for developers reptiles: guidelines · reptiles: guidelines for developers sand lizard populations...

Reptiles: guidelines for developers

working today for nature tomorrow

English Nature is theGovernment agency that champions theconservation of wildlifeand geology throughoutEngland.

This is one of a range ofpublications published by: External Relations Team English NatureNorthminster HousePeterborough PE1 1UA

www.english-nature.org.uk

© English Nature 2004

Printed on Evolution Satin, 75% recycled post-consumer waste paper,Elemental Chlorine Free.

ISBN 1 85716 807 0

Catalogue code IN15.1

Designed by Coral Design Management.

Printed byBelmont Press, 6M.

Front cover photographs:Common lizardColin Carver/Nature Photographers Ltd

Key messages for developersReptiles (snakes and lizards) may be found on land that is being

considered for development. Development is a significant threat to the

conservation of reptiles.

Reptiles are protected by law. Penalties for breaking the law can

include large fines, imprisonment and the seizure of equipment.

An assessment of reptiles should be considered at an early stage on any

sites that may support them. The presence of reptiles may affect the

32 Reptiles: guidelines for developers

Sand lizardpopulations have been

reduced by over 90%through development,

agricultural intensification,forestry planting and fires.

Hu

gh

Cla

rk/F

LPA

Reptiles: guidelines for developers

programming of work and the scope for development. Early

consideration can, however, resolve most potential conflicts and avoid

expensive delays.

Reptiles may be found in a range of habitats, both in countryside and

some urban situations. They frequently occur on brownfield sites.

Reptiles are generally less abundant in intensively managed farmland,

highly built-up settings and in upland areas.

Local Planning Authorities may request surveys and mitigation plans

before making a decision on planning applications. Planning

conditions and other agreements are sometimes imposed on consents

to ensure effective reptile conservation.

Developers should consult English Nature (normally through their

ecological advisors) when progressing plans that could affect reptiles.

Expert advice can also be obtained from voluntary conservation

organisations.

Mitigation and compensation is normally required when development

is permitted on reptile habitat. The time and effort needed for a

successful mitigation exercise should not be underestimated. Often

there is a need to enhance habitats on site or nearby, in advance of

lengthy reptile capture and exclusion activities.

Reptile activity is highly seasonal and weather dependent, meaning

that there are limited windows of opportunity for survey and

mitigation work. Developers must allow for this when programming

development.

To assist with the above, developers are advised to employ a

consultant with experience in reptile ecology, planning and mitigation.

Sand lizard Lacerta agilis. One ofthe two rare species of reptile, foundon heathland and dunes in southernEngland (majority of populations inDorset, with small numberselsewhere) and on the Sefton Coast inMerseyside. It is larger and morerobust than the common lizard,growing to 20 cm in length. Maleshave green flanks and a patternedback; females are grey/brown withdistinctive dots along the back andsides. The only English lizard thatlays eggs.

Slow-worm Anguis fragilis. Oftenmistaken for a snake, it is, in fact, alegless species of lizard. Typically

reaches 35 cm. Males are usuallyuniform grey-brown; females arebrown with dark sides and a blackline along the back. Foundthroughout England on a wide varietyof habitats; it is the most frequentreptile in urban areas.

The snakes

Grass snake Natrix natrix. Foundthroughout England, and the mostfrequently seen species of snake in

urban areas. Often found close toponds, lakes and rivers. Usually 70 cm - 100 cm in length whenmature, this is the largest species ofsnake in Britain. Olive green, brownor grey body, with black bars downthe sides. Usually has a yellow orwhite 'collar' behind the head. Theonly British snake that lays eggs.

5Reptiles: guidelines for developers

IntroductionThis booklet aims to informdevelopers about their legalobligations in areas where there maybe reptiles. This is only a basic guideand should not be used as a substitutefor site-specific professional advice.

