Slithering success for UK’s most secretive snake
- The Easy Snake is the UK’s rarest native reptile, discovered solely on dry heathlands in southern England and restricted to websites in Dorset, Hampshire and Surrey.
- Reintroductions to revive the historic vary of Easy Snakes features a website in Devon the place the RSPB, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) and Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Belief have labored collectively to spice up numbers – 39 people have now been recorded, a 25% improve from the earlier survey.
- Their improve is due to the devoted monitoring and conservation efforts by reserve groups, volunteers and companions to revive and defend treasured heathland habitat that additionally advantages a spread of different distinctive wildlife.
Conservationists are celebrating success 16 years on from reintroducing Easy Snakes to a website in Devon. With 39 people recorded final 12 months, reserve groups, volunteers and companions are highlighting the 25% improve from the earlier highest whole of 31 snakes in 2023. These figures are testomony to the collaborative efforts between the RSPB, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC), Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Belief and Clinton Devon Property to revive Easy Snakes throughout their historic vary. Heathland restoration and a workforce of devoted volunteers have additionally been very important for the species’ restoration.
Easy Snakes are small and slender, rising to 60-70cm in size. Named after their clean and flat scales, this non-venomous snake is gray or uninteresting brown in color with a novel heart-shaped “crown” head marking which can be utilized to establish people. They’re restricted to heathland areas in Dorset, Hampshire and Surrey the place they cover inside the dense vegetation, hardly ever basking within the open. Monitoring Easy Snakes is difficult because of their secretive nature and the species was solely formally found within the 1850s. While the overall inhabitants is partly unknown,1600 Easy Snakes had been recorded throughout ARC’s monitoring programme from 2019-2024.
To enhance their numbers and restore their vary, the RSPB labored in partnership with ARC and Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Belief to reintroduce Easy Snakes throughout 2009 to the Pebblebed Heaths in East Devon. 17 people had been relocated from Dorset onto this protected Nationwide Nature Reserve (NNR) the place Easy Snakes haven’t been recorded in 50 years. For the reason that launch, numbers have elevated to 39 people in the latest 2024 survey. This was up by 25% from the 31 snakes recorded in 2023. Because the variety of Easy Snakes grows, with juveniles noticed, their vary can be increasing throughout the heaths to kind a self-sustaining inhabitants.
With Easy Snakes being reliant on heathland, their numbers stay threatened with 80% of lowland heathland misplaced within the UK because the 1800s. Toby Taylor, RSPB Aylesbeare nature reserve supervisor, stated: “As soon as frequent throughout the UK, heathland is now a uncommon habitat. During the last 200 years it has been transformed into farmland, destroyed for housing, used for forestry or mineral extraction and as we speak tragically lower than 15% of this panorama stays. That’s why it’s very important that we work collectively to take care of our heathlands and the wildlife that depends upon them.”
The restoration and safety of the UK’s heathlands by the RSPB has improved the Easy Snake’s fortunes. The RSPB’s work to revive heathland ecosystems at scale can be coupled with focused interventions to make micro habitats excellent for threatened species. On Pebblebed Heaths NNR, RSPB volunteers are eradicating sure crops by hand to forestall them from overwhelming areas of the heath, making a steadiness of the best vegetation. Bracken and brambles are essential heathland crops however can smother different crops and cut back habitat variety, if left unmanaged. The involvement of volunteers to create the micro habitats has been key to Easy Snake’s restoration and is a helpful addition to extra conventional heathland administration that requires periodical use of equipment.
The success of the east Devon reintroduction is basically as a result of devoted workforce of RSPB volunteers. A complete of three,250 hours has been spent managing the heathland by a small workforce of volunteers during the last 5 years. This consists of Richard Halstead who has been serving to to preserve this particular habitat for the previous 20 years, plus Roger and Liz Hamling who’ve surveyed the east Devon Easy Snakes underneath license for 15 years. To enhance accuracy, particular person Easy Snakes are painstakingly photographed by Roger and recognized by their “crown” head marking – 28 can now be individually recognized by this course of.
Liz Hamling, RSPB volunteer stated: “I simply love being up on the heath, there’s a lot to see up there. It’s simply pretty to see how a lot the heath has positively modified through the years as a result of fantastic work of all our volunteers. And the Easy Snakes are lovely; it’s such a privilege to be taking care of them.”
Throughout RSPB nature reserves, Easy Snake numbers are additionally faring effectively. RSPB Arne in Dorset recorded 35-40, a major proportion of the inhabitants. While Easy Snakes don’t breed every year, these figures embrace juveniles – younger snakes point out breeding populations that proceed to breed. Heathland administration at these websites has improved habitat connectivity by the creation of open habitat and corridors. This permits Easy Snakes to extend their vary and set up in new areas. These efforts additionally defend snakes from threats similar to wildfires and habitat fragmentation, making their inhabitants extra resilient total.
Nick Moulton, ARC Reptile Conservation Officer, stated: “The Easy Snake is an RSPB and ARC Precedence Species. We purpose to reintroduce it to counties the place it grew to become misplaced, to revive its standing in direction of beneficial. The companions agreed that reintroduction to the Pebblebed Heaths NNR could be ultimate as it’s an exceptionally effectively managed heathland panorama and we might be capable of restore the species again to Devon. Essential to this reintroduction is the dedication of RSPB’s educated and licensed volunteer surveyors. From their ongoing surveys we are able to verify that the reintroduction has been successful (towards IUCN tips); the animals are current, breeding and slowly colonising onto new areas of heath”.
The monitoring of Easy Snakes, together with many different species, is important for efficient conservation. This wouldn’t be attainable with out the assistance of devoted volunteers who give their time for nature. Greater than 13,000 folks volunteer for the RSPB, taking motion to make a constructive influence for nature and the setting. To search out out extra about how one can get entangled in volunteering with the RSPB to assist profit Easy Snakes and different superb wildlife, go to: https://www.rspb.org.uk/helping-nature/support-the-rspb/volunteering
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