Reptiles

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I use a combination of visual checks for reptiles including looking for potential basking sites and inspecting natural or artificial cover objects on site such as rocks, boards, bins or even plastic or other fly-tipped rubbish.

Where reptiles are known or suspected, population estimates are made by laying down artificial “reptile mats” around the site, and periodically checking beneath to count the numbers present.

Reptiles such as adder, grass snakes, common lizards and slow worm are all protected in the UK via Section 9(1) of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) against:

1. intentional killing and injuring (note the provision in Section 9(1) of Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 prohibiting “taking” does not apply to reptiles) Both reptiles (adder, grass snake, common lizard and slow worm) and amphibians (common frog, common toad, smooth newt, palmate newt) are protected via part of Section 9(5) of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) against:
2. 1. selling, offering or exposing for sale, or having in possession or transporting for the purpose of sale, any live or dead wild animal or any part of, or anything derived from, such an animal; or
2. publishing or causing to be published any advertisement likely to be understood as conveying buying or selling, or intending to buy or sell, any of those things