Reptiles and Amphibians in Cumbria
Slow-worm
Reptiles (snakes and lizards) and amphibians (frogs, toads and newts) are often
studied together. These animals cannot control their body temperature and so are
said to be cold-blooded. They need warm conditions before they can become active
and become torpid in cold weather, hibernating in the winter.
All British amphibians require water in which to lay their eggs and for the larvae
to develop. Each spring adult frogs, toads and newts congregate at spawning ponds
to breed. The eggs are laid in the water and hatch into tadpoles or newt larvae.
These feed and grow, gradually developing the limbs and organs of an adult through
the process of metamorphosis.
Reptiles have developed the ability to lay eggs with leathery shells that do not
dry out on land and so do not require water in order to breed. Of the four species
in Cumbria only the Grass Snake actually lays eggs, the other species are able to
develop the eggs inside the body and give birth to live young. This is particularly
useful for reptiles living in our cool, northern climate as the pregnant females
are able to move into warm situations to promote the development of the young inside
them.
Cumbria is fortunate in having all six native British amphibians and four of the
six native British reptiles established in the county. All these species have suffered
population declines through habitat loss and some are protected by law. The best
time of year to look for amphibians is in the breeding season when they gather at
their spawning ponds. Newts are often more active at night and using a torch after
dark can reveal many newts in a pond where non were apparent during the day. Snakes
and lizards are often more obvious in spring when they bask in the sun to warm up.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the following people for sending in their records of reptiles
and amphibians:
Abbott, C., Abbs, M., Adams, Mrs B., Airey, P.N., Alan, G.A.,
Allan, S.E., Allen, Mr S.E., Allen, Ms T., Almond, Mr N.H., Anstee, Mr J.W., Applegarth,
J.H., Aris, D., Armstrong, Mr I., Armstrong, S., Arnside Nat. Hist. Soc., Ashton,
Mr D., Atkin, C.W., Atkins, Mr D., Atkins, Mr R.S., Atty, Mr D.B., Auld, Mr C.,
Bailey, Mr I.S., Bailey, Mrs J., Ballantyne, Mr B., Bamforth, J.S., Bardsley, P.,
Barnes, F., Barnes, Mr P., Baxter, Mr T.C., Baxter, Ms M., Beebee, T., Beeson, Miss
K., Begg, J.M., Bell, Mr D., Benham, D., Bennett, B., Bennett, Mr A., Benson, J.A.,
Bently, D., Billington, Mr G.E., Birchall, Mrs M., Birkett, Birkett, Dr N.L., Birley,
Mr J., Bishop, Mr J., Blackledge, Mr D., Booth, Mr, Bradbury, Mr D., Braithwaite,
Mr C., Brammal, Mrs S., Brodie, I.O., Bruemmer, C., Bruin, D., Brunstrom, G., Bryant,
Mr R., Bullard, Mr P., Caldwell, Carruthers, Mr M., Carter, Mr G., Chaddock, J.,
Chadwick, Mr, Chandler, Mr J., Chandler, Mr J.S., Clark, Mr K., Clark, Ms E., Clark,
R.J., Clarke, J., Clarke, Mr D.J., Clavey, Mrs J.A., Clementson, Mr M., Clowes,
Mrs S., Carlisle Nat.Hist.Soc., Cockshott, Mrs B., Colville, Dr B., Cooper, Mr R.,
Corbett, V., Corder, N., Corner, Dr R., Cowen, Mrs R., Creighton, Mr I., Critchley,
Mr M.B., Croft, Mr M., Cropper, Mr J., Cubby, Mr J., Cumbria Wildlife Trust (CWT),
Custance, Mrs M., Dale, Mr A., Dart, Mr S., Davidson, Mrs C.S., Davies, M., Davies,
Mr I., Davis, A., Davison, Miss H.A., Davison, Y.D., Dearden, Mr O., Denton, Dr
J.S., Dolson, Mr S., Donnison, Mrs E., Dubberley, Mr J., Eastham, Ms H., Elcock,
Miss M., Ellis, Mr D.E., English Nature, Ennis, B., Evans, Ms A., Fearn, Mrs S.,
Fell, Miss C.I., Fisher, Mr T., Flindall, Mr C.C., Forest Enterprise, Foskett, Mrs
