Amphibian ladders invented right here in Angus are attracting attention far and wide – now Republic of Korea is trialing the technology in deadly concrete rice field trenches.

In recent years concrete trenches have been appearing all over RoK in an effort to “improve” drainage and irrigation of paddy fields.  It seems though that no impact study was carried out, as the trenches are deadly traps for thousands of amphibians and other small animals.  The trenches surround the paddy fields on all sides, meaning that the previously perfect summer breeding grounds for many of the amphibian species that use them are now cut off from the surrounding habitat. 

The trenches are impassable to amphibians and entire populations are at risk of falling into them, with no means of escape.  Clearly the problem has since been realised as some of the concrete sections in certain areas have been replaced with a design which includes an in-built “staircase”.  However it costs thousands of dollars per section to carry out the modification, which many authorities cannot afford.

Dr. Nial Moores, director of Birds Korea, an NGO concerned with the conservation of birds and their habitats in the region first recognised the problem in 2015.  He found hundreds of black spotted pond frogs trapped in a trench on Baengnyeong Island.  As fast as he could rescue them, more were falling in.  This sparked an initiative on his part to research the issue and through the powers of the internet, came across our amphibian ladder, currently supplied exclusively by the British Herpetological Society. 

At Dr. Moores’ invitation, Trevor Rose of Friends of Angus Herpetofauna and British Herpetological Society traveled to RoK and spent eight days meeting with influential government officials and land owners, demonstrating ladder manufacture and installing a small number of trial ladders at two sites, one on Baengnyeong Island and one at Yeoncheon in the north of the mainland.

Trevor said “It’s heart-breaking to see such huge numbers of frogs dying in this way.  There’s literally no safe passage between terrestrial foraging and hibernation sites to breeding grounds without encountering these death traps.”

 “There are thousands of kilometres of these concrete trenches all over RoK and it will take many thousands of ladders to safeguard them.  We are hopeful in the long term that these trenches will be removed and the traditional dug-out drainage ditches reinstated, which provide good habitat rather than destroy it”.

He continued “Losing so many frog populations will have a devastating effect on biodiversity, removing a natural predator of rice field pests and an important food source of higher predators such as birds, fish, reptiles and mammals.  Protecting these frogs in the long term can only have a positive effect on the entire ecosystem”.

See images in our gallery and read more on this subject with more images in Dr. Nial Moores’ blog at:

 http://www.birdskoreablog.org/?p=22925

A new record for the Smooth Newt, Lissotriton vulgaris, has been found in Angus, only the second on record that has been verified for the species in the county.

The discovery was made during an amphibian survey at Loch of Kinnordy, near Kirriemuir, a site managed by the RSPB.  Anna Jemmett and Vicky Turnbull of RSPB were accompanied by Trevor and Abigail Rose of Friends of Angus Herpetofauna and Yon Halotel, a student intern with SWT for the night-time search, and were amazed to find 9 males and 1 female smooth newt amongst a fen of the loch.

“This is an incredible discovery.  Smooth newts are very scarce in the north east of Scotland and we had virtually written off any chance of finding new records”, said Trevor.  “There is only one other known site where smooth newts exist in Angus (Barry Buddon), and we are certain they originated from England when ponds were dug around 20 years ago then stocked with water plants from the south.  The origin of the Kinnordy population is unknown but there is every reason to believe this could be a relict population that has been missed by biological recording up to now”.

Anna Jemmett, one of the RSPB wardens responsible for the site said “We are very pleased to add this fantastic creature to our species list for Loch of Kinnordy.  It’s a great addition to an already wide range of species that use the site alongside the incredible abundance of bird life”.

Wardens initially got excited about the presence of newts at the loch when efts (newts in the larval form) were found during their annual “bioblitz”.  However, such young newts can only be identified to genus, not to species level, so their true identity remained unknown until now.

“We knew there were newts here but presumed they would be Palmate newts, which are widespread across Angus and the rest of Scotland”, Trevor said.  “Finding adults had proven to be quite difficult at the site due to the tricky surveying conditions presented by the boggy, highly vegetated habitat.  When we finally located them, catching one or two was equally tricky, but when we did manage to capture one we were absolutely gob-smacked to find they were Smooth newts, much less common in Scotland than the closely related Palmate variety”.

