ARG UK

A well deserved award for all his work especially looking into diseases that affect wildlife.

Scary 24-inch ‘Boa Constrictor’ discovered on Welsh mountainside! A massive 24-inch exotic snake has been discovered on a Welsh mountain.

Occurrences of people dumping live or even dead exotic snakes seem to be on the increase. Not only are the snakes likely to perish but there's a risk of transmission of disease vectors to native species.
uk.news.yahoo.com/scary-24-inc...

Hamza's Hidden Wild Isles - Series 1: 1. Spring Wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin spends the spring revealing hidden natural spectacles across the UK. Badgers, adders and nightingales offer memorable and intimate encounters.

I loved
@hamzayassin.bsky.social's Hidden Wild Isles; especially Nigel Hand's passionate plea for adder conservation. These beautiful snakes are declining in UK and desperately need better habitat management and protection @arc-trust.bsky.social @argroupsuk.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

Tiny frog hiding in long grass

Keeping a small area of grass unmown throughout autumn & winter can benefit wildlife. Long grass offers protection to all sorts of creatures, from beetles & bumblebees to frogs & toads.
More ways to create a wild autumn garden:
littlegreenspace.org.uk/features/wild-…
#rewilding #biodiversity

On a survey a grass snake under a cover object is easier to spot compared to ragged pieces of slough caught up in the vegetation. Both on a National Trust site being surveyed by a local ARG

Roofing Felt used for reptile survey is destroyed by a disposable barbecue burning a hole in it.

Use of cover objects for reptile surveys need to be well away from public areas. Now it's not a very useful cover object after it's been used to stand a disposable barbecue on it

Close-up of a Smooth Snake peering out from beneath its own coiled body. Its round, dark eyes and pointed snout peek through a gap in the overlapping, grey-brown scales patterned with subtle darker edges, giving it excellent camouflage against the leaf litter

Conservation sssssuccess! 🐍

16 years after Smooth Snakes were reintroduced to a Devon site, surveys last year recorded 39 individuals, a 25% jump on the previous high of 31 in 2023.

www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happen...

Shed Common Lizard skin in the grass at Aughrim Hill, Mourne Mountains

Juvenile Common Lizard, Aughrim Hill, Mourne Mountains

Juvenile Common Lizard, Aughrim Hill, Mourne Mountains

Fairy thorn, Aughrim Hill, Mourne Mountains

Can now add Aughrim Hill, Attical (Mourne Mountains) to the Common Lizard map for N Ireland. First sign was a shed skin and then 2 juveniles spotted on a sunny bank 26 Sep 2025 @argroupsuk.bsky.social #woodlandtrust #ukwildlife #HSI #reptile #lizard #zootoca #northernireland #nature

A male adder returned close to its hibernaculum. Dartmoor.
@argroupsuk.bsky.social

Booking is open for the 2025 Joint Scientific Meeting from the British Herpetological Society & Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust

Currently the many wet days don't help when reptile surveying. As you say not much time left to find new sites.

💧 Our #rivers are polluted, overheated, & stripped of their natural features

We’re calling on the government to make #SpaceForWater and support a network of nature-rich river corridors across England

✍️ Sign the petition to help restore our rivers: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/72...

It’s a wrap! #SEH2025 has been a blast and it’s been amazing to see old faces but meet so many new ones. Thanks to all that made it such a memorable conference. #Herpetology #Amphibians #Reptiles #SEHCongress2025

My new #WildlifePond has a long way to go, but it will get there!

A group of 3 young Common Lizards huddled together in the grass, at Blackhead Path, Co Antrim (11 September 2025)

Cool today with sunshine & showers at Whitehead, Co Antrim but lots of common lizard sightings! My favourite pic was this trio of juvenile lizards in the grass beside the Blackhead Path @argroupsuk.bsky.social #ukwildlife #HSI #reptile #lizard #zootoca #northernireland #nature

We need your help again.

Coul Links is an extraordinary coastal dune habitat, home to rare and remarkable wildlife.

But it is now threatened for a second time by plans for an 18-hole golf course that would cause irreparable damage.

Your voice could help save it. 👇

Two billboards side by side which state "1 in 9 species in Scotland is at risk of extinction. We need our MSPs to act now!"

🚨BILLBOARD MESSAGE DEMANDS MSPS ACT NOW TO SAVE NATURE 🚨

A pair of billboards appeared on Edinburgh’s busy Market Street today with an urgent message for Scotland’s MSPs.

With 1 in 9 species in Scotland at risk of extinction, MSPs must act now!

www.scotlandlovesnature.scot/billboard-me...

Are you coming to the Vanishing Viper Conference on 6-7 September (or if you aren't). We have organic cotton Ts and hoodies.
greenharedesigns.co.uk/product-cate...
Order direct from Green Hare incl. postage, or free pick up from the event.
DEADLINE FOR CONFERENCE PICK UP ORDERS IS MONDAY 25th AUGUST

Vanishing Viper 2025 - a landscape-level approach to adder conservation The two-day event seeks to unlock the drivers behind adder declines, and how research and landscape-level projects can meet the challenges.

Join us at #vanishingviper2025 - at the University of Chester on 6-7 September 2025. Deadline for registrations is 28th August.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/vanishing-...

Reminder that we are still open for you to offer presentations or workshops for #HWM2026 in Glasgow.
After the #VanishingViper conference in early September work will start organising HWM2026

Timber does seem a favourite for basking lizards

⚠️ The Planning and Infrastructure Bill remains a threat to nature.

The Government has tabled several amendments to Part 3 of the Bill. These amendments have plugged some of the gaping holes in the Bill, but they don’t go far enough.

Read our response: freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/news/respons...

Adders are in serious decline especially in England. Want to find out more about the situation & what is being done, then come to our Vanishing Viper Conference at University of Chester at beginning of September.

Get to know your Yorkshire snakes this #WorldSnakeDay. 🐍

www.ywt.org.uk/blog/jon-traill/snake-grass

📷 Chris Cull

That's a mighty dessication crack in the soil

Devastating as habitat & reptile populations take years to recover, whilst wildfires become more common. Almost all due to human actions including deliberate arson so calling them "wildfires" is a bit of a misnomer.

We need more co-operation between species groups as shown here with Derbyshire ARG & BTO sharing the gazebo.
Also more hands make it easy to put up & take down

First baby lizards of 2025 at Blackhead Path, Co Antrim. Very early again this year (same date as 2023) thanks to a sunny May/June incubation period. @argroupsuk.bsky.social #ukwildlife #HSI #reptile #lizard #zootoca #northernireland #ireland

John - Its a wall lizard not sand lizard. There is a East Yorks wall lizard sighting in Grid Square SE84 logged on Saturday on Record Pool, not been verified yet. Also there is unverified 2021 record in TA03.
E Yorks is not my verification area so can't find out more.

These heaths on calcareous rock used to be more widespread on high ground but the majority have been improved for agriculture
In the Peak District there are 2 limestone heaths both SSSIs remaining, but only 1 is in good condition There are many more location place names which include the word Moor