Reptiles & Amphibians of Derbyshire

Derbyshire is one of the best places in central England to see adders.  They have declined markedly in lowland England over recent decades, mainly due to habitat destruction, but remain locally common on the gritstone moors of the Peak District.  Despite this, they are elusive creatures and often only seen by accident.  The best time to see them is in spring, when they emerge from hibernation and spend long periods basking on sunny, heathery banks.

Male adders are the most commonly-seen, in my experience, and emerge first from hibernation.  They are slimmer than females and have a grey ground colour, rather than the rich chocolate-brown of females.
















 

Grass Snakes are largely restricted to river valleys in lowland Derbyshire, and so are most common in the east of the county, although scattered populations do occur elsewhere, such as around some stream valleys on the Peak Fringe.  This is where I came across this juvenile one spring.  When handled, it gave the classic Grass Snake defence of playing dead and emitting the foul-smelling contents of its cloaca.

Common Lizards are frequently-encountered in the Peak District in Derbyshire, where they inhabit heathery moorland in the Dark Peak and scrubby woodland margins in the White Peak. 

In spring, males turn various shades of green and are conspicuous when they bask on rocks in preparation for the mating season.  Females remain brown.




underside, showing orange colouration




 

Britain's largest lizard, Slow Worms are widespread but very inconspicuous.  Unlike our other lizard species, they dislike bright sun and live quiet lives in dappled shade and rank vegetation.  I am lucky enough to have a good population living in and around my garden, but even that doesn't guarantee me regular sightings - I find them most often when moving pots or other items.

Slow Worms bear live young which look like perfect miniatures of their parents.  In their first year they are only around 5cm long.  Older adults can be up to 40cm long and make an impressive sight. 

They are docile animals, never biting when held - they wriggle for a while but soon calm down.  The worst a Slow Worm will do is empty its cloaca contents onto you!

Toads are widespread in Derbyshire, especially in woodland areas near reservoirs and marshes.  In spring, they make their annual migration back to water bodies where they were born, to reproduce.  Sadly at this time, many are killed as they cross roads - every March/April I spend each evening around dusk rescuing them from a busy lane near me.  Unlike frogs, the males especially are never in much of a hurry to cross roads and so are especially vulnerable to being killed.

Males emerge from hibernation earlier than females and will cling to alomost anything that moves in ther desperate search for a mate.  They make a beