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:
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 2021 - 2022 the committee elected at the AGM on 10th November 2021 are:
Chair - Kelvin Lawrence, Vice Chair - Christian Murray-Leslie, Secretary - Chris Monk, Treasurer - Jayne Thompson
Committee members - Garry Dorrell, Richard Fenn Griffin, Zoe Lingard, James Longley, Sheila Stubbs, Trevor Taylor and Ben Wyke
Kelvin Lawrence is also the Derbyshire Toad Crossings Co-ordinator for the Group & for Froglife and Richard Fenn Griffen moderates our Facebook page
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
The first results are back from the eDNA water samples taken by the group on the GCN training course day and on the field trip in May.
The water sample from the pond at Hilton Gravel Pits SSSI nature reserve came back negative for great crested newts, so they appear to be avoiding this pond which probably has more fish than the one we saw at the time of sampling.
The village mere pond sampled on the field trip and the restored field dewpond both near Hartington came back as positive for great crested newts.
The results from the pond sampled as part of Freshwater Habitats Trust PondNet project will be know later in the year.
Derbyshire ARG organised a field survey trip at the end of May to carry out water sampling for sending away to test for the presence of great crested newt environmental DNA in water bodies.
The first site in the morning was to carry out the GCN eDNA sampling and pond habitat survey for Freshwater Habitats Trust's PondNet project. The large field pond near Pilsbury in the Peak District was the water body selected by FHT and members completed the survey and took the water samples. The result of the eDNA sampling will be known later in the year.
The group then moved on to sample two other ponds a few miles away to take additional eDNA samples for analysis by ADAS. A village mere restored in the 1980's by the Peak District National Parlk Authority was sampled first and the eDNA result was positive for the presence of great crested newts.
A circular field dewpond near Hartington that was restored in 2012 by the Peak District National Parlk Authority from its previous silted and leaking condition was then visited. The eDNA water sample was positive for the presence of great crested newts, confirming that it was worthwhile to have restored this pond which had no previous amphibian records. Whilst taking the samples frog and toad tadpoles and a female smooth newt were seen meaning that this pond supports 4 amphibian species.
A third eDNA sample taken earlier at one of the ponds on Hilton Gravel Pits SSSI nature reserve for Derbyshire Wildlife Trust returned a negative result for great crested newt presence, which was not surprising as it has a connection to a fishing lake and a fish was seen during the sampling.
After yet another late season, not really starting until the end of March the road patrols have now finished for this year. Seems to have been a definite gradient across the county with patrols in the south of the county mostly having higher numbers this year, those in the central part being down on each of the last two years and those in the northwest having a very poor year.
At 6 of the sites male toads were measured for the ARGUK Toadsize project.
Dates have been fixed for member's spring visits to sites where we have reptile surveys running this year.
At present one survey is running at Hassop in the Peak District National Park in co-operation with the National Park Ranger Service and another is at a Derbyshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve near Cromford.
A smaller survey may be added this spring at another site close to Cromford and further dates announced for later in the year.
Third time lucky as was cancelled in 2020 & 2021 due to Covid.
Chesterfield local group of the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's Avenue Washlands Nature Reserve event off Mill Lane at Wingerworth Main event running from 10.00 to 16.00
We will be having a stall and running pond dipping sessions at 12.00 and 14.30 Pond has good range of invertebrates and smooth & great crested newts.
Other species groups will be doing bird ringing at 07.00 and moth trapping at 22.00
Reptile survey visit to Severn Trent Water's Linacre Reservoirs near Chesterfield which has records for grass snake and common lizard. As well as a visual survey on site we will be checking cover objects which were laid out in March this year.
Please email the group on derbyshirearg@gmail.com to book a place. Car parking charges apply (£3.00 for over 2 hours)
Survey dependent on weather conditions so may be postponed to a new date if continuous rain is forecast for the day.
Photo showing Severn Trent volunteers putting out the cover objects at one location on the site
Reptile survey for the Stanage Forum. This visit will be to survey the North Lees, Dennis Knoll and Long Causeway sections of the estate.
Further details to follow
Common lizard on wall near Dennis Knoll
Reptile survey for the Stanage Forum. This visit will be to survey the Cattis-side Moor and Stanage Plantation sections of the estate.
Further details to follow
Long term reptile survey on asite that has slow-worms, common lizard and also occasional toads.
More details to follow
A second reptile survey visit to Severn Trent Water's Linacre Reservoirs near Chesterfield which has records for grass snake and common lizard. As well as a visual survey on site we will be checking cover objects which were laid out in March this year.
Please email the group on derbyshirearg@gmail.com to book a place. Car parking charges apply (£3.00 for over 2 hours)
Survey dependent on weather conditions so may be postponed to a new date if continuous rain is forecast for the day.
Photo showing Severn Trent volunteers putting out the cover objects at one location on the site
Derbyshire ARG will be having a stand at the annual Derbyshire County Council Countryside Service's Woodland Festival.
Free event open each day from 10.00am to 5.00.pm. Car parking charges apply.
For Toad Crossings and to contact our Derbyshire Toad Crossings Co-ordinator please email derbyshirearg.toads@gmail.com
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