Six species of reptile - three snakesand three lizards - are native toBritain. Four are widespread andfound throughout England, while thesand lizard and smoothsnake have a muchmore restricteddistribution. Overthe last 50 years,many areas thatused to be home toreptiles have beenlost to development,agriculture and forestry.Changes in land use,intensified management,persecution, collection,fires, fragmentation of habitatsand increased public pressure havealso reduced reptile populations.National and European legislationmeans that reptiles and (in somecases) their habitats are now protectedby law in England. While someimportant reptile sites are legallyprotected, for instance as Sites ofSpecial Scientific Interest (SSSIs), themajority of reptile populations existoutside of protected sites. As a result,reptiles remain threatened in manyareas. Development is a significant

cause of habitat loss andfragmentation. Developers, landscapearchitects, planning authorities,ecological consultants andconservation bodies all haveimportant roles to play in conservingthese animals.

England's snakes and lizards

The lizards

Common (or viviparous) lizardLacerta vivipara. Found throughoutEngland in a range of differenthabitats, including grasslands,woodland edges, brownfield sites,heaths and dunes. Often seen onlinear features, e.g. hedgerow bases,stone walls and railway embankments.Up to 14 cm in length (including thetail). Generally brown in colour, withspotted and striped back patterns.

4

The commonlizard is often

seen basking on logsand fence-posts.

Male sand lizards developbright green sidesin the springmatingseason.

N.A

.Cal

low

/Nat

ure

Pho

tog

rap

her

sLt

d Der

ekM

idd

leto

n/F

LPA

Slow-worms have shiny, cylindricalbodies. Unlike snakes, they have moveable eyelids.D

erek

Mid

dle

ton

/FLP

A

Grass snakes have distinctive collar markings

just behind the head.

Jim

Fost

er/E

ng

lish

Nat

ure

Reptile biologyEnglish reptiles share a number ofcommon features. They cannotgenerate their own body heat andneed to raise their body temperaturesusing external heat sources, especiallyby basking in the sun. This greatlyinfluences their behaviour. Mostreptiles hibernate between Octoberand March, when weather conditionsare unsuitable for activity. Evenduring April to September theirbehaviour is affected by the weather.Typically they are active in warmweather, but avoid prolongedexposure to the sun on very hot days.Reptiles normally take refuge and areinactive during the night.

Snakes may occupy fairly largeranges, sometimes covering severalkilometres during the course of ayear. In other circumstances,however, movements are much morelimited. Often they move from drierhabitats to wetter parts for thesummer months. They usually returnto the same hibernation areas each

winter. Adders and smooth snakes eatmostly reptiles and small mammals,while grass snakes prey largely onamphibians.

Lizards have smaller ranges thansnakes, frequently staying close tosmall landscape features such asembankments. Common lizards andsand lizards spend much timebasking, while slow-worms are oftenhidden in vegetation, under refuges orunderground. All three lizardseat invertebrates such as insects,spiders and woodlice, but slow-wormstend to eat more soft-bodied species,such as slugs.

Reptiles are found in a wide variety ofcountryside habitats, such as heaths,moors, rough grassland and woodlandedges. They are also found inartificial habitats such as golf courses,brownfield sites, allotments, gardens,road embankments and railway lines;some species are more adaptable thanothers in this respect. Reptiles requirea varied habitat structure that providesshelter, a range of shady and sunnyspots, food, and frost-free areas tospend the winter. Reptiles preferareas with a well-drained geology, sosandy and chalky soils are favoured.Grass snakes lay their eggs in placeslike compost heaps, manure heaps orpiles of cut vegetation where they areincubated by the warmth ofdecomposing organic matter. Sandlizards lay eggs in open sand patcheswarmed by the sun.

7Reptiles: guidelines for developers6

Adder Vipera berus. Typical adultlength around 55 cm. Males areusually grey and females reddishbrown; both sexes have a distinctivedark zig-zag pattern on the back.Adders are found on heaths, moors,meadows, woodland glades and urbanfringe sites. Although adders are found

in most counties andare abundant in

some areas, they

are scarce over much of their range.Our only venomous species of snake.

Smooth snake Coronella austriaca.Our rarest reptile and the one with themost restricted distribution. Foundonly on the heathlands of southernEngland, from Surrey to Dorset.Generally up to 55 cm in length,usually grey to grey-brown, with adark top to the head and a row of darkdots, blotches or bars along the back.

