Bimbling for Reptiles PT 2

[JonathanD]

Following on from this thread http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=88497 I have a cool update from my little friend who is three years old this year. As I said, I suspected this might be his first breeding year and I was right. These pictures were taken this last Sunday, and as you can see - he is quite dull and brown.

Yesterday, I was back up to his favourite spot and fully expected to see him again as adders frequent the same favourite spots and bushes year after year. And there he was, as per usual. But looking very different. He had shed his skin in the last couple of days since I took the pictures and was in full male breeding colours. I apologise for the poor pictures, it was very hot and he was very alert and in a most inaccessable place to photograph easily...

I knew his sloughed skin would be wrapped around the roots of the heather and quite close as he doesn't roam far. Took me about five minutes of searching to find this...

As I was removing it, I found it was still quite oily and damp, which meant he had literally only just shed the skin within the last half hour at most. In that kind of heat, they usually dry within minutes, as it did when I laid it out in the open...

Here you can clearly see the eye lens and the detail of his patternation pigment preserved in the skin...

This lizard was using a branch as an impromptu hammock. Sensible lizard...

Quite a few other adders still about within the same area. Some harder to spot than others that are partially concealed under heather...

Another male...

This same male was there an hour later as I walked passed, although he sensed me quickly and made off like a bullet into teh undergrowth. I was so focused on getting his pattern recorded for a later ID to see whether I'd recorded him before, that I completely missed the young female basking just inches away and unmoving. I only noticed her when looking back over the pictures. She is in the bottom left of the frame...

 

[Shewie]

Amazing creatures, the difference in skin colour after the sloughing really stands out, how often do they do it?

How do you spot the difference between the sexes?

 

[JonathanD]

Adders are sexually dimorphic. Males being a yellow grey to white colour with black patternation. Females are usually brown with darker brown patternation and are bigger than males...

When young the sexes are the same colour... brick red with darker brick red patternation. But males have stronger lateral spots. Males also have longer tails while females tails are short and stumpy. Sexually mature males shed their skin this time of year to reveal a very strong breeding colouration. Can be white with black patternation as you see here, or silver and black, even turquoise and black in rare occasions. This dramatic colouration will last for about eight weeks before dulling down until the next year. All adders shed their skin two or three times a year, or more depending on temperature and amount of food they take in.

 

[bushwacker bob]

How do you spot the difference between the sexes?

Look at the position of the 'opening'.

 

[Shewie]

Thanks dude, I'm usually running in the opposite direction if I see one but it's nice to know these things.

Have you ever spotted a turquoise one at all?

 

[JonathanD]

I've seen unusually coloured ones in Somerset and Cornwall. Even a violet one. You can get fully melanistic ones too. Black adders. They are cool...

 

[bushwacker bob]

were you wearing your knife in a baldric when you saw that one?

 

[Harvestman]

Great pics as usual Jon. I'm settling for a slow worm that I have now found twice under the same rock. WOuld be nice to see another adder though.

 

[mrcairney]

Great stuff. I suspect you might be a little unwilling to reveal locations but I've been wondering (for a while actually) if you'd be willing to post up a 'what to spot and where to find' so people like me, who want to have a go and spotting reptiles might be able to pick up some tips. Seems heath is a good place to start?

 

[JonathanD]

were you wearing your knife in a baldric when you saw that one?

 

[JonathanD]

Great stuff. I suspect you might be a little unwilling to reveal locations but I've been wondering (for a while actually) if you'd be willing to post up a 'what to spot and where to find' so people like me, who want to have a go and spotting reptiles might be able to pick up some tips. Seems heath is a good place to start?

It's pretty hard to do that in conversation. I'd have to show you. It's about understanding the animal and recognising prime sites through experience. South facing banks are good, around bases of dense vegetation. Keep the sun behind you. Their camouflage is excellent and it takes ages to get your eye in. The trick is to avoid disturbing them so that you spot them before they spot you and move. That is the tough part. Even experienced herpetologists see mostly disappearing tails. Walking slowly and stealthily is a must. As well as stopping and examining the area short and long distance.

 

[JonathanD]

Here you go, here's a good way to understand what you are looking for. Put this picture up and stand about 12 feet away from your pc. That is what you see in the undergrowth and what you should train your eye to spot...

 

[mrcairney]

Here you go, here's a good way to understand what you are looking for. Put this picture up and stand about 12 feet away from your pc. That is what you see in the undergrowth and what you should train your eye to spot...

Oh my. :Wow:

 

[Harvestman]

'Search image' is a very difficult thing to acquire, and is usually built up over years. I'm useless at spotting reptiles as my personal search image automatically looks for insects and spiders. I've been known to turn over rocks and point out woodlice, spiders and centipedes to people, only for them to point out to me that there's also a massive orange toad sitting there too, which I simply hadn't noticed.

 

[mrcairney]

It's interesting you say that HM, I'm very good at spotting invertebrates, even when I'm not looking for them. Why is that do you suppose?

 

[JonathanD]

It's interesting you say that HM, I'm very good at spotting invertebrates, even when I'm not looking for them. Why is that do you suppose?

Because you have a fascination for them.

 

[mrcairney]

That'll explain the 6th form schoolgirls too then...

 

[JonathanD]

That'll explain the 6th form schoolgirls too then...

That's why I try to avoid reptile rich seaside dunes in Summer. I find my 'eye in' is not primarily focussed on reptiles then.

 

[Harvestman]

When you can spot a book scorpion (adult size 1.1mm long) because it moved slightly, you know you have your eye in.

 

[Man of Tanith]

Thanks for the photo's JD
really noticeable difference in colouring after the shedding