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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.
forestry.gov.uk/visit
Find out
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
forestry.gov.uk/visit
Find out
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...