Smooth newts are very common south of the border but tend not to be found in the north of the UK due to the acidic water quality associated with peaty soils and pine woodland.  Palmate newts are more tolerant of acidic conditions and thrive in these environments, but Smooth newts prefer neutral pH or slightly alkaline.

Anna Jemmett said “Interestingly, Loch of Kinnordy is alkaline.  The fact that we have now proven the presence of Smooth newts shows how nature can back-up the science!”

The discovery of Smooth newts at Kinnordy now poses a raft of unanswered questions and may become the subject of studies into the extent of their local range by surveying neighbouring ponds and waterways, connectivity corridors, etc as well as researching the history of the loch and possible origin of the population.

A huge oceanic reptile washed up on the shores of St. Cyrus beach last Friday (8th January 2016).  The leatherback turtle, the largest turtle species in the world, was thought to have been overcome by heavy seas whipped up by the tail-end of storm Frank.

The massive turtle, 1.5 metres long was spotted by Ian McKay who walks the beach daily and it was later recovered by a team from Scotland’s Rural College.  Despite its size, this individual was less than average size for the species, so probably a young, sub-adult turtle.

Leatherback turtles wander thousands of miles across the seas in search of jellyfish swarms, their specialist food.  That is what brings them to the shores of the UK, where they are frequently recorded in the Irish Sea and Western Isles.  Only rarely do they venture in to the colder North Sea, and most sightings are recorded in the summer months, so this turtle was off the beaten track and out of season, which may have contributed to its demise.

These leviathans range across the globe, with distinct populations in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The Pacific leatherbacks have declined significantly in recent decades, and although the Atlantic race seems to be faring better, all turtles are threatened and endangered.  Leatherbacks are particularly vulnerable to ingesting plastic bags and other materials which they mistake for their favourite jellyfish food.  All turtles can become entangled in ropes and fishing nets and frequently drown when they cannot resurface for air.  Longline fishing is also a major cause for concern for marine turtle conservationists.

Go our Gallery to see an image of the St. Cyrus turtle.

For more of pictures of the turtle including the recovery, go to local photographer Andy Thompson's website: www.atimages.com/p460095677/h602d0804#h602d0804

• There are less than a dozen records for leatherback turtles on the north east coast of Scotland, compared to hundreds on the west coast and over 2000 in total around the UK
• The St Cyrus specimen is the first to be recorded by NESBReC, our local records centre (they have over 1.2 million other species records!)
• The scientific name for the leatherback turtle is Dermochelys coriacea
• Leatherback turtles have been around for 150 million years and survived the extinction of the dinosaurs
• Leatherback turtles are so called because their carapace is a tough, fleshy skin rather than a shell comprised of individual scutes as in other turtles
• The carapace, with its concave dorsolateral ridges, allows them to dive deeper than any other turtle species; the deepest dive recorded on a satellite tracked specimen was 1280m.  Only sperm and beaked whales can dive deeper.
• At such depths, the carapace actually compresses and the body narrows under pressure
• Leatherback turtles can stay under water for over an hour on deep dives
• Leatherbacks, although classed as cold-blooded reptiles, are able to maintain their core body temperature to some extent as a result of gigantothermy (also seen in large crocodilians).  This allows them to operate in colder, northern seas where their prey is particularly abundant
• Leatherback turtles eat jellyfish with specialised teeth and jaws.  The food source is mostly comprised of water; only the jellyfish reproductive organs offer any form of substantial food material so they must consume large quantities in order to survive
• Leatherback turtles, like other marine and freshwater reptiles, must return to shore to lay their eggs; females haul themselves onto beaches and dig a nest with their flippers above the tide line, lay their eggs (up to 100 in each clutch), back-fill the nest and return to the sea.  A female may repeat this several times in a season
• Males never come to shore at any time in their life
• The Atlantic leatherbacks nest on beaches in Costa Rica, the Caribbean Islands, French Guiana and Surinam
• Leatherback turtles may spend the first 20 or 30 years of their life at sea, before they reach maturity and return to the same beach where they were hatched
• Leatherbacks can reach over two metres in length.  The largest individual ever recorded was washed up on a Welsh beach in 1988; it measured 2.4m long and weighed in at 900kgs!

The study results from the local Amphibian Ladder Trial undertaken by Friends of Angus Herpetofauna have now been published by the British Herpetological Society.

