National Amphibian and Reptile
Recording Scheme – NARRS
Reptile Surveys
How to survey for reptiles
• Reptiles warm up by basking or lying under warm
objects
• Reptile survey should (ideally) combine two
techniques:
•
Visual search
•
Artificial refugia
•
•
All species can be found using visual search
But artificial refugia greatly increase chances of
detection (for some species)
How to survey for reptiles
• Refugia important surveying some than others:
• Slow-worms, smooth snakes – surveys should
involve refugia (rarely seen otherwise)
• Adders, grass snakes – refugia useful (but can
be found by visual search)
• Common lizards, sand lizards – refugia can be
useful (but must use visual search as well –
otherwise miss lots)
• Always search when walking between refugia
• Practice really does help!
When to survey for reptiles
– best time of year
•
•
•
•
Best time is the spring (especially April)
Reptiles most active and visible
Getting into breeding condition
Cool weather – need to bask for longer at this
time of year
• As the spring becomes summer, survey only
possible in short periods
• As cooler autumn arrives - survey conditions
improve again
When to survey for reptiles
– best time of year
Bad
Best
Variable/
Poor
Good
Bad
When to survey for reptiles
– best time of year
Sand lizard sightings
per month
Sand lizard
Number of records
500
2000
400
2001
300
2002
200
2003
100
2004
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Month
Definite spring peak
8
9
10
11
12
When to survey for reptiles
– best time of day
• Early spring - middle hours of the day (c.11am3pm)
• Late spring – mid morning (c.9-11am) and late
afternoon (c.4-6pm)
• Summer – short periods in morning (c.7-9am) and
evening (6-8pm); hot weather can produce totally
negative results
• Autumn similar to spring timings
• However, time of day varies with weather too
When to survey for reptiles
– best weather conditions
• No clear-cut way of defining right/wrong weather
• Strong wind/heavy rain not good
• Any other conditions can be good (depending on
the time of year & time of day)
• Early spring/late autumn – sunny or partial cloud
• Air temperature 10-20°C
• Late spring/early autumn – sun/cloud and bright
overcast forces reptiles to bask longer
• Sunshine after rain is ideal
• First sunshine after dull overcast weather
• Extended periods of hot dry weather - not good
Weather vs time of day vs season…
1900
1700
1500
1300
1100
0900
0700
Mar
Apr
May
JunFff
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Visual search - where and how to
spot reptiles
• Walk slowly, scanning sunny sides of
vegetation
• Keep sun behind you or to your side
• Tune your eye in to vegetation interfaces
• Often places where reptiles bask along
edges
• Seldom far from dense cover for
protection
Visual search - where and how to
spot reptiles
Walk slowly, scanning the ground as you go
Visual search - where and how to
spot reptiles
Look for sheltered spots that act as suntraps
Visual search - where and how to
spot reptiles
Junction between vegetation types/heights
Visual search - where and how to
spot reptiles
Varied height structure – look in short patches
Visual search - where and how to
spot reptiles
Edge of gorse scrub, meeting rough grass
Visual search - where and how to
spot reptiles
Moss or lichen patches among taller vegetation
Artificial refugia
• Corrugated metal – best
• Roofing material/felt – good
• Rubber car mats, plastic sheeting, carpet – ok
• Size approx half a square metre (70 x 70cm)
• Choose sunny locations away from public view and
livestock
• Press down close to the ground
• Deep cover or edge of dense vegetation
• Not on bare ground/sparse cover
• Lift and replace refugia carefully taking care not to
squash retreating animals
• Use a stick or adder-proof glove if necessary to
ensure safety
Artificial refugia
Corrugated metal sheets (‘tins’) – cut to size
Artificial refugia
Old rusty tins often more effective
Artificial refugia
Corrugated bitumen-based roofing material (onduline)
Artificial refugia
Roofing felt
Artificial refugia
Roofing slate
Pre-existing objects acting as refugia
Wooden board
Pre-existing objects acting as refugia
Discarded wheels, tyres, scrap etc.
Pre-existing objects acting as refugia
Discarded clothing, plastic, rubber etc.
NARRS
Preliminary square assessment
• Consult an Ordnance Survey map
(Landranger map 1:50,000 or Explorer 1:25,000
scale)
• Or an online map of your square
(www.streetmap.co.uk: enter 4-fig grid ref e.g.
SK1294 and zoom out once)
• Aerial photo useful (www.multimap.com: needs 6-fig
grid reference e.g. SK120940 and click aerial button)
• Identify key areas most likely to support reptiles
Preliminary square assessment
Looking up your square on www.streetmap.co.uk
Preliminary square assessment
Looking at aerial photo on www.multimap.com
Landowner permissions
• Always seek permission from landowners/
tenants before entering private land
• Always seek permissions to survey,
whether public or private land
• As a courtesy, even seek permission to
survey on Open Access land
•
See the guidance at www.narrs.org.uk
Further square assessment
• If permission is not granted for enough (key)
areas, request another square
• Plan a walking route that takes in all key areas
(representing best habitat, and surveyable in
2-3 hrs)
• Walk your square
• Lay artificial refugia (if suitable places, safe,
permitted by landowners)
Survey visits
• Between March-June, ideally April-May:
• Choose suitable conditions (time of day,
weather)
• Cover key areas in a survey lasting no more
than 3 hours
• Visual search and check refugia
• Fill in your survey form (visit details, survey
effort, reptiles seen – use ID Guide if needed)
• Try to make four visits
(ideally, the fourth visit should be at least 4
weeks after refugia were laid)
• More visits if you like…
Completion/data submission
• As soon as possible after survey visits:
•
Submit your results online at www.narrs.org.uk
or send your survey form to the ARC
•
Remove refugia
•
Feedback to landowners if interested
Licensing
• A licence is required to survey sand lizards
or smooth snakes
• You can be covered by the ARC’s survey
licence, subject to training or experience
• ask your trainer to pass your details to ARC if
you think you will encounter protected reptiles
during your surveys!
Good luck with your survey!
www.narrs.org.uk
Photographs
• Photographs used in this presentation are by
Lee Brady, Julia Carey, Jon Cranfield, Terry
Elborn, Chris Gleed-Owen, Fred Holmes, Paul
Stevens and John Wilkinson
• Copyright of all photographs remains with the
photographers and ARC
• These photographs should not be used for
purposes other than NARRS training without
the permission of the photographers.