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Winter Walks

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Written by Paul Arestides, Transforming Lives Trainee

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Our reptiles and amphibians may be tucked away for the winter, but the month of December is a great time to explore our two public reserves in Peterborough. A cold, frosty morning walk or a leisurely afternoon stroll on a winters day is sometimes what’s needed, especially after the festivities!

Eye Green nature reserve is a 12 hectare site in the village of Eye Green in Cambridgeshire just outside Peterborough. It was originally part of the Northam Brickworks and was declared a nature reserve in 1996. The site has a long history very much connected to the local area. We manage the site for the benefit of our reptiles and amphibians and for the enjoyment of visitors throughout the year. A large lake dominates the reserve with an array of birds, visiting otters and other wildlife around the site.

Boardwalks, which runs along the river Nene, is a 7.8 hectare site owned by Peterborough City Council and Froglife help to look after the site for the benefit of not just reptiles and amphibians, but other wildlife visitors too. It makes for a perfect place to relax, walk along the various trails or go for a run.

Both reserves offer an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life and gives a chance to get closer to nature. 

 

 

 

Newt Year Honours 2025

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Do you know someone who does exceptional work for the UK’s reptiles and amphibians?

We would like to celebrate these special people, so Froglife’s Newt Year Honours is your chance to nominate someone who is a remarkable example of what ordinary people do to conserve our species. 

Please send the name of your nomination and why you are nominating them to: Ashlea.mawby@froglife.org by Wednesday 18th December 2024

Terms and Conditions:

  • Winners will be contacted in January 2025.
  • Full name and contact details of your nomination are required so certificates can be sent via email.
  • Please do not re-nominate those who won the award last year as we want to give everyone a fair chance. (You can re-nominate a previous winner 3 years after their certificate is issued).

World Kindness Day

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Written by Paul Arestides, Transforming Lives Trainee

On November 13th it’s World Kindness Day 2024, a global observance dedicated to celebrating and promoting acts of kindness. The day serves as a reminder of the positive impact that individuals can have through kindness in communities, and the world at large. It encourages people to perform intentional acts of kindness and foster a culture of compassion and generosity.

This is also a time when we can extend this kindness and compassion to wildlife, and show our love for all creatures. Why not do some of the following:

  1. Create a log pile in the garden or on the allotment. This is a fun exercise to do with all the family, gather up logs and stack them up to create a micro habitat for insects. This will then become a food source for hedgehogs, birds and and also shelter for frogs and toads.
  2. Organise a litter pick with friends, family or neighbours in your area. Not only will it enhance your park or street, you’ll be helping wildlife that can become entangled or even ingest any rubbish that has been thrown.
  3. Feed the birds – get those feeders full & ready for the colder months and watch the birds come into your garden, balcony or open space. Feeding birds continually throughout the year has helped urban populations. Due to loss of habitat and the needs to eat more in colder periods, our open spaces provide a haven for birds looking for food.
  4. Be kind to yourself and step outside, find a woodland or open space and feel nature around you. Whether it’s a lunch break or a weekend stroll, take the time to absorb what nature has to offer, it’s great for the mind and your general wellbeing.
  5. Build a pond – no better time than to add a pond to your garden or a water feature on a balcony, why not see if the local allotments would be happy for you to get people together and create a wild space? Pond creation is not only good for us it’s a huge benefit to wildlife like frogs, toads, newts and more. Find out how to create a pond here. 
  6. Think about planting a wildflower area. This could be a part of the garden or a pot on a window ledge. Planning now to sow directly in March and April, then see how you have benefitted pollinators for the summer months.

So, let’s all show kindness to each other and our amazing natural world for this coming World Kindness Day 2024.

What our animals are doing this month…

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Written by Emma Byrne, Transforming Lives Trainee. 

November is here, bringing with it shorter days and colder weather. However, it’s not all doom and gloom; it also marks the month of Bonfire night celebrations! Spectacular firework displays, children gleefully waving sparklers in the air, everyone wrapped up in warm coats enjoying burnt jacket potatoes and hot chocolates, whilst huddled round the campfire; there is much to look forward to!  

Wildlife are also beginning to feel the temperature drop and notice the shortening of daylight hours. Many mammals, such as hedgehogs and dormice, are now entering hibernation. Reptiles and amphibians on the other hand, don’t hibernate, but instead brumate.

Hibernation and brumation are both periods of dormancy where physiological processes decelerate in response to cold temperatures. Though closely related, hibernation and brumation still have marked differences, most notably the level of inactivity. During hibernation, mammals will fall into a deep sleep, where they don’t eat or drink. During brumation however, amphibians and reptiles still have periods of activity, when they take advantage of milder patches of weather to come out and forage.

One such amphibian is a Froglife favourite: the great crested newt. Throughout November, great crested newts will seek out shelter to over-winter in. This includes:

  • Old woodland
  • Scrub
  • Holes in the ground
  • Leaf and rock piles

How long they stay in the hibernacula depends on temperature. Newts usually emerge from brumation when temperatures reach over 5°C, so if it’s a little chillier than normal, they may take longer to appear. Great crested newts will continue to brumate until early spring.

Froglife wishes you a spectacular and safe Bonfire Night! If you choose to enjoy the dazzling displays and crackling bonfires in the comfort of your own garden, please remember to protect your garden wildlife. Ensure safety by setting up your bonfire pit away from compost heaps, and thoroughly checking for wildlife before lighting, as they will often use the heaps for shelter during hibernation and brumation.