Introduced (non-native) species

Reptiles sometimes escape from, orare deliberately released from, publicor private collections. They maysurvive in the wild, sometimesforming small colonies. Examplesinclude the red-eared terrapinTrachemys scripta elegans. Theyrarely turn up on development plots,but your ecological adviser should beable to give further guidance on thebest course of action where introduced species are present.

The smooth snake's name derives from its scales,which lack the ridges found on other Englishsnakes, making it silky to the touch.

Der

ekM

idd

leto

n/F

LPA

This baskingadder hasflattenedits bodyto exposemore ofitssurfacearea tothe sun.

Jim

Fost

er/E

ng

lish

Nat

ure

Adders are one of the few snake species to haveobvious differences in colouration between thesexes (female on left, males on right).

Joe

Blo

sso

m/N

HPA

The reptile year (note: this is a generalised illustration –there are variations between species and according to localconditions.)

2 For sand lizards and smoothsnakes, licences may be issued forsome activities (such as disturbanceand capture) that would otherwise beprohibited. Licensing is discussedlater in this leaflet.

Under the Wildlife and CountrysideAct 1981, a conviction can result in afine of up to level 5 on the standardscale (£5,000 in 2004) and/or up tosix months imprisonment for eachoffence. Harm to more than oneanimal may be taken as separateoffences. The police can alsoconfiscate any item, such asequipment, vehicles or machinery,used to commit the offence. So, largefines and considerable inconveniencecan result from breaking the law orwhile potential offences are beinginvestigated. Both individuals andcompanies may be liable for offences.

Reptiles and planning

Planning authorities must takeprotected species and habitatconservation into account whenconsidering planning applications.Local authorities also have animportant role in implementing thenational Biodiversity Action Plan.Planning Policy Guidance: NatureConservation (PPG9: October 1994)explains the planners' and EnglishNature's role in protecting wildlife(note that in 2004 PPG9 was beingrevised).

Where reptiles are or may be present,we strongly recommend that youundertake surveys before consideringdevelopment proposals. Sometimesformal environmental assessments arerequired before a planning permissionwill be considered; this is mainly for


Reptiles, development and thelaw

Reptiles are likely to be threatened,and the law potentially breached, byactivities such as the following:

● archaeological and geotechnicalinvestigations

● clearing land, installing site officesor digging foundations

● cutting vegetation to a low height● laying pipelines or installing other

services● driving machinery over sensitive

areas● storing construction materials in

sensitive areas● removing rubble, wood piles and

other debris.

The law recognises that it issometimes necessary to carry outwork that may affect reptiles or theirhabitats. It has two significantconcessions:

1 For all species, normally prohibitedactivities may not be illegal if “theact was the incidental result of alawful operation and could notreasonably have been avoided.” Howthis defence could apply will dependon the specific circumstances; youshould seek legal advice for furtherdetails. However, in general EnglishNature would expect reasonableavoidance to include measures suchas altering development layouts toavoid key areas, as well as captureand exclusion of reptiles.

8

Legal protectionAll of our native reptiles are protectedby law. The two rare species - sandlizard and smooth snake - havegreatest protection.

This is only a simplified descriptionof the legislation. In particular, theoffences mentioned here may beabsolute, intentional, deliberate orreckless. Note that where it ispredictable that reptiles are likely tobe killed or injured by activities suchas site clearance, this could legallyconstitute intentional killing orinjuring. For a fuller understandingof how the legislation relates to aspecific case, we recommend that youconsult the original legislation texts orseek legal advice.

A survey at this site could have prevented the killing of dozens of grass snakes during initial site clearance.

Jim

Fost

er/E

ng

lish

Nat

ure

Common lizard, slow-worm, adder andgrass snake: it is illegal to intentionallykill or injure these animals. Legislation:Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (asamended).

Sand lizard and smooth snake: it is illegalto kill, injure, capture, handle or disturbthese animals. Places they use forbreeding, resting, shelter and protectionare protected from being damaged ordestroyed. It is also illegal to obstructthese animals from using such areas.Legislation: Wildlife and Countryside Act1981 (as amended) and the Conservation(Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994.

local authority can refuse planningpermission on the grounds ofwildlife loss.

