Amphibians & Reptiles in the Garden

Slow-worm by Mike Toms

lthough amphibians and reptiles belong to two different taxonomic classes, they are often lumped together. Together they share some ecological similarities and may even look superficially similar. Some are familiar A garden inhabitants, others less so. Being able to identify the different species can help Garden BirdWatchers to accurately record those species using their gardens and may also reassure those who might be worried by the appearance of a snake. Only a small number of native amphibians and reptiles, plus a handful of non-native species, breed in the UK. So, with a few identification tips and a little understanding of their ecology and behaviour, they are fairly easy to identify. This guide sets out to help you improve your identification skills, not only for general Garden BirdWatch recording, but also in the hope that you will help us with a one-off survey of these fascinating creatures. Several of our amphibians thrive in the garden and five of the native Amphibians species, Common Frog, Common Toad and the three newts, can reasonably be expected to be found in the garden for at least part of the year. There are also a few introduced species which have been recorded from gardens, together with our remaining native species, which although rare need to be considered for completeness.

Common Frog: (right) Rana temporaria Common Toad: (below) Grows to 6–7 cm. Bufo bufo Predominant colour Has ‘warty’ skin which looks is brown, but often dry when the animal is on variable, including land. Prefers large breeding brick-red, orange, yellow ponds but often uses gardens and albino. Variable amounts as summer foraging grounds of black spotting on back. Most during the terrestrial stages of have a dark ‘mask’ behind the the life cycle. Spawn is laid in eye. Smooth, moist-looking long strings, not clumps. skin. Spawn is laid in a clump. GBW Code 01219

Natterjack Toad: (right) Epidalea calamita The Natterjack looks similar to the Common Toad but has a pale line running down its spine. It is limited to a few localised sites within sand dune systems, coastal grazing

Native Frogs & Toads Native Frogs & GBW Code marshes and sandy heaths, so is 01220 very unlikely to be found in the garden.

Smooth Newt: (left) Male Lissotriton vulgaris Grows to 10 cm. Breeding males Young Smooth Newt have an undulating crest which runs from the head to the tip of the tail. Females lack a crest and are predominantly brown. Adults of both sexes have an orange belly with rounded dark spots. Compare the tip of the tail and the foot webbing with Palmate Newt.

Female GBW Code 01221 Male

Palmate Newt: (right) Lissotriton helveticus Adults up to 8–9 cm in length. Breeding male does not have a crest. The breeding male tail ends in a filament and has webbed, sooty-coloured hind feet. The female looks very similar to the female Smooth Newt. Newts have four toes on their front feet, while lizards have five. GBW Code 01222 Great Crested Newt: (left)

Native Newts Triturus cristatus Male Our largest breeding newt, growing to 15 cm. Breeding males have a crest with a distinct break at the base of the tail. The skin has a granular texture. Both males and females have an orange belly with irregular dark spots. The Great Crested Newt is a strictly protected species. Female Although it is in decline, it is still widespread in England and Wales, so it may be encountered in GBW Code the garden. Legal protection requires that this 01223 species should not be captured or disturbed. visit gardens and the Smooth Snake is rarely found outside its heathland habitat in Southern England. Southern in habitat heathland its outside to found likely rarely is less is Snake Adder Smooth The the sites. and or gardens ponds egg-laying in as visit prey heaps amphibian compost using seeking and visitor, sometimes largest garden a our is Snake, Grass reptile, The the mobile areas. most some reptiles, in our of one resident a is amphibians, than Slow-worm, gardens in common less Although is muchlesslikely or tobefoundinthegarden grass snake. thantheslow-worm widespread, confinedtospecifichabitatsand Although the back. dark Has adistinctive,thick, zig-zag striperunning thelengthof coloration variable,generally greyin males,browninfemales. A stockysnake, growingtoapproximately60cm.Ground Vipera berus Adder: (right) phase. Mostarepredominantlybrownbut with newtsduringtheir terrestrial confused Lizards arefastmovinganimals,nottobe Adults 13–15 cm.Scalyskin,clawsontoes. vivipara Lacerta Viviparous (Common)Lizard:(below) colour variationsarenotuncommon, from yellowthroughvariousshades

of green to jet black. of greentojetblack. This istheonly GBW Code species ofreptilenativetoIreland.