P., Franklin, Mr N., French, Mrs M., Galbraith, A., Garner, Mr S., Garner, S.M.,
Garnett, Mr S., Gilbert, Mrs J., Glossop, R., Godfrey, M.R., Godley, B., Grange
and District Nat. Hist. Soc., Green, Ms B., Guerrero, Mrs M., Hallsworth, D., Hamer,
Mr J., Hancock, Ms D.M., Hands, M., Harpley, Mr D., Harris, Mr J.S., Harris, Mrs
T., Harrison, M., Harrison, Mr J.B., Hartley, C., Hawkins, E.E., Hayworth, Mrs,
Hewitt, Mr S.M., Hibbert, L., Higgs, Mr W.J., Hill, Mr T., Hill, Mrs D., Hill, P.,
Hillman, Ms L., Hirst, Mr N., Hodgson, K., Hodgson, R., Hodgson, J., Holland, Mr
J., Holland, Mrs J., Holmes, Mrs, Holmes, Mrs E.J., Homewood, Mr S., Hooson, J.,
Horne, Mr G., Hudson, P., Hunter, Mr A., Hutton, Mr P., Illingworth, Mr P.L., Iveson,
Miss D.A., Jackson, A.R., Jackson, N., James, R., Johnson, S., Jones, C., Jones,
Mr C., Jones, N., Kaighin, C., Keighley, Mr M., Keith, Mrs M., Kelly, Ms P., Kelsall,
Mr J.B., King, E.F., King, Mrs, Kingston, Mr R., Kingston, Ms C., Kinsman, Dr D.J.J.,
Kitchingham, L., Knipe, Mrs D., Knowles, Mr R., Krusman, Dr D.J.J., Kydd, Mr W.,
Laidlow, A.C., Lancaster, A., Laughton, Mrs M., Liddle, Mr D.S., Little, Mr R.,
Longcake, Mrs M.B., Lowther, Ms H., Lurz, Mr P., Lylesfield, Mrs W.M., Macpherson,
Mrs, Makin, Mr B., Marper, Mr I., Marper, Mrs E., Marrs, Mr B., Marshall, Mr A.,
Marshall, H., Martin, Mr J., Martin, Mr J.W., Mason, Mr H., Mason, Ms D., Mawby,
Mr F.J., McAlone, Mr D., McKie, N., McLean, A.J., Merritt, Mr R., Miles, Mr J.,
Miller, Mr J., Miller, Mrs Y., Milligan, Ms K., Mills, A., Mills, Ms S., Molyneux,
Ms V., Moorwood, Mr, Moran, Mr S.A., Morris, R.K.M., Morrison, J.C., Mounsey, Mr
J.D., Mulroie, Mr J., Munday, Mr T., Murthwaite, Mrs B.M., Naylor, Mr G.R., Nesbitt,
Mrs S., Newbery, Mr H., Nicholson, Ms P., Nightingale, Mr D., Nixon, Ms V., Noblett,
Mr H., Nodder, Mr M., Norman, Mr G.M., Norman, Mrs N.J., North, Mr M., Ogden, Ms
J., Ogilvie, W.A., Oliver, Ms S.B.H., Orrel, Mr R., Orrell, Mr & Mrs R, Orrell,
Mrs M., Parker, Mr J.R., Parr, Mrs F., Phillips, Mrs M., Piercy, Mr D., Polmear,
K., Pomfret, Mr R., Posner, R.J., Prigg, Mr R., Purcell, A.R., Radford, Mr D., Randell,
J., Rawes, Mr M., Rawes, Mrs K., Read, Mr R.W.J., Redhead, Mr B., Rhodes, Ms S.,
Rhodes, P.S., Rhone, Miss E.H., Richards, M., Richardson, Mr C., Richardson, Mr
C.J., Rigby, Mr A.S., Roberts, Mr F.J., Roberts, Mrs M., Roberts, Mr J., Robertshaw,
Mr & Mrs, Robertson, Mr L., Robertson, Mr L.R., Robinson, Mrs A., Robinson,
Mr C., Rundle, Miss M.B., Saag, Mrs M.F., Sampson, Ms K., Saunders, Mr R., Schofield,
E.A., Scott, Lady, Scott, Miss A., Scrogham, Mr, Sharkey, Mr R.J., Shepley, Mr A.,
Shield, Mrs S., Shields, Ms S., Shiels, Ms S., Simmons, M., Simpson, Mr C., Smith,
C.A., Smith, D., Smith, Mr R., Smith, Ms P., Solway Shark Watch & Sea Mammal
Survey, Spencer, Dr B., Spencer, Mrs H., Stables, Mr H., Sterry, Ms R., Strutt,
Mr J., Stubbs, Mr D., Taylor, Mrs C.P., Thomason, Mr D., Thomason, Mr M., Thomson,
S., Thornton, Ms P., Timperley, Mr W.G., Tinkler, Mr G., Tipling, Mr A., Townley,
Ms A., Townsend, P., Tuffen, Mr P., Tuffen, Mrs M., Tulloch, Mr M., Tunstall, D.F.,
Tunstall, T., Turnbull, J., Tweddell, Ms M., Ullrich, Mr P., Urquhart, Dr D.R.,
Valentine, Mr C., Wain, Mr M., Walker, G., Walker, Mrs W., Walker, Mr D., Warren,
M.R., Webb, Mr N., Wells, Mr T.J., West, Mr K., Weston, Mr P., White, G., Whittle,
Mr T., Wiggins, Mr P., Wilde, Mr P., Williams, Mrs J., Wills, Mr A., Wilson, M.,
Wilson, mr A, Winchurch, R.E., Winstanley, Lady, Wood, C., Woodhead, Mr D., Worrall,
Mr D., Wright, M., Wright, Mr R., Young, Dr M., Zwicky-Ross, Mr & Mrs P M
