What our animals are up to this month… July 2019 edition
In the amphibian world, newts may be seen during a period of transition in July. Some adult newts may still be present in ponds during this time, while others may be moving to terrestrial areas. Developing larvae will be exclusively in freshwater habitats until reaching metamorphosis.
In the reptile world, this is an important month for our slow-worms. Female slow-worms will be gravid and carrying developing young inside their bodies from July – September. Slow-worms bask even more than usual during this period in order to help along the development of young inside their bodies and may be found under objects that heat up from the sun’s energy. But with the strong need to bask, we may also see our legless lizards out in the open, using roads or paths to gain more warmth. Females carrying developing young will appear larger than your average slow-worm with young slow-worms being live-birthed in August to mid-September. The gold or silver juveniles, measuring only 4cm long, will break through their egg membrane and remain active until temperatures lower in the autumn.
To find out more about our species, click here.
Remember to record your sightings on our free Dragon Finder app.