You can find more tips on keeping wildlife safe during bonfire night here. 

Sand Lizards

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Written by Eve Goddard, Transforming Lives Trainee

Male sand lizard © Matt Wilson

Sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) are among the most fascinating reptiles found in the UK. Known for their striking appearance, males are particularly vibrant during the breeding season, sporting bright green flanks, while females and juveniles display a more muted brown and green palette, perfect for camouflage in their sandy habitats!

These lizards predominantly inhabit sandy heathlands and coastal dunes, making them an essential part of these fragile ecosystems. They thrive in warm, dry conditions where they can bask in the sun, which is crucial for their metabolic processes. Sand lizards feed on insects such as spiders, beetles, and ants. Their hunting technique involves a combination of stealth and quick strikes, demonstrating their agility and speed.

Mating typically occurs in spring, and females lay clutches of 5 to 12 eggs in the summer. These eggs are buried in loose sand, where they incubate for around 8 to 10 weeks. The hatchlings emerge in late summer, often facing a tough start as they must avoid numerous predators, including birds and larger reptiles.

Despite their resilience, sand lizards face significant threats in the UK. Habitat loss due to urban development, agricultural expansion, and changes in land use have severely impacted their populations. Additionally, climate change poses a further risk by altering the delicate ecosystems they depend on. Burgeoning deer populations also pose a threat due to the rise in the number of ticks. In their early growth stages, ticks feed on sand lizards. A large infestation of ticks can be detrimental for a sand lizard with a compromised immune system or when trying to build strength and size for the winter hibernation.

© Jim Coatsworth

Conservation efforts are critical to ensuring their survival, with various organizations actively working to protect and restore their habitats. Designated sites like nature reserves play a vital role in providing safe environments for these reptiles to thrive.

In recent years, reintroduction projects have also been implemented in areas where sand lizards have vanished. These initiatives aim to bolster existing populations and restore genetic diversity.

How can you help sand lizard conservation? Well, knowledge is power in conservation! If you spot a sand lizard, record your findings on our Dragon Finder App to help us to continue to monitor existing populations and contribute to nationwide conservation efforts.

Croaking Science – a ‘new’ species of leech predating amphibians

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Written by Andrew Smart, Head of Science & Research

Lawson, B. et al , 2024. Predation of anurans in southern England by Batracobdella algira, a leech previously unknown in the UK. Herpetological Journal. 34 221-227

Leeches are often identified as potential predators of the various life stages of amphibians and in the case of frogs and toads, four native species of leech have been identified as feeding on blood and one leech, Haempois sanguisuga, (the horse leech) are know to be predatory on froglets and toadlets.

Reports of leech infestation on a common toad in 2020 led the authors of this recently published paper to explore the occurrence of leech predation on anurans more widely.  A call for Citizen Scientists to report sightings led to 41 new records between 2020 and 2023.  The authors undertook a detailed review of the species involved, either through morphological or genetic identification, and found that in 2 of the 9 cases identified, the species was Placobdella costata, while in the remaining 7 of the 9 records where leeches were identified to species, the species was Batracobdella algira, a species previously unrecorded in the UK.

Dorsal and ventral view of Placobdella costata

The genotype of the animals collected corresponds with that of individuals from Tunisia and, along with a localised distribution in the south and south west, this suggests the possibility that it is a non-native invasive species. The authors suggest that possible routes of ‘invasion’ include release through animal or plant trade or natural long distance dispersal by birds.

Two other publications from 2016[1] and 2018[2] highlight the link between this leech species and cave salamanders in Sardinia, which suggest that the leech could parasitise newt species. The leech has been recorded on painted frog (Discoglossus pictus) and marsh frog ( Pelopphylax ridibundus) [3] in Morocco and has also be found to parasitize Bufo spiniosus in Tunisia[4] and Algeria[5], a possible pre-adaptation for parasitism of Bufo bufo in the UK.

There is no evidence of the leech being a problem for amphibians within its natural range but it will certainly be worth toad patrols and amphibian surveyors looking out for any new records of leech predation this coming breeding season and notifying the Garden Wildlife Health Project at ZSL of any new records.

References

Click to read more...

[1] Manenti, R., Lunghi, E., Canedoli, C., Bonaccorsi, M. and Ficetola, G., 2016. Parasitism of the leech, Batracobdella algira (Moquin-Tandon, 1846), on Sardinian cave salamanders (genus Hydromantes)(Caudata: plethodontidae). Herpetozoa, 29(1-2), pp.27-35.

[2] Lunghi, E., Ficetola, G.F., Mulargia, M., Cogoni, R., Veith, M., Corti, C. and Manenti, R., 2018. Batracobdella leeches, environmental features and Hydromantes salamanders. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, 7(1), pp.48-53.

[3] Mabrouki, Y., Ahmed, R.B., Taybi, A.F. and Rueda, J., 2019. An annotated checklist of the leech (Annelida: Hirudinida) species of the Moulouya River basin, Morocco, with several new distribution records and a historical overview. African Zoology, 54(4), pp.199-214.

[4] Hassine, J.B. and Escoriza, D.., 2014. Bufo spinosus in Tunisia: new data on occurrence, parasitism and tadpole morphology. Herpetol. Bull, 127, p.22.

[5] Merabet, K.. and Karar, M., 2021. First cases of predation of Bufo spinosus by two leech species in Algeria. The Herpetological Bulletin, 156(156), pp.38-39.

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