Reptiles should not normally beremoved from development sitesbefore the planning decision is made.If planning permission is granted, thelaw protecting reptiles still applieseven if there are no conditions relatingto reptiles. Because of this, developersmust make every reasonable effort tosafeguard reptiles. A licence fromDefra (Department for Environment,Food and Rural Affairs) may berequired for mitigation work fordevelopments affecting sand lizardsand smooth snakes. These licenceswill generally only be issued afterplanning permission has been granted,and considerable ‘lead-in’ time forpreparing mitigation is advised.

Site survey

Rationale for site surveys

Some local records centres, orvoluntary amphibian and reptilegroups, can provide some backgroundinformation on reptiles in the generalarea. This can be valuable, but suchinformation is unlikely to besufficient, on its own, for mostplanning purposes. Where reptilesare known to be present locally andthe site supports potential reptilehabitats such as rough grassland,heathland, mature gardens, openscrub/woodland, wetlands or

vegetated embankments, thedeveloper should commission asurvey. However, you may not need anew survey if your ecological advisersare confident that, based on existinginformation and a habitat assessment,the impacts of development will beminimal, and that further surveyinformation would neither change thisview nor significantly modifymitigation proposals.

Carry out a survey as early aspossible. It is wise to do this evenbefore purchasing a site, as thepresence of reptiles could affect thescope for development. The fieldsurvey should confirm if reptiles arethere (or likely to be there); assesshow important the site is in terms of


Where protected species are or maybe present, the planning authorityusually consults English Nature overthe planning application. They mayalso seek advice from other wildlifegroups. The planning authority maydo one of the following.

● Accept the proposal.● Attach conditions to planning

permissions, for example to ensurethat particular areas are enhancedfor reptiles prior to construction.

● Impose a Section 106 agreement,to ensure funding andresponsibility for post-developmentworks.

● Suggest alterations to a planningproposal, often a change to thelayout or to mitigation plans,before accepting it.

● Refuse or restrict development onor near important wildlife sites. Inmany of these areas the existingreptile populations have not yetbeen identified; this is especiallythe case with brownfield sites,which in some cases supportimportant reptile populations.

● Refuse or strictly controldevelopment on or near Sites ofSpecial Scientific Interest.

● Refuse or restrict planningpermission because of anunacceptable impact on wildlife onsites with no designation. Forexample, if a proposeddevelopment threatens a locallyimportant adder population andthere is no feasible mitigation, the

10

large-scale projects. In most situationsless formal assessments may beneeded to determine the impacts onreptiles. Where mitigation andcompensation are needed, presentthese plans with the application. Thiswill allow a full evaluation of the neteffects of development and reptileprotection measures, and can helpspeed up the decision-makingprocess. Note that some damagingactivities, such as archaeologicalinvestigations, may not requireplanning permission but could still beunlawful if undertaken without propercare. English Nature has producedadvice on incorporating “reptile-friendly” features in the designedlandscape (see Further reading), andthis can be useful even whendevelopments will not directly impacton reptile populations.

Superficially mundane features such as this exposed treeroot system can be especially important for reptiles, andshould be identified in surveys.

Jim

Fost

er/E

ng

lish

Nat

ure

Recent targeting of brownfield sites for development hasmeant damage to numerous reptile populations.

Jim

Fost

er/E

ng

lish

Nat

ure

Impact assessment

An impact assessment examines thedevelopment proposals and predictsthe likely effects on the reptilepopulation. It should consider allstages of the development project,from pre-construction works(including cutting sight-lines,archaeological investigations, trial pitsetc), through construction and thepost-development operational phase.A thorough assessment is required asreptiles are vulnerable to a range ofimpacts. The ecologist shouldrecommend development options

based on the impact assessment. Thiscould range from proceeding with nomitigation (where no impacts areanticipated) to rejecting plans todevelop the site (where considerableimpacts are predicted with noeffective mitigation possible). Small-scale or temporary works require littlemitigation effort compared to lossesof extensive areas of reptile habitat.

Planning fordevelopment andmitigationPlanning must incorporate two aimswhere reptiles are present:

1 To protect reptiles from any harmthat might arise during thedevelopment work;

2 To ensure that sufficient quality,quantity and connectivity of habitatis provided to accommodate thereptile population, either on-site orat an alternative site, with no netloss of local reptile conservationstatus.

