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Autumn

What our animals are doing this month…

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September: A Key Month for the Adder

As summer draws to a close, September marks a turning point for one of the UK’s most fascinating native reptiles, the adder (Vipera berus). This month brings a shift in their behaviour, with individuals beginning the journey back to their overwintering sites, where they’ll eventually spend the colder months in hibernation.

Heading Home for Winter

From September onwards, adders start moving towards their overwintering locations, places they often return to year after year. These hibernation spots, known as hibernacula, are usually sunny, south-facing embankments that provide shelter from frosts, rain, and predators. Common examples include old mammal burrows, hollow tree stumps, root systems, tussocks, rockeries, and even piles of dead wood.

Once near these sites, the snakes can still be spotted basking in the sun well into late October, only retreating fully when the weather makes it necessary.

September: Prime Adder-Spotting Season

For wildlife enthusiasts, early autumn can be a fantastic time to see adders in the wild. As the days cool, they tend to spend more time basking in open areas during sunny spells. This behaviour helps them regulate their body temperature before the long winter ahead.

Adders are relatively easy to identify thanks to their distinctive features: a bold dark zig-zag pattern along their back, a red iris with a vertical pupil, and an average length of 60–80cm.

Sun-Lovers with a Safety Plan

Even as temperatures drop, adders will bask in surprisingly cool weather, provided the sun is shining. However, they’re careful about where they choose to do it. Ideal basking spots offer both warmth and safety, with sunny exposure and long vegetation nearby, often about the length of the snake’s own body, providing quick cover if a predator passes by.

A Seasonal Spectacle

September’s combination of cooler temperatures and bursts of autumn sunshine makes it one of the best times to appreciate this often-misunderstood reptile. Whether you’re a seasoned wildlife watcher or just enjoy a walk in nature, keeping an eye out for the adder can be a rewarding experience, just remember to observe from a respectful distance, for both your safety and theirs.

And don’t forget, if you spot any reptiles, amphibians, or even their eggs, make sure to record your sightings on our FREE Dragon Finder App.

Your observations help us track populations and protect the habitats of these wonderful wild creatures.

What our animals are doing this month

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Written by Nathan Gardner, Transforming Lives Trainee

The warm summer days have faded as we reach October, which means that our native amphibians and reptiles have one thing on their mind: starting brumation. This process differs to that of the mammalian hibernation in that rather than a sustained period without bodily functions such as eating, drinking, or defecating, amphibians and reptiles will occasionally leave their hides in order to drink – which is important in regulating their bodily fluid levels – and perhaps bask in the sun on warmer days.

Most amphibians and reptiles are referred to as ‘ectothermic’, meaning they cannot generate their own body heat. Instead, they rely on their surrounding environments to warm and cool themselves, regulating their blood flow. Winter, of course, poses quite the issue for these critters, and they must seek refuge to buffer themselves from the harsh cold. It is important for amphibians to locate a hide that is moist, such as compost heaps or abandoned mammal burrows, as they have permeable skin as a means of absorbing water and oxygen. Reptiles have a more robust respiratory system, and thus can survive in drier conditions such as deadwood or leaf litter.

Here are a few suggested steps you can take in your own garden to help amphibians and reptiles have a successful brumation:

  • Leave mounds of loose soil and piles of dead leaves or compost in the garden corners.
  • Avoid disturbing these areas and withhold as much garden maintenance as possible.
  • Leave small bowls of water beside these areas regularly; amphibians will need to soak, and reptiles will need to drink.
  • Try building your own hibernaculum; a specialized hide consisting of logs, stones, and soil.

It is crucial that any amphibians or reptiles you invite into your garden feel safe and provided for. Let your grass grow and do your best not to disturb any dark, moist patches or corners. Please click here for more information. 

What our animals are doing this month…

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Slow worms in the UK will spend autumn preparing for hibernation, foraging and feeding on slow-moving prey such as slugs. They will hibernate between November and March, but further North, slow worms will have retreated to their hibernation sites in mid-October. Keep an eye out incase you see any before they hibernate!

Slow worms are a type of legless lizard and are often mistaken for snakes.  However, unlike snakes they can blink as they have eyelids! They have a flat, forked tongue alongside the ability to drop their tails if attacked by predators. Slow worms are widespread throughout Britain but are absent from Ireland.

They can grow up to 40cm in length with males having larger heads and are usually shades of light to dark brown. Females have dark flanks and they can sometimes have a dorsal line along their body.

Always remember to record your amphibian and reptile sightings on our FREE Dragon Finder app. All of the data collected is sent to the National Biodiversity Network Atlas. You can download the app here.

What our animals are doing this month…

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As we head into October and autumn our amphibians are finding places where they can overwinter.

The common toad will have spent most of the summer in its terrestrial phase where they have left their ponds in search of food. During daylight hours, they will have remained hidden under logs, stones, or leaf litter and will only appear at dusk and after dark to forage.

They typically move between 50-500m away from their ponds for foraging and their usual tactic is to sit and wait for food items to pass by. However, when autumn arrives, our common toad will return to areas near to their breeding pond (common toads always return to the breeding ponds where they were born). Before reaching the pond, they will find somewhere nearby to overwinter, this could be a hibernaculum, rockery, a hole in the ground or even a wall. Here they will stay to keep warm in the colder months.

