Derbyshire Amphibian and Reptile Group

About us

About Us

Welcome to Derbyshire Amphibian and Reptile Group we cover the whole of Derbyshire including part of the Peak District National Park.

Our group aims to promote the study and conservation of the amphibians and reptiles of Derbyshire and their habitats. We achieve this by:

raising awareness of the ecology and conservation needs of Derbyshire's amphibians and reptiles
undertaking practical conservation projects
running approximately 20 Toads on Road patrols at locations across the county every spring during the toad migration season
carrying out regular reptile surveys and amphibian surveys
organising amphibian and reptile training sessions for members and the public
providing advice and information and answering queries for the public
developing recording, monitoring and research intitatives
providing a forum for those interested in amphibians and reptiles
working in partnership with other relevant organisations

We hope our website will help you to find the information you are looking for, but if you still have a query, please contact us and we will do our best to help.

Derbyshire ARG always welcome new members to the group, please email us on derbyshirearg@gmail.com to join. There is a membership subscription of £5 per year, though that is reviewed at every AGM..

We are very grateful for any records of amphibians and reptiles in your local area that you can pass to us as it helps in mapping the distribution of species and protecting their known habitats. Either contact us directly or use the Record a sighting tab on this website.

The group is run by a committee which is elected at the AGM each year. For 2024 - 2025 the committee elected at the AGM on 13th January 2024 are:

Chair - Kelvin Lawrence, Vice Chair - Christian Murray-Leslie, Secretary - Chris Monk, Treasurer - Jayne Thompson
Committee members - Garry Dorrell, Richard Fenn Griffin, Chris Hallam, James Longley, Sheila Stubbs and Ben Wyke

Kelvin Lawrence is also the Derbyshire Toad Crossings Co-ordinator for the Group & for Froglife

See a previous newsletters here

January_2021_DARG_newsletter_31.pdf

August_2020_DerbyshireARG_newsletter.pdf

February_2020_DARG_Events_newsletter.pdf

DARG_April_2019_newsletter.pdf

DARG_January_2019_newsletter.pdf

Derbyshire ARG data policy

DARG_data_protection_policy_November_2018.pdf

News

Toad Crossing preparations

Posted on Sunday 20th March, 2016

The cool dry weather has delayed the start of the toad migration season this spring but patrol members have finished installing the temporary toad warning highway signs at locations across the county. All we are waiting for now is some mild and damp weather to encourage the toads to start returning to their breeding ponds.

Events

Show Past Events

Reptile Surveys

Fri 12th April, 2024 - Sat 5th October, 2024

We will be completing a series of reptile surveys across the summer and early autumn of 2024, open to anybody and no knowledge of reptile surveys is needed.

We have refugia (cover object) surveys out at Hassop near Bakewell, Linacre Reservoirs near Chesterfield and Hardwick Hall near Doe Lea. Hassop has been running for 10 years and is monitoring slow-worms and common lizard. We were asked to help set up refugia surveys at Linacre by Severn Trent Water's Ranger where we have monitored grass snakes and checked on common lizard by visual surveys at a separate location on the site. At Hardwick we have assisted the National Trust Rangers in setting up a refugia survey this year to help assess the grass snake population.

In addition we are carrying out visual transect surveys at the Peak District National Park Authority's North Lees Estate to determine the status of Common Lizard across this large estate. There is a mixture of habitats there including the gritstone edges and dry stone walls, dwarf shrub heath, large areas of bracken domination, acid grassland fields, woodland plantations and some wetland and flushes.

Stanage surveys are planned for 27th July, 9th August, 7th & 14th September and 5th October

Hardwick Hall surveys are planned for 23rd August, 21st September and 4th October

Linacre surveys are planned for 12th July, 30th August and 27th September

Hassop surveys are planned for 20th July, 30th August and 28th September

Book a place on the surveys by emailing the Group at derbyshirearg@gmail.com

Hardwick grass snake

Grass snake at Hardwick June 2024

DaNES autumn show

Sat 9th November, 2024 - Sat 9th November, 2024

We will be attending again this year for the DaNES Insect Show 2024 at the Brackenhurst Campus of Nottingham Trent University. A large number of natural history & environment conservation societies and organisations have displays at the event and there will be a programme of talks. This is open to the public or anyone with an interest in biodiversity.

Derbyshire ARG will probably be joined by Notts ARG for a joint herpetological stand.

Further details nearer the date.

National Forest pond walk

Sun 13th April, 2025 - Sun 13th April, 2025

This year's pond and amphibian event for the public, organised in conjunction with Groundwork will be at the National Forest's Feanedock Wood at Moira.

Further details nearer the time