For my PhD, I need to catch lizards to take a mouth swab to retrieve a DNA sample. In comes the lizard lasso! A fishing rod with a small lasso loop tied to the end, I sneak up on lizards as they bask and (hopefully) slip them into the lasso 🦎

This week marked the true beginning of my PhD, where we got out and collected our first common lizard DNA samples! This will all feed into mapping lizard population genetics across the UK, and to hopefully work towards a brighter future for these little guys in the age of nature's decline 🤙🦎

Here are the viviparous lizard and toad! 🐸🦎

Spring has certainly arrived in the UK with the first herp sightings of the year this week! 🐍🦎🐸

✅️Common frog (Rana temporaria), pair in amplexus
✅️Common toad (Bufo bufo)
✅️Smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris)
✅️Viviparous lizard (Zootoca vivipara)
✅️European adder (Vipera berus)

Thanks to all who turned out in the cold and damp weather to set up our reptile survey at Chasewater.
A collaborative effort between BBCARG, SASARG and the Chasewater rangers, this is the first crucial step in mapping herps across the site! 🦎 🐍 🐸

Photos thanks to Steve Holland

A selection of before and after pics from heathland habitat management at some of the Walsall heaths we monitor.

Without intervention the heath would succeed into birch and pine woodland, outcompeting the heather that gives the structure needed for common lizards to bask 🦎 Lizard surveys to follow!

Just look at the scale patterns on this common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) 🦎
I can't wait for these guys to wake up again, spring cannot come soon enough!