Sustrans and Frome’s Missing Links volunteers are conducting a reptile survey as part of the Greener Greenways Project. There are bitumastic felt mats along the route that are being used as reptile collection points and will be monitored regularly. Please do not move or disturb them – and don’t think they are litter and pick them up!

UPDATE: 23rd July

The hot dry weather is not to our reptile’s liking. Most mats are ’empty’; we usually see about five slow worms per visit. Recently we have started seeing lizards again, most recently with four under or on the mat.

Also we have at last managed to capture a photo of a young adult grass snake, alongside a slow worm. Usually they disappear in a flash but this one posed for my wife!

UPDATE: 20th June

Recently we had a visit from our supervising Ecologist, Ann. We had a word before with our local reptiles and they responded well, coming out in good numbers for Ann’s check. We had our first grass snake, a juvenile.

The hot dry weather has reduced the numbers, with the slow worms especially appearing to prefer hot and damp – we are therefore expecting sightings to increase once it rains.

• Fri 16th Jun: we found an adult grass snake ( 60cm+ ) under a mat, although it disappeared too quickly to get a photo
• Tue 20th Jun: we found a complete skin that had been shed by a slow worm and our second pregnant female

Results of previous checks:

• Tue 16th May: 3 juvenile slow worms, 2 adult slow worms and 1 adult lizard
• Fri 19th May: 1 large adult lizard, 2 medium adult lizards, 1 small lizard, 3 adult slow worms (2 male, 1 female), 2 juvenile slow worms
• Tue 23rd May: 5 adult slow worms (3 female, 2 male), 1 juvenile slow worm

More results and pictures to follow… or for more info please get in touch.