young which look a little like elvers. At first they prefer to hide away in damp leaf litter, compared with their parents who may well be basking on dry slopes near ant nests or on railway embankments. They are greatly misunderstood, being also called blind worms, when both names are in no way accurate. Although they choose to move slowly and rarely appear to be in a hurry, they are quite capable of moving quickly, as anyone knows who has handled one. They are also not blind but have small, inconspicuous eyes with orange irises.

31-Aug August's Reptiles and Amphibians: A World of Minatures Section Image

31-Aug August's Reptiles and Amphibians: A World of Minatures Section Image

They do however have a habit of closing their eyes when they are basking, possibly giving the impression of blindness. Neither are they worms but they are legless lizards. Although harmless, they were also believed to be poisonous, even the witches in Macbeth adding a non-existent blindworm sting to their cauldron. Even the fairies in Midsummer Night’s Dream were afraid of them. They were at one time called ‘deaf adders’ which is equally unfair as they are not poisonous like adders and just possess very inconspicuous ears. The truth is they are completely harmless and even when handled rarely attempt anything more than a half-hearted bite. They could not be a better friend to man, having a preference for slugs and feeding on them from the moment they are born. They are also surprisingly long-lived, some having lived for fifty years or more in captivity.

31-Aug August's Reptiles and Amphibians: A World of Minatures Section Image

31-Aug August's Reptiles and Amphibians: A World of Minatures Section Image

Amphibians

31-Aug August's Reptiles and Amphibians: A World of Minatures Section Image

31-Aug August's Reptiles and Amphibians: A World of Minatures Section Image

Although young frogs have already left ponds and are now searching for small insects, it is only now that young newts join them. They tend to be darker than they were in water and their skin is drier, helping their camouflage. They are now likely to be in wet grass searching for small slugs. When they eat a slug they seem to yawn for a moment. The Enfield area is a good place to see young amphibians as there are so many ponds there compared with other central boroughs where they have been removed. Any toads seen have the habit of swelling immediately to deter any further investigation. Marsh frogs can still be heard calling loudly on Rainham marshes.

Young great crested newts are unlikely to be seen due to their rarity. Because of this, they are protected by law and it is illegal to even handle them without a licence or disturb in any way their breeding ponds. However, once the efts have left the water they have a habit of wandering into suburban gardens. Hence they are unwittingly disturbed when logs or stones are moved. When revealed they often roll over, showing their orange undersides and play dead, only to revive a few seconds later and run off. Their tadpoles, when seen in water, are instantly recognisable by their large size, long forelegs, long toes and black freckled fins.

31-Aug August's Reptiles and Amphibians: A World of Minatures Section Image

31-Aug August's Reptiles and Amphibians: A World of Minatures Section Image

On land their skin tends to be darker, more velvety, but still remains moist. It will be four more years before the males develops their full ‘dragon’ colours. When alarmed upon discovery, they are said by some authors to emit a scent of “bruised poppyheads”. Their strongholds in London are the weedy ponds of Bromley and Havering, although they do turn up in many gardens around Epping Forest.

31-Aug August's Reptiles and Amphibians: A World of Minatures Section Image

31-Aug August's Reptiles and Amphibians: A World of Minatures Section Image

Fish

August is a time when shoals of fish fry or ‘silvers’ are seen slowly gliding together at the edges of lakes and rivers. Unlike birds, which hardly change their position with respect to each other when flying together, fish constantly change direction as they swim together. This means that if a predator targets a particular fish it disappears instantly, only to be replaced by another one in a slightly different position. If the predator decides to lunge at the whole shoal it scatters radially, making any potential strike even less likely.

31-Aug August's Reptiles and Amphibians: A World of Minatures Section Image

31-Aug August's Reptiles and Amphibians: A World of Minatures Section Image

Fish now seen in shoals include perch, bream, sticklebacks and even large carp. Shallow areas near river banks are preferred by gudgeon and minnow. Roach, dace and perch seem to prefer more open areas with chub usually preferring some shade beneath trees. Perch schools may be as little as twenty or as many as three hundred. Other fish that may also be seen aggregating at this time of year are stone loach and possibly bullhead. The river Lea at Hackney marsh and the mouth of the river Wandle as it meets the Thames are two good places to look for fish.

31-Aug August's Reptiles and Amphibians: A World of Minatures Section Image

31-Aug August's Reptiles and Amphibians: A World of Minatures Section Image