Mitigation and compensation toachieve the above aims may involvethe following approaches (listed inorder of decreasing desirability):

a) Keeping the reptiles on site, i.e.changing the layout so that areasused by reptiles are not developed.


certainty, from March to Octoberdepending on local conditions.

Reptiles can be difficult to find invery hot or very cold weather, orduring long periods of dry weather.The time of day of surveys is alsoimportant. Even when conditions arefavourable it can take several weeksto search for reptiles.

Reptiles are difficult animals tosurvey, and special methods arerequired. An efficient way of findingmost reptiles is to lay out artificialrefuges (such as corrugated ironsheets) which the animals hide belowor bask on top of - and hence areeasily detected. This method workswell for slow-worms and snakes, butis not effective for sand lizards andcommon lizards. Experienced reptilesurveyors also search for baskinganimals by carefully examining likelyhabitat features such as banks, woodpiles and woodland edges.

reptile populations; how reptiles usethe site; and whether there areconnections to adjacent land that thereptiles use. This will set the site in alocal and national context. Acompetent wildlife survey, like anyother pre-purchase or pre-development checks, will show aprospective developer any possiblepitfalls, constraints or obligations. Itwill allow proper project planning andavoid any potentially expensive last-minute delays. We recommend thatyou use an ecological consultant withextensive experience of reptiles andmitigation to undertake the survey.

Practicalities

The timing of a reptile survey iscrucial because reptile activity ishighly dependent on the weather. Thebest time to look for reptiles isgenerally late spring (April-June) andsometimes again in September.However, they may be seen, with less

12

Allotments - both in use and disused - can provide refuges for reptiles in urban areas.

Dav

idW

oo

dfa

ll/N

HPA

Residential developments can increase pressures on nearbyreptile populations, through litter problems, cat predation,fires, traffic mortalities and disturbance.

Jim

Fost

er/E

ng

lish

Nat

ure

15Reptiles: guidelines for developers14

b) Moving reptiles to areas within thesite which are to be retained,enhanced and managed forconservation purposes, whilstdeveloping remaining areas.

c) Moving (translocating) reptilesaway from the development site toanother specially prepared area.

Mitigation and compensationmethods

Selecting and preparing a release site

You should take into account anumber of factors when selectingsites, including agreement from thelandowner and local interest groups,site safeguard, assurance of long-termfavourable management, and accessfor monitoring. Locating a suitablerelease site can take many weeks ofsurvey effort, fact-finding and liaison.If no suitable site can be found, thenit is possible that the developmentwill be prevented from proceeding inits original form.

Ideally, the reptiles should be retainedon site, or released adjacent to it.However, in some cases it may bebetter to move them to an alternativesite some distance away. Generally,reptiles should only be released atsuitable sites that currently do notsupport the species, but where habitatenhancements can be made toaccommodate them (this is so thatthere is no net loss of reptilepopulations). Where only small

reptiles in certain areas and makes iteasier to capture them. After usingother methods of capture extensively,more invasive methods of locationand capture may be appropriate. Thismay involve the mechanicalexcavation of the habitat - underexpert supervision - in order to revealsheltering reptiles. Rubble, rock andwood piles can be carefullydismantled by hand to capture reptilesusing them as refuges.

Special fencing prevents reptiles frommoving into areas subject toearthworks and other damagingactivities. This fencing is usually atemporary measure, and is removedonce development is complete.Typically, these temporary fences areconstructed with a plastic sheetmembrane, held in place with wooden

battens. It is important that reptilescannot cross over, under or throughthem. Reptile fences may requireregular maintenance, and in areassubject to high public pressure,putting up security fencing (chain-link, etc) may reduce vandalism.

Timing and phasing considerations

The timing of work is cruciallyimportant, because of the seasonalnature of reptile behaviour. Knowingwhat the animals are doing, andwhere they are likely to be found on asite, will help development to proceedwith minimum disruption. It will alsoavoid harming reptiles and therebycomply with the law. You should onlystart removing reptiles after the

numbers are involved, reptiles may beadded to an existing population solong as some improvements are madeto the habitat. Work to preparerelease sites can include managingscrub/woodland, re-profiling of land,grass/shrub planting, creating egg-laying sites, creating ponds, buildinghibernacula and refuges, andinstalling interpretation boards. Thesite should be made capable ofsupporting reptiles before they arerelocated. Depending on what isneeded, this may take days, months orin some cases (notably for heathlandestablishment) years.

