Reptile

Why do I need to consider Reptile surveys?

Reptiles commonly found across the UK are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) as amended. In addition, smooth snakes and sand lizards are also protected by the Conservation of Species and Habitat Regulations (2017) as amended. For smooth snakes and sand lizards, the legislation makes it illegal to deliberately or recklessly:

Capture, possess, sell, control or transport live or dead smooth snakes or sand lizards, or parts of them
Kill, disturb or injure smooth snakes or sand lizards
Deliberately damage or destroy a breeding site or resting place used by smooth snakes or sand lizards
Deliberately or recklessly obstruct access to their resting or sheltering places
Take smooth snake or sand lizard eggs

The more commonly found species of reptile, namely common lizards, adders, slow worms and grass snake, are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) as amended, which makes killing or injuring these species illegal.

Where are they found?

Reptiles can be found across a range of habitats, adders can be found across heathland, whilst slow worms can be found in gardens and allotments, often within compost heaps. The risk of reptiles being present on a site is often related to their local distribution and the habitats across the local area as well as the habitats within a specific site.

When do I need to consider Reptile surveys?

Any plans for proposed development or activity which may impact on reptiles or their habitat must be considered as part of a planning application. Any supporting report should consider the potential impact and any compensation or mitigation required to ensure that these animals will not be harmed by any works and that their local population is not significantly impacted.

Survey requirements and any mitigation or compensation will be dependent on the level of the likely impact to the local population. The loss of connectivity or important habitat are likely to require a greater level of survey, mitigation and compensation to address the impact on the local population.

The following activities could affect reptiles and where proposals require these activities, the development methodology should consider their presence:

excavations and soil stripping.
removing vegetation such as grassland, scrub, hedgerows or woodland or making it unsuitable for use by reptiles
removing potential refuges such as log piles, rocks or building materials piled on the ground
removing functional habitats which link terrestrial areas.

Our ecologists have provided advice for several different sites with varying levels of impact on reptiles, advising on levels of survey work required, avoidance measures to ensure works can proceed with no impact on local populations, or developing suitable mitigation and compensation measures, ensuring projects can proceed with minimal impact.

What does a survey consist of?

The key method for surveying reptiles is to search for them basking on areas of bare ground, wood piles or on rocks or stones. Alternatively, surveyors can lay artificial refuges within survey areas such as roofing felt or corrugated sheeting where basking opportunities are limited. Surveys should be completed under specific weather conditions and ideally between April and May or September.

What can OS Ecology provide?