Wild Dorset
Sand Lizard. Image: Steve Davis
REPTILES
SOAKING UP THE SUN IN DORSET Sally Welbourn, Dorset Wildlife Trust
L
ike humans, reptiles love basking in the sun at this time of year. In Dorset we are lucky to have lowland heathland habitat to support all six British native reptile species. Reptiles are truly magnificent creatures, but they need a very specific habitat to thrive in and can be very sensitive to changes in their environment, which is why all reptile species are legally protected. You also need a licence to handle and monitor them. As reptiles are ectothermic (cold-blooded), they bask in the sun to warm up, and hide away in the shade to cool down again. During the colder months they hibernate, but in the summer months reptiles will be enjoying the sunshine and feasting on the delights the heath has to offer, with lizards preying on spiders and insects and snakes favouring small mammals. As with lots of wildlife species in Dorset, their survival and success is largely due to having wellmanaged habitat to thrive in. Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Great Heath team work hard on our heaths to ensure there is sandy soil, low vegetation and not too many trees, to create a dry and warm habitat for reptiles. If you’re out on the heath this summer, please admire reptiles from a distance, and do not lift metal tins (used for surveying purposes) to see them. Fires can 38 | Bridport Times | August 2019
be devastating to a reptile population on heathland so please report any suspicious behaviour on heathland to Dorset Police on 101. In the event of a fire, call 999. Find out more about our nature reserves in Dorset at dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves.
Five British reptile facts: • A grass snake can grow up to 150cm long and is often found near water. • Smooth snakes are actually rarely seen in the open, and the first record of this species was on a Dorset heath in the 1850s. • A slow worm is a legless lizard and they get their heat by lying under objects that warm up in the sun. The female can drop its tail if caught, to confuse its predator! • The male sand lizard has green sides after shedding its skin after hibernation. • The adder is our only venomous snake – a bite is rarely fatal but seek medical assistance if bitten. Adders are very recognisable with red eyes and a black zig zag pattern on their back.
dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk