Amphibian and Reptile Habitat

Our amphibians and reptiles occupy a wide range of habitats, even in some cases totally artificial habitats arising out of human activity. Often, these artificial habitats successfully, albeit accidentally, emulate the characteristics of fast disappearing natural habitats.

There are, however, a small number of habitats which are home to our rarest amphibians and reptiles and, unsurprisingly to is these that receive most of our attention. These habits are briefly detailed below together with some notes about other habitats.

Lowland dry heathland - Britain's most important reptile habitat

The heathlands of southern England are some of the best and most extensive in Europe

The key to saving populations of Britain's threatened reptiles and amphibians is habitat conservation. For rare reptiles, this means a focus on one particular habitat type - lowland dry heathland. Mature open heathland provides exactly the right mix of warmth, cover and abundant food supply as well as the dry conditions for hibernation that these animals need. Heathland is vitally important for the Sand Lizard and the Smooth Snake and it also supports important populations of other reptile species. As a result, the acquisition and management of heathland nature reserves is high on The HCT's agenda.

Heathland, because of its open sunny aspect and sandy soil is a particularly warm habitat. As well as being important for reptiles it also supports many other rare animals and plants, including birds, insects and spiders, many of them on the northern edge of their range. The most important remaining heaths are in Dorset, Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex.

The enigmatic landscape of lowland dry heath is, on a global scale, rarer than tropical rain forest. Despite the fact that in the last 250 years over 85% of our heaths have been lost to forestry, roads, farming, building and mineral extraction, the heathlands of southern England are some of the best and most extensive in Europe. However, much of what remains has become less valuable as good reptile habitat through neglect, inappropriate management and the devastating effect of fires.

As human populations near heathland increase, the habitat comes under recreational pressure, a place to ride horses, or mountain bikes or simply a place to walk. With more people comes the added risk of fire.

Sand Dunes - The Natterjack's Stronghold

Coastal Sand Dunes provide the best habitat in Britain for the Natterjack Toad. Natterjacks need warm water in which to breed and they find this in the shallow pools or slacks that form between the successive ridges of sand dune systems. The Sand Lizard also inhabits this warm sandy habitat but the dune populations are now restricted to a handful of small colonies on the Merseyside coast. This specialised habitat needs careful management, particularly the control of invasive scrub. The HCT undertakes such management and co-ordinates regular monitoring to maintain a complete record of the acutely vulnerable populations of these two threatened species.

Ponds and Scrapes - The Amphibian's Haven

Ponds are small bodies of water up to 2ha in size, which hold water for at least four months of the year. Some form naturally as a result of environmental processes and others are created as a direct result of human activity. Ponds of all types are important landscape features and often are part of the historical and cultural heritage of a region. They are important wildlife habitats supporting a wide variety of wetland plants and animals, many of which are becoming rare or endangered.

Ponds provide very important amphibian breeding sites and are used by all our native newts, frogs and toads. The best amphibian ponds tend to be the smaller, shallower ones which dry up in some years. These ponds do not support fish and tend to have fewer invertebrate tadpole predators than permanent ponds.

Each amphibian species has its own optimum pond conditions for breeding. The rare natterjack toad, for example, needs ephemeral ponds with gently shelving sides and minimal plant growth so that the tadpoles can develop rapidly in warm water with few predators. The pond surroundings are just as vital for toadlet and, later, adult toad survival. The natterjack’s terrestrial habitat must have large areas of very short vegetation or bare ground to hunt over and burrow. Just the right combination of conditions for the natterjacks are found only on sand dunes, upper saltmarshes and some heathlands in Britain.

In contrast, the great crested newt prefers to breed in more permanent ponds, 500 – 700m2 in area, deeper than 50cm, and with lots of water plants. Ideal conditions exist when emergent plants grow over 25 – 50% of the pond and submerged plants in 50 –75% of it. Landscapes with interconnected ponds at a high density (>3 per km2) and an area of about half a hectare of woodland, scrub or other dense ground vegetation provide ideal conditions for the members of the newt population at the different stages of their lives.

SALT MARSH POOLS

Some salt marsh pools provide ideal breeding sites for natterjack toads when the water in them becomes fresh enough. After the main spring high tides, rainfall and water draining from the land gradually make the upper salt marsh pools fresher. Natterjacks select and lay their spawn in ponds which are no longer too saline for eggs and tadpoles to develop. These pools can be very productive but, because of their ephemeral nature, all the spawn or tadpoles can often be lost.

Other habitats

There are a great many other habitats which are used by our amphibians and reptiles. These include hedgerows, woodland and woodland edges, rough pasture - in fact, most forms of naturally occurring habitat can home one or more of the more widespread species.

Equally, man made habitats are often used. Typical examples are road and railway embankments, parkland, school grounds, allotments and, of course the garden. Gardens and allotments in particular can afford people the chance to see some of these lovely animals. The Common Frog, the Smooth and Palmate Newts and the Slowworm are  widespread species that have readily adopted gardens as a substitute for natural habitat. Not only that, but since they all prey on invertebrates, they can truly be a gardener's friend.

Habitat Management Guidance

  Follow this link for an introduction to what we can do to offer guidance with Land Management - or you can also follow these links for guidance in amphibian  and reptile habitat management. A leaflet outlining what can be done to promote amphibian and reptile conservation in gardens or other small areas, such as allotments or school grounds, is available in our downloads section here.