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Autumn

What our animals are doing this month

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September is an important month for one of the UK’s native snakes, the adder. As autumn approaches and temperatures begin to fall, adders start making their way back towards the sites where they will spend the winter. They are often very faithful to these locations, returning to the same areas year after year.

During September, adders can still be seen basking and may remain active into late October before settling down for the colder months. In fact, September can be a particularly good time to spot them. As temperatures cool, adders often need to bask in the open for longer during sunny spells to warm themselves.

Adders are easily recognised by the distinctive dark zig-zag pattern running along their backs. They also have a red iris with a vertical pupil and typically grow to around 60–80cm in length.

A winter home

Adder overwintering sites, known as hibernaculum, are often found on sunny, south-facing embankments. These sheltered locations provide protection from frost, wet weather and predators throughout the winter.

Old mammal burrows, tree stumps and root systems, tussocks, rockeries and piles of dead wood can all provide suitable places for adders to shelter.

Even as the weather turns colder, adders may still emerge to bask when conditions are sunny. They tend to choose basking spots close to longer vegetation or other cover, often within around a body length, allowing them to quickly retreat if they sense danger.

So, if you’re out enjoying the countryside this September, keep an eye out for an adder soaking up the autumn sunshine. If you’re lucky enough to spot one, enjoy the encounter from a respectful distance and allow it plenty of space to move away undisturbed.

Remember to record any sightings on our free Dragon Finder app!

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.

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