Not Lepidoptera - Reptiles

[Chris]

Hello...

Finally got out with the camera again today and went searching for reptiles... I found plenty of common lizards, no slow-worm, no adders but three grass snakes, including this inquisitive one. It ain't a perfect picture, but I like it.



Oh yeah, saw a small tortoiseshell, 2 Peacocks and a Red Admiral too, all in the south York heathland.

[Gruditch]

Oh fantastic Chris, I spent a few hours looking for snakes today, with no luck, This has given me the incentive, to try again tomorrow.

Gruditch

[eccles]

This adder was seen last week at New Fancy View, Forest of Dean, the first I've seen in many years. Shot through a wire fence, hence the slightly odd haze.

[FISHiEE]

Only just discovered there is a reptiles thread... Pics of two Adders in a newly discovered site just over a mile from my house. First I have found withiong 40 miles of home and I will for sure be visiting there regularly now. The first one was a beauty and almost got flattened as I was scanning the scrub for them as it lay right in the middle of the path. Only just spotted it in time to avoid standing on it! Unfortunately the light wasn't so great so shutter speed was a tad slow for the ground level shots when it decided to scarper! Would have been better off with the 100-400 which was in the bag rather than the 150 macro I had on for butterflies. I'll rectify the mistake next time

[Chris]

Nice shots FishiEE...

Those male adders almost look black and white when newly moulted! I've been in Shropshire this weekend at my brother's wedding; last night I needed to escape from the family so I drove to the Wem mosses in search of adders. Pleased to say there were plenty about... more than I remember in fact, which is a reverse of the fate of the Yorskhire adders I normally look for.

Anyway... though I saw plenty of adders, none were being obliging models, hiding in tussocks of grass. I've got plenty of adder shots from previous years, so I decided to stake out one of the lizards instead that was basking on top of a mossy stump.

150mm macro, at 15". 1/125 @ f/5.6, ISO 200 with flash, on tripod [no crop].

[Padfield]

I don't normally butt in on UK threads when I'm abroad, but I was pleased with this male green lizard I snapped this morning. They are so well camouflaged I normally see them just as they dart away. This time I saw him before he saw me.



Guy

[Chris]

Nice... I wonder why they're called Green Lizards?? it's imagination gone mad.

[Padfield]

The Latin, Lacerta viridis, is hardly more inspired!

There's some beautiful cryptic colouration on this page of reptiles.

Guy

EDIT: Correction - I've just checked, and it's not viridis but bilineata in Switzerland (Quirm's western green lizard with a bit of blue under the chin). Viridis is the eastern species and they hybridise in parts of Italy.

[Pete Eeles]

Speaking of cryptic - I'm sure their scaling was the inspiration for Blockbusters

http://www.ukgameshows.com/page/index.p ... ockbusters

Sorry - been a long day

Cheers,

- Pete

[Padfield]

Can I have a pee, please, Bob?

I suddenly feel very old.

Guy

[eccles]

Nice... I wonder why they're called Green Lizards?? it's imagination gone mad.

It's a contraction from the original name by Leonard of Quirm. They were originally called green lizards with a bit a blue under the chin. Some cracking shots here!

[Denise]

Speaking of cryptic - I'm sure their scaling was the inspiration for Blockbusters

http://www.ukgameshows.com/page/index.p ... ockbusters

Sorry - been a long day

Cheers,

- Pete

Good lord, that takes me back!

[geniculata]

hi all,
Although its not a british native, i was given this little blighter last night, it came from a local nursery garden centre.
more than likely shipped in with plants.
Only 5cm long and freshly hatched, no doubt an egg laid in a plant pot.
Its a turkish gecko (hemidactylus turcicus) a mediterranean species.

gary.

[Dave McCormick]

Great looking green lizard guy! I never new such colourful species of lizard appeared in Europe. Gary, your Turkish Gecko reminds me of the ones a friend of mine is breeding. He has a few, but I am not sure if they are same as one you posted, they are geckos though.

FISHiEE, like the Adder shots. I am a big fan of snakes, exception being poisonous ones for kinda obvious reasons, but I like seeing snakes all the same.

[FISHiEE]

Another couple of shots from last weekend of a baby adder I found. Probably no more than 6 inches long but let me get really close with the macro lens. It has a big hood/shield





Forecast looks good for another butterfly and reptile bonanza

[xmilehigh]

Hi,

Great reptile photo's everyone. Here are a couple from a recent foray to the Mendip hills just outside Bristol. I was also lucky enough to see what I believe is called "Dance of the Adders". N.B there 3 Adders in the second pic.

#1 Adder


#2 3 Adders


#3 Grass snake

[Padfield]

The dancing adders take my breath away.

Guy

[FISHiEE]

Superb shots!

This thread is becoming more popular than the butterfly sightings of late

[Padfield]

Jerry, are the dancing adders competing for the female they're sitting on? I've never seen this behaviour.

Guy

[xmilehigh]

Jerry, are the dancing adders competing for the female they're sitting on? I've never seen this behaviour.

Guy

Hi Guy,

Yes they are competing for the female according to the references I have read. I have seen this twice now and on both occasions a male was courting a female and along comes another male. The two males then rear up and entwine themselves around one another and start to push each other about in a series of very rapid movements. It was all over in a few seconds. It looked like the larger of the male then chased the other away. Quite a thrill to see.