Capture and exclusion

Using artificial refuges helps tocapture most species. The leggedlizards are, however, less oftenassociated with refuges and so requirecapture by hand or by noose.Gradually reducing the amount ofsuitable habitat (for example bystrimming rough grass) concentrates

Heathland is home to many of England's most importantreptile populations.

Jim

Fost

er/E

ng

lish

Nat

ure

Vegetated railway embankments provide ideal habitat forreptiles, allowing them to venture into otherwise unsuitableareas.

Ray

Bir

d/F

LPA

Post-development requirements

For many schemes, you will need toarrange habitat management andreptile monitoring for the post-development period. This should beagreed prior to planning and assuredthrough a Section 106 agreement orsimilar obligation. The timing, natureand responsibilities for the workshould be clearly set out. Thedeveloper is expected to fund theseworks. No specific works arerequired where the developmentwould have a minimal impact.

When a licence is required

Certain activities affecting sandlizards and smooth snakes require alicence. Most commonly, licences areneeded when a project involvesdisturbing and handling them, whenerecting a fence to exclude them, ordestroying key habitat features. Someforms of survey also need a licence,and in this case English Nature is theappropriate licensing authority. For

mitigation projects the licensingauthority is Defra. For a Defralicence, you must demonstrate that:

● the purpose is for “preservingpublic health or public safety orother imperative reasons ofoverriding public interest includingthose of a social or economicnature and beneficial consequencesof primary importance for theenvironment,” and

● “there is no satisfactoryalternative,” and

● “the action authorised will not bedetrimental to the maintenance ofthe population of the speciesconcerned at a favourableconservation status in their naturalrange.”

Licences cannot be grantedretrospectively and are only issued topeople considered competent to dothe work. Several months may berequired for preparing andconsidering an application. Alllicensed work must be completed andreported on to a high standard.

For the adder, grass snake, slow-wormand common lizard you do not need alicence to capture or disturb them, orto damage their habitats. However, thereptiles themselves are still protected,so there is a risk you will commitoffences if damaging the habitatscauses harm to reptiles. EnglishNature expects high standards to bemaintained in all mitigation,


release site (whether within theplanning application area, on adjacentland, or some distance away) isdecided on and properly prepared.

Do not underestimate the amount ofeffort required to capture reptiles -allow for this when planningdevelopment. Often one full“season” (March-September) ofcapture, though on occasions up tothree years, is needed to removereptiles from a site supporting a largepopulation. With smaller populations,or where the impacts of thedevelopment are temporary orminimal, the capture period may beconsiderably shorter. Particular effortshould be directed towards springtime. In summer the reptiles are moredifficult to find and catch, and asmost young animals are born (orhatch out) from July to September,these can be especially time-consuming to find, as well as beingmore delicate. Heavily gravid(pregnant or egg-laden) femalereptiles, found earlier in summer, maybe adversely affected by capture.Moving reptiles in autumn can beproblematic as they may find itdifficult to adjust to the new site intime for the critical hibernationperiod. Capture should not beattempted after animals have soughtrefuge for hibernation, as they aredifficult to find and easily harmed atthis time. In some cases it will benecessary to resume captureoperations the following spring.

Concentrated capture effort onrelatively small areas may removereptiles from those parts of the sitemore quickly. So, it is worthconsidering phasing development andmitigation operations. This can allowdevelopment on parts of the sitebefore you have captured all reptilesfrom the whole site. If you aredeveloping a large area in phasedcompartments over several years, orwhere it has multiple ownership sothat development proceeds in apiecemeal fashion, English Natureexpects there to be a coherentframework for impact assessment andmitigation across the entire area.

16

Reptile receptor sites should be managed to incorporate arange of vegetation heights and structures.

Jim

Fost

er/E

ng

lish

Nat

ure

Constructing log piles in sunny locations can benefitreptiles.