The common frog is similar to the common toad wherein they will also begin overwintering in similar sites in October and November. Timing depends on location, altitude, and average daily temperature. Most common frogs do not emerge until February, however, on occasion the common frog is seen in mid-winter when weather conditions are milder.

The natterjack toad starts to disappear and overwinter a little later than the common toad and common frog, with it disappearing in late October to overwinter from November onwards. Where they choose to hibernate is still a bit of a mystery! but it could well be in sand dunes, in log or rock piles or mammal burrows.

 

Always remember to record your amphibian and reptile sightings on our FREE Dragon Finder app. All of the data collected is sent to the National Biodiversity Network Atlas. You can download the app here.

What our animals are doing this month…

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In the UK we have three native species of snake: the adder, grass snake and smooth snake. 

Adders can be up to 80cm in length and have a rather ‘stocky’ body. They are very distinct and can be identified by their zigzag pattern down the centre of their back and either a ’V’ or ’X’ marking on their head. They also have a vertical pupil and red iris. Grass snakes on the other hand, can be up to 150cm long! They are a grey-green colour with a yellow and black collar and dark bars along the side of their body. Grass snake’s eyes also have a circular pupil.

Adders have a very distinctive ‘X’ or ‘Y’ shape on the tops of their heads

Grass snakes are the UK’s only egg-laying snake (grass snakes are not often found in Scotland and are mainly further south in Dumfries and Galloway), and they will have already laid their eggs in June/July with the eggs hatching in late August/early September. From September onwards as we head into Autumn, grass snakes will be preparing for winter, hunting for amphibians or fish in ponds, canals, and reservoirs. However, the adder will be giving birth to live young in August/September. Litters can range from three to twenty and the young will stay with their mother for a few days before fending for themselves. Adders like to spend their time in undisturbed habitats such as moorland, heathland, and woodland. 

The smooth snake is the UK’s rarest reptile and is only found on the heathlands of Dorset, Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex. Their name comes from the fact the scales are smooth and flat, unlike the Grass Snake’s and Adder’s scales which have a ridge down the middle. They are a shy, secretive snake.

Female smooth snakes incubate their eggs internally and ‘give birth’ to 4-15 live young around September. The rest of the year is spent hunting for lizards, rodents and sometimes invertebrates; prey is subdued by constriction. Smooth snakes tend to bask entwined in heather, where they are well camouflaged, or under other objects. 

Smooth snake. Credit: Matt Wilson

 

Have you seen a snake near you? Are you able to identify it using the identification features above (we would be particularly interested in any sightings of grass snakes in Scotland)?

Make sure to record it on our Dragon Finder App, available for free on Android and Apple devices. You can download it here. All of the data collected is shared with the National Biodiversity Network and is available to view on their atlas here.

Autumn Advice for Amphibians & Reptiles

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As the days begin to shorten and night time temperatures fall, amphibians and reptiles will start to look for places to spend the winter. Amphibians, such as common toads, frogs and newts will seek out secluded places to spend the colder months. They will often enter gardens and find their way into piles of leaves, loose soil, areas of long grass and other dense scrub or vegetation. Amphibians will commonly enter gardens in the autumn even if there is not a pond nearby. Most species will move several hundred metres from their breeding ponds in search of suitable terrestrial habitats. Therefore, if you come across an amphibian whilst tidying up your garden in the autumn, do not be concerned.

Loose soil is ideal for common toads, frogs and newts which will bury themselves up to a depth of 30 cm beneath the surface.

By early October most of our reptile species will have entered their winter hibernation. The majority of the UKs reptile species will have favoured hibernating sites but some, particularly slow-worms, common lizards and grass snakes, will make use of piles of dead logs, leaves or compost for the winter. It is important that reptiles are not disturbed during their hibernation period since it takes them longer to recover if they have to become active.

Long grass and dense scrub is ideal for hibernating common lizards.

 Here are some actions you can take this autumn to help amphibians and reptiles in your garden:

  • Leave piles of leaves in a secluded area of your garden for amphibians, grass snakes and slow-worms to seek refuge and hibernate.
  • Avoid burning and disturbing piles of dead leaves and other vegetation – these are ideal habitat for amphibians and reptiles to spend the winter months.
  • Provide areas of loose soil which amphibians will bury into and spend the winter. Being able to bury beneath the frost zone is important for their winter survival.
  • Leave some dense long grass or shrubs in your garden for amphibians and common lizards to seek refuge.
  • Loose paving slabs and wooden boards are ideal for amphibians – leave these on top of loose soil to provide the best habitat.
  • Avoid too much tidying up of your garden – some wilder areas will provide very suitable habitats for amphibians and reptiles.
  • Try building a hibernacula: pile up logs and stones, then add soil to fill in the gaps (see below). You can even bury these into the ground and plant flowers in the soil on top. Click here to find our activity sheet on how to do this. 

Remember to visit our FAQ’s pages and our Info & Advice pages for even more information about our native species and their habitats. 

This hibernacula will be very suitable for a range of amphibian and reptile species including common frogs, toads, newts and grass snakes.

 

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