Gordon Howe sent me this image showing quite a remarkable assemblage of Adders Grass Snakes & Slow-worms under a black plastic sheet in the Nitten field at Mewslade yesterday. Gordon and Beryl have maintained a grassy headland around the margin of the field for a good few years now and clearly this, in conjunction with the sacrificial crop they grow annually, supports a healthy small mammal population that keeps these reptiles well fed! The field also has Common Lizards, although these are a bit more elusive.
3 comments:
Wow! Imagine lifting that sheet!
Any chance of posting high res photos?
This is all Gordon sent me, although I do know he has a very good camera so the original must have plenty detail...
Slow worms eat mainly slugs,the most popular being the little white slug-(Deroceras reticulatum- netted slug). The grass snake eats frogs out of choice- also other amphibians, and adders mainly small rodents, but also amphibians and common lizards. So this farming practice encourages a full range of critters. Top marks to them! Johnny Woon
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