On Tuesday our scientific officer Stephen was joined by students from @newquayuniversitycentre to do some habitat management, and perhaps spot some of the local wildlife.

Habitat management is a key part in protecting our native reptiles and amphibians. By making the site suitable for them, it provides prime habitat for them in order to thrive.

They also did some updates on some reptile mats, another tool used to survey the populations which are used in ongoing studies!

We are very excited to announce our 3rd annual photography competition!

Have you spotted one of our native reptile or amphibians in Cornwall?

Fancy yourself a photographer? Why not enter our free competition? We have categories for different age groups as we want to see everyone get involved!

Aside from a few rules which can be seen on our poster there is no theme so you can be as creative as you would like!

Prizes will be rewarded for the best!

The 2021 AGM was held online on 23rd March 2022. Normally this would have been done back in September but was delayed for various reasons.

Some of the main discussion points included:

• The need for a replacement Chair since Nicola Morris stepped down for personal reasons. Stephen and Alice have been operating jointly as Acting Chairs and agreed to continue at least until the 2022 AGM in September.
• Membership is strong and we would like to organise more events for members, though this will take a lot of consideration. We may decide to arrange a collaborative event with DRAG.
• Our Zoom Pro subscription was a large expense last year but was useful during lockdown for our presentation series which we held online. We need to consider whether it would be worth re-subscribing or if similar talks could be done using Microsoft Teams.
• Record Pool received a big surge of records from Cornwall last year. We should also consider other recording platforms such as ARGWeb and LivingRecord which allow structured effort surveys and regular monitoring to be recorded.
• Carn Moor, one of our flagship sites where we have collected a lot of high-quality data, was impacted by the Saint Trails development project. This project has now stopped in activity and is not likely to continue. Habitat clearance had gone ahead which we knew would likely impact one of our main areas of interest. Emily who is the site champion has gathered fantastic data, recording every week in 2021. This data will help in doing a population estimate and survival detection of slow worms.
• New refugia has bee placed at Breney Common and students are surveying the site as part of their honours project studies.
• We have been invited to the Penryn BioBlitz. Alice will attend with a stall and run a pond dipping activity.

• The Herpetofauna Workers meeting will be taking place in June, and it would be good to have some representation from Cornwall.

Article written by T. Nicholls

Reading time: minute and a half.

In 2019, Cornwall Reptile and Amphibian Group was able to invest into a pond dipping kit with the money raised through membership fees and donations, allowing the group to provide outreach workshops to the public, schools and community groups in Cornwall.

Since its purchase the kit has been a fantastic tool in helping to engage the public with our native amphibian species and raising awareness of the importance of local ponds as aquatic ecosystems. The pond dipping events have also provided the space and opportunity to engage with wider conversations on climate change, pollution and habitat decline.

In addition to this outreach work the pond dipping kit is also helping to collect valuable data, which is then uploaded onto Record Pool, a website that collects data on herpetofauna in the UK, and ERCCIS (Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly). Contributing towards larger data sets locally and internationally for science and conservation.

Although much of these activities ceased during the Covid pandemic in 2020 to 2021, as restrictions begun to ease, the kit was soon back out of storage and is currently being used by local Duke Of Edinburgh students volunteering their Wednesday afternoons helping to manage their local green and blue spaces.

So, if any CRAG members or volunteers would like to organise an event and use the pond dipping equipment please feel free to contact the Chair to organise collection of the kit. Just remember to follow the present Covid government guidelines and biosecurity procedures (check-clean-dry) to stop the spread of invasive aquatic species.

We spoke with Patricia Turner about her winning shot!

How did you hear about the CRAG photography competition 2021?

I heard about the competition when I posted my adder picture on Facebook and a friend of mine who is into herpetology told me I should let CRAG know about the record.  I was told about the photo competition after reporting the sighting.  

What interests you about our native reptiles and amphibians?

I am from Texas and North Carolina, and just moved to England last year.  I have a MS degree in Entomology,  but I've always been fascinated by reptiles as well,  and gained a very healthy respect for them after being bitten by a baby copperhead a few years ago.  When I moved here,  I was very much wanting to see an adder, as I really love their patterns and red eyes.  There aren't nearly as many reptiles and amphibians here as there were in the US, so every sighting is super special.  

What were your thoughts when taking your photo?

When my husband spotted the adder on the rocks in a harbour in Cornwall,  I couldn't believe it. What a strange place to see an adder - but I was shaking with excitement while getting a good picture. I've always been into photography,  and what a great opportunity to take a picture of such a beautiful baby snake! 

How do you feel about winning? 

It is fantastic to win in this competition, and it is my wish that everyone understands how special these animals are, and can help conserve them, or at least do no harm.  Thank you very much! 

Patricia