[Tony_InDevon]

English Nature Press Release (13 August 2003) taken from the Cornish Wildlife Group

Sunbathing snakes like it hot - Gardeners urged to help reptiles with identity crisis

Sightings of Britain¹s sunbathing snakes have soared this summer as temperatures hit record highs creating ideal conditions for the dwindling reptiles.

Some of this country¹s shyest creatures are more active in sunny weather and the chances of seeing one dramatically increases after heavy rainfall follows a prolonged dry spell.

But around 95% of calls to the English Nature enquiry service turn out to be a case of mistaken identity, with most callers believing they have spotted an adder when it is much more likely to be a grass snake or slow-worm. A new leaflet published by English Nature has clear photographs to help people
tell them apart and gives advice on what to do if you find one.
English Nature¹s reptile specialist, Jim Foster, said: "We appreciate that some people are terrified when they first see a snake in the garden, but there is rarely anything to be truly worried about. Snakes and lizards get a bad press but the message this summer is - stay calm if you spot a snake!"
If you see a snake

* Take a good look, but don¹t touch, catch or trap it
* Call us for the new English Nature leaflet to help identify it
* Remember snakes are timid and usually flee from people and pets
* Grass snakes and slow-worms, which are harmless, often visit gardens
* Adders, which are venomous but normally pose little threat, rarely
visit gardens
* It is illegal to kill or injure any British snake or lizard
English Nature is today asking gardeners to support their local snakes by making their backyards more reptile friendly. Compost heaps, log piles, rockeries, garden ponds and long grass patches provide cover and food for visiting grass snakes and slow-worms. This is even more important as reptile numbers are dropping in much of the countryside due to habitat loss and deterioration. Reptiles are most commonly attracted to gardens near to
heathland, rough grassland, open woodland, allotments and railway embankments.

Jim Foster added, "The hot weather doesn¹t mean there will be more snakes, but sightings are more common because people are outdoors while snakes are moving around. Even if you are lucky enough to spot an adder, there¹s absolutely no need to harm it as helpful advice is only a phone call away."
Ends

Notes for editors

1. August is an enjoyable time of the year to go reptile spotting. Why not visit one of these National Nature Reserves in Cumbria, Devon, Dorset, Surrey, Kent or Suffolk _ free of charge. Check out

http://www.english-nature.org.uk for details.

* Finglandrigg Woods NNR, Cumbria
* Slapton Ley NNR, Devon
* Studland and Godlingston Heath NNR, Dorset
* Chobham Common NNR, Surrey/Berkshire
* Stodmarsh NNR, Kent
* Thursley NNR, Surrey
* Walberswick NNR, Suffolk

2. The "Reptiles in your garden" leaflet gives householders practical advice on identification, managing gardens to help reptiles, and what to do about snake concerns. It is available free from the English Nature enquiry service 01733 455100 / 01 / 02 and can be downloaded from:

http://www.english-nature.org.uk/pub...esingarden.pdf

3. England is home to three species of snake (grass snake, adder and smooth snake) and three species of lizard (common lizard, slow-worm and sand lizard). The grass snake, a water-loving species with a distinctive yellow collar marking, and the slow-worm, which is a slug-eating legless lizard, are most commonly encountered in gardens. Adders rarely occur in gardens
because they have a restricted distribution, preferring particular habitat types such as heathland, moorland, bogs and chalk grassland. They are readily identified by the dark zig zag marking running down the back from head to tail. Bites from adders are rare, most occurring when people deliberately pick them up or try to harm them. Most reactions to adder bite are mild, but any bite should be regarded as potentially serious and immediate medical advice should be sought. When disturbed, reptiles will try
to avoid an encounter with people by quickly seeking cover.

4. All British snakes and lizards are protected by law against killing and injuring. Recent strengthening of legislation means that there is a fine of up to £5000 and/or up to 6 months in prison for an offence. The smooth snake and sand lizard are very rare, restricted to fragments of particular heathland and sand dune habitat where they receive additional legal protection.

5. English Nature is the Government agency that champions the
conservation of wildlife and geology throughout England. Froglife and The Herpetological Conservation Trust worked with English Nature to produce the new reptile leaflet. Froglife works with a range of organisations to conserve widespread native reptiles and amphibians, and can be contacted on 01986 873733. The Herpetological Conservation Trust focuses on the conservation of the rarer reptile and amphibian species, and implementation
of the UK Species Action Plans; they can be contacted on 01202 391319.

6. Photographs of adders, grass snakes, slow-worms and common lizard are available from

www.english-nature.org.uk/photogallery or by email from
English Nature¹s press office.

Contacts
For more information English Nature's National Press Office on 01733 455190
out-of-hours 07970 098005 email press@english-nature.org.uk or visit our website at www.english-nature.org.uk