Jim

Fost

er/E

ng

lish

Nat

ure

regardless of licensing control. Theadder is listed under the DangerousWild Animals Act 1976, so amitigation project that involves holdingthem in captivity (which is rare) mayrequire special consideration.

Note: be vigilant for changes inlegislation and planning policy -check with English Nature, plannersor an ecological adviser.

Further advice

English Nature can provide generalguidance, and we encourage developersto seek professional advice for site-specific recommendations. Werecommend using ecologicalconsultants who have experience withreptiles, planning and development.English Nature cannot recommendparticular consultants, but you can findlists of consultants from professionalbodies and published directories. Twosuch directories are: the ENDSEnvironmental Consultancy Directory(Environmental Data Services;www.ends.co.uk), and the Directory ofEcologists and EnvironmentalManagers (produced by IEEM;www.ieem.org.uk). We advise you tocheck that a consultant is appropriatelyexperienced with reptiles andmitigation before issuing instructions,as substandard advice may lead todelays and extra costs. For projectsinvolving sand lizards or smoothsnakes, it is important to ensureexperience with these species, given

their particular needs and legal status.Volunteer groups can often give veryuseful background information onlocal reptile distribution andconservation matters, but aregenerally not best placed to carry outmitigation work.

English NatureNorthminster HousePeterborough PE1 1UATel: 01733 455000www.english-nature.org.uk

English Nature is the Governmentagency that champions theconservation of wildlife and geologythroughout England. We provideadvice on reptile developmentcasework through our Area Teamoffices.

DefraWildlife Integration and ConservationTeamEuropean Wildlife DivisionTemple Quay HouseFloor 1, Zone 10/D2 The Square, Temple QuayBristol BS1 6EBTel: 0117 372 8903www.defra.gov.uk

Defra assists in developing wildlifelegislation, produces guidance forLocal Planning Authorities onplanning policy, and determineslicence applications for mitigation inrelation to developments affectingsand lizards and smooth snakes.

18

The Herpetological Conservation Trust655a Christchurch RoadBoscombeBournemouth BH1 4APTel: 01202 391319www.herpconstrust.org.uk

The HCT specialises in theconservation of the more threatenedspecies, and the implementation ofthe UK Species Action Plans. It hasextensive experience of habitatmanagement for and field study of allEnglish reptiles. The HCT maintainsthe national rare reptile andamphibian database, and can provideinformation on sand lizard andsmooth snake status, as well as adviceon mitigation for these species.

Further reading

BAKER, J., CAREY, R., &SUCKLING, J. 2004. Status of theadder Vipera berus and slow-wormAnguis fragilis in England.Peterborough: English NatureResearch Report, No 546.

BEEBEE, T.J.C., & GRIFFITHS,R.A. 2000. Amphibians and reptiles:A natural history of the Britishherpetofauna. The New Naturalistseries. London: HarperCollins.

BRAY, R., & GENT, T., eds. 1997.Opportunities for amphibians andreptiles in the designed landscape.(English Nature Science No 30.)Peterborough: English Nature.

ENGLISH NATURE. In prep.Reptile mitigation guidelines.Peterborough: English Nature.(Expected late 2004.)

ENGLISH NATURE. 2003.Reptiles in your garden.Peterborough: English Nature.

FOSTER, J., & GENT, T., eds.1996. Reptile survey methods:proceedings of a seminar held on 7November 1995 at the ZoologicalSociety of London's meeting rooms,Regent's Park, London. (EnglishNature Science No. 27.)Peterborough: English Nature.

FROGLIFE. 1999. Reptile survey.Froglife Advice Sheet 10.Halesworth: Froglife.

GENT, T., & GIBSON, S., eds.1998. Herpetofauna WorkersManual. Peterborough: Joint NatureConservation Committee.

HERPETOFAUNA GROUPS OFBRITAIN & IRELAND. 1998.Evaluating localmitigation/translocationprogrammes: maintaining BestPractice and lawful standards.HGBI Advisory Notes forAmphibian & Reptile Groups(ARGs). Halesworth: HGBI, c/oFroglife.

LANGTON, T. 1989. Snakes andlizards. London: Whittet Books.


for developers reptiles: guidelines · reptiles: guidelines for developers sand lizard populations...

Documents