01225

GBW Code 01226 found inthegarden. confined to heathland insouthernEngland. Unlikely tobe Arare species sometimes joined asbars,runningalong back. Smooth Snake:(left) on head.Darklinerunning througheye.Pairs ofdarkspots, Coronella austriaca to the rear by black. Harmless. to therear byblack. white, yellowor creamcollar, Distinctive on theback. bordered to brightgreen.Blackbarsontheflanks,somealsohavespots than this. Various dull(almostblack) shadesofgreen,fromvery in agarden. Growstoover ametreinlength,butmostshorter Our largest snake andtheonemostlikely tobeencountered natrix Natrix Grass Snake:(left)

generally brownor grey. pattern Darkcrown,or butterfly Slender, growingto approximately 60cm.Groundcoloration

with athinblacklinedownthemiddle. with gold orabout 4cmlong, silver backsand young inlatesummer. thin, These arevery tolive givebirth Slow-worms down theback. with darksidesandathinline females brown a metallicappearance. Malesaregrey-brown, which givetheSlow-worm Small, shinyscales Adults 35–40 cm.Generally greyor brown. Anguis fragilis Slow-worm: (above)

Sand Lizard:(left) unlikely tobefoundinthegarden. and dunesontheMerseycoast. Very to heathlandinsouthernEngland April–May. Arare species,confined Males green,attheir mostintensein with eyespotsonflanks. Lizard, 18–19 cm.Stockier than Viviparous agilis Lacerta

Reptiles GBW Code 01224 GBW Code 01227

Native Snakes Native Lizards during theday. during thedayandtheylovetobask inthesun.Newtsaremuchslower withnoscalesor claws,andtheyhideaway to lizards. However, lizards arefast-movinganimals,withscalyskinsandsmallclawsontheir toes. They areactive spring breeding period, male Smooth Newts and Great Crested Newts lose their dorsal crests, increasing their similarity Newts discoveredunderneathobjectsor in loose soilaresometimesmistaken for lizards. When onland,outsidethe distinctive. focus onthebreedingmales.Allthreearevery surprised atwhat you canfindbytorchlight. whichspeciesofnewt youhaveinthe To identify garden itishelpfulto during their breedingseason.If you visit your pondafter dark onawarmeveningfromMarch to May you mightbe sometimes gounnoticed.If you haveapond(withclear water)thenagreatwaytofindnewtsisbytorchlight survey about thesametimeasfrogs,or later. alittle W Herpetological Conservation Herpetological Conservation email [email protected] or (visitwww.herpconstrust.org.uk, call learn moreabouttheorganisations [email protected] or involved:BTO (visitwww.bto.org, call01842-750050), Trust andFroglife. Special thanks aredueto John Baker Fred (text), Holmes,Mike Toms and The HCT (images). To This guidehasbeenputtogether byBTO Garden BirdWatch, inconjunctionwiththeHerpetological Conservation 01202-391319) [email protected] or andFroglife (visitwww.froglife.org, call 01733-558960). Amphibians spend a great deal of time on land. So, it is quite possible to find amphibians in gardens without ponds. Newts arenotasreadilyapparentfrogsandtoads.Mostbreedingactivit Introduced species vegetation, isnotaseasytofindfrogspawn,buttoadsthemselvesareconspicuouswhenbreeding,at frogspawn areeasytospotintheearlyspring. Toadspawn, laidinstringsand wrapped aroundpond youratching pondisaconvenientwaytokeep tabsonamphibiansinthegarden. Breedingfrogsand in Mayor June. warm nights electronic bleep, givenon its distinctivecall,asingle,repeatednotelike an Secretive.Mostlikelylegs. tobegivenawayby wrapped aroundtheir eggstrings hind carry horizontal pupilsoftheCommon Toad). Males Mesotriton alpestris Mesotriton (right) Alpine Newt: marbled pattern. marbled pattern. Vivid orange belly,with nospots. Femaleshavea be predominantlyblueontheback. Infrequent buthasbeenfoundingardens. Malescan

(in contrast tothe skin. Vertical pupils with arough brown, Midwife Toad: (left) than 5 cm.Greyor Usually smaller obstetricans Alytes June. Their loudcallingcontinuessporadically throughoutthesummer. lackthedorsalstripe.GreenfrogsbreedinMayor early brown andoften running alongthespine.However, MarshFrogscanbepredominantly Mosthavevividgreencoloration andapalestripe be difficulttotellapart. Non-native frogs,includingMarsh,Edible andPool Frog. These speciescan Green/water frogs:(left)

Wall Lizard within yourwithin garden. reptilesor amphibians encounteryou non-native scarcer formor record species Onlineto GBW any Garden BirdWatch. You canuseeither paper the records throughprojectslike ofsuchspecies BTO the wildlife, collects non-native monitoring role ofits in Aspart occurmay still wild. inthe been introducedover someofwhich the years, have A numberspecies ofother non-native OTHER SPECIES

y isnocturnal,sonewtpopulationscan

Female Male