TheNewForest

Factsheet Reptile Centre

Adder Adders do have a dangerous bite, but they rarely use it on humans.Where to spot them... These animals are out every day, unless the weather is really cold. Look in front of the bushy bit at the back, there’s a hollow they love to lie in, or on the ‘snake’ log on the right. Food... Favourite food are small rodents, such as mice. Like all snakes they swallow their prey whole - they have no chewing teeth!Distinguishing features... Bold, dark zig-zag along back, red cat’s eyes, no yellow neck markings. They can grow to 60cm and can live for about 20 years.

Pod 2

Slowworm

As you look around the habitats, or ‘pods’

as we call them, look closely & be patient.

All our native wildlife is shy & elusive, the

reptiles & amphibians are no exception –

apart from the adders here, who are the

Centre’s show-offs!

Welcome to the New

Forest Reptile CentreOur aim is to show you all the reptiles

& amphibians that live, or have lived in

recent times, in the New Forest - which

are in fact all the reptiles & amphibians

native to the UK mainland.

Pod 1

This pod is shared by common lizards, common frogs,natterjack toads & slow worms.

They look like snakes, but

are actually lizards!

Where to spot them... They are

common throughout the New

Forest. Spending most of

their time underground.

Food... Favourite food are

slugs and worms.

Distinguishing features... Small

scales, metallic appearance,

‘no neck’. Females and juveniles

often have stripes along their backs.

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more about

your forest &

woodlands

visit...

lizardLook for lizards basking

on the logs, in the summer

you should see tiny babies too.

Where to spot them... The common

lizard lives the furthest north of

any lizard. They are widespread

throughout the damper heaths.

Scientific name... Their scientific

name, Zootoca Vivipara, refers

to the fact they give birth to live

young (they are ‘viviparous’).

Food... Favourite food are insects.

Distinguishing features... Usually

a dark brown, streamlined body.

Common

Common

frogA favourite with children, common

frogs could be anywhere around the

ponds, but you’ll have to look hard.

Where to spot them...They will

spend a lot of time away from water

& are much more active than toads

– they are much better leapers!

Food...Favourite food are insects.

Distinguishing features...Stand

prouder, are slimmer (than common

toads) & their skin is smooth.

Natterjacks are Britain’s rarest toad,

and are now not found in the New

Forest. The only way to save them

is through habitat conservation.

Where to spot them... you might see them

on the big, mossy log at the front of the pod.

Food... Favourite food are snails and worms.

Distinguishing features... Their croak

is said to be the loudest of any

amphibian in Europe and they have

a yellow stripe down their back.

Natterjack

toad

Welcome to the New

Forest Reptile Centre

Pod 5

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more about

your forest &

woodlands

visit...

We have had great breeding

success here in recent times, but

the best way to conserve them is to

safeguard their heathland habitat.

Where to spot them... Along with the Smooth

Snakes these are our rarest reptiles. You will

have to watch for them carefully in the pod.

Food... Favourite food are insects.

Distinguishing features... More pronounced

markings on male and female, fatter

and squatter (than common lizard),

male is bright green in summer.

They have no venom, they

strike out and stun their prey,

then swallow it down whole.

Where to spot them... They may be

seen basking in front of the bushy ferns,

but are very easily disturbed. They like

water and will often cool off in it.

Food... Favourite food are

frogs and toads.

Distinguishing features... No zig-zag,

prominent yellow neck markings.

They are the largest of the snakes

and can be over 90cm long!

Pod 8

Pod 6

Home of the Cumbrian

natterjacks! These toads as with

the sand lizards, are helping to

save the species in the UK.

Both are being bred here at the

centre and their babies are helping

to top up established populations

in the wild as part of a programme

organised by the Amphibian and

Reptile Conservation trust (ARC), check

out their website: arc-trust.org

Where to spot them... There are

newts in some of the pods, but

they are harder to spot. Spot them

when they come up to gulp air

at the surface in hot weather.

Cumbrian

natterjack

Pod 3

Pod 4

These are not necessarily

considered native frogs, they

have been introduced, although

they include the pool frog, which

may be native to East England.

Where to spot them... They

are often to be seen floating by

the edge of the big pond, with

their heads sticking out.

Food... Favourite food are

insects and snails.

Distinguishing features... Large

frogs, more powerful leap and

croak (than common frog),

not always green.

TheNewForest

Factsheet Reptile Centre

Often only about 30cm long,

they are the smallest of the

three snakes and can easily be

confused with a slow worm.

Where to spot them... These are

hard to spot - in the wild and in the

pod! They will spend a lot of time

coiled around the stems of heather.

Food... Favourite food are Slow Worms!

Distinguishing features... Ace of

clubs marking (or ‘crown’, hence their

scientific name Coronella) on head,

definite neck, silky appearance.

Smooth

snake

Grasssnake

Sandlizard

Greenfrog

Commontoad

Common toads are not particularly

‘common’ now because of the lack

of farm ditches and ponds. Whilst

they spend most of their year away

from the pond in damp places,

they need a pond to breed in.

Where to spot them... Look round

the sandy patch in the front because,

as in the wild, they will often sit for

hours and hours in a favourite spot,

waiting for food to come along!

Food... Favourite food are

insects and worms.

Distinguishing features...

Flat, fat and warty.

Pod 7

The pods around the other side are frog or toad pods. The first one

is the green frog pod...