Creating hibernacula for common lizards Lacerta vivipara, The Ham, Lowestoft, Suffolk, England
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Published source details
Showler D.A., Aldus N. & Parmenter J. (2005) Creating hibernacula for common lizards Lacerta vivipara, The Ham, Lowestoft, Suffolk, England. Conservation Evidence, 2, 96-98.
Published source details Showler D.A., Aldus N. & Parmenter J. (2005) Creating hibernacula for common lizards Lacerta vivipara, The Ham, Lowestoft, Suffolk, England. Conservation Evidence, 2, 96-98.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Translocate reptiles away from threats: Snakes and lizards Action Link |
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Create artificial refuges, hibernacula and aestivation sites Action Link |
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Translocate reptiles away from threats: Snakes and lizards
A study in 2004–2005 in scrub and grassland in Suffolk, UK (Showler et al. 2005) found that after common lizards Lacerta vivipara were translocated away from a development site to newly constructed artificial hibernacula, lizards were still present six months later. Results were not statistically tested. Six months after lizards were first translocated to the hibernacula, both adult and juvenile lizards were observed basking around each hibernaculum. Three hibernacula (east-west ditches 20 m long, 1 m deep and 1.5 m wide with approximately 70° sloping edges) were constructed and filled with a mixture of drainage pipes, bricks, gravel, rubble, vegetation cuttings, logs and soil in autumn 2004. Plastic piping was added to facilitate lizards entering and entrances restricted in size to limit access by predators such as weasels Mustela nivalis and brown rats Rattus norvegicus (see original paper for details). The hibernacula were 60–120 m away from the development site. Approximately 70 lizards were caught and translocated in autumn 2004 and spring 2005. Lizard use of the hibernacula was monitored from March 2005.
(Summarised by: Katie Sainsbury)
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Create artificial refuges, hibernacula and aestivation sites
A study in 2004–2005 in scrub and grassland in Suffolk, UK (Showler et al. 2005) found that artificial hibernacula were used by translocated common lizards Lacerta zootoca vivipara. Six months after lizards were first translocated to the hibernacula, both adult and juvenile lizards were observed basking around each hibernaculum. Three hibernacula were constructed (east-west ditches 20 m long, 1 m deep and 1.5 m wide with approximately 70° sloping edges) and filled with a mixture of drainage pipes, bricks, gravel, rubble, vegetation cuttings, logs and soil in autumn 2004. Plastic piping was added to facilitate lizards entering and entrances restricted in size to limit access by predators such as weasels Mustela nivalis and brown rats Rattus norvegicus (see original paper for details). Approximately 70 lizards were caught and translocated in autumn 2004 and spring 2005. Lizard use of the hibernacula was monitored from March 2005.
(Summarised by: Katie Sainsbury)