The important study, the first of its kind in the UK, has been trialling the use of Amphibian Ladders as a means for toads, frogs and newts to escape certain death from gullypot entrapment.

Results show that more than 70% of amphibians falling into gullypots will use the ladders as a means to escape.  The paper (McInroy & Rose, 2015), published in the latest edition of the Herpetological Bulletin, also provides photographic evidence of toads climbing the ladders and extricating themselves back through the gullypot grating to freedom.  The 2014 trial used hessian-backed steel strips for ladders and the results demonstrated that individual amphibians were able to climb them.  However, hessian was a substitute material of lower quality than the preferred type (Enkamat® - a loosely woven nylon mesh) and the authors expressed concern that gravid female toads especially, and pairs of toads in amplexus, were not recorded as escaping on the hessian ladders.

The ladders in the Dundee study area were upgraded to Enkamat® for 2015 and the trial continued.  Preliminary results (unpublished data) from the 2015 trial are indicating that gravid females and amplexing pairs can manage the near-vertical climb on the Enkamat® ladders, and once again photographic evidence has been captured.

The authors plan a follow-up paper for 2015 to update the new findings.  The British Herpetological Society are so excited about the ladder solution that they have endorsed the ladders as a branded product, and have offered to provide them to prospective clients via their online shop, with all proceeds being fed back into UK conservation projects.

It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of amphibians fall to a certain death in gullypots every year.  Whilst the ladders offer a retrofit solution to the problem that can be adapted to suit local conditions and gullypot types, the authors are keen to promote the use of alternative, gully-free drainage systems such as swales and permeable surfaces as the best amphibian-friendly way forward in new developments.

For a free pdf copy of the Amphibian Ladder paper, please email secretary@thebhs.org

Reference:
McInroy, C. & Rose, T. A. (2015) Trialling amphibian ladders within roadside gullypots in Angus, Scotland: 2014 impact study. Herpetological Bulletin 132, pp15-19.

Angus Council has published its first formal Biodiversity Report, outlining the work it’s carried out to support wildlife and the local environment during the last three years.

The Nature Conservation ( Scotland ) Act 2004 places a duty on all public bodies to ‘further the conservation of biodiversity’ (also known as ‘Biodiversity Duty’) in the course of carrying out their responsibilities. The report highlights the council’s commitment over the last three years in delivering on this duty.

A council spokesperson said: “In Angus we are lucky to have one of the most biologically rich areas in the country – from the golden eagle in the uplands, the red squirrels in our woodlands, to the farmland barn owls and seabirds and small blue butterflies on the coast. Today’s report highlights the council’s responsibilities to conserve this biodiversity.

“The council works with partner agencies including community planning partners and nature conservation bodies to conserve this special natural heritage. Such partnerships are vital and working together we are developing the best ways to do this - and at the same time, contributing to other policies and initiatives.

“However it is not all about actions and targets – by involving the local communities and council officers in many of these projects, this has helped to raise awareness of a range of biodiversity issues across the county and enabled many people to call a project their own. This in itself creates a ripple effect of more work being achieved and many more of our important Angus species and habitats being safeguarded.”

A key project featured in the report is managed by Friends of Angus Herpetofauna, a group of local volunteers and enthusiasts have worked with the Angus Council road team on pioneering work, the first British Amphibian Ladder trials in the UK and they are now installed in three locations across the county including the Angus Council campus at Orchardbank campus, Forfar. Migrating amphibians frequently fall into gulleypots and remain entrapped, unable to escape and recent trials of the ladders show that they can provide escape for 73% of trapped amphibians.

Friends of Angus Herpetofauna are also launching their ‘Amphibians in drains project 2014’ report. The report highlights the success of the ladder trial and how they are keen to identify amphibian migration crossing points, install ladders and set up Toad Patrols, which involves the recruitment of volunteers to collect amphibians with torches and buckets to help them across busy roads where they might otherwise be killed by passing road traffic. Angus Environmental Trust funded wildlife kerbs at a key toad and frog crossing point at Monikie Country Park . During the migration period in March, 60 local volunteers over 14 nights took part and more than 1300 amphibians were rescued from the road.

It is hoped that in the future that an Amphibian Priority Zone mapping project will be possible for inclusion in the future Local Biodiversity Action Plan. A second edition will be published later this year which will guide local projects for the period 2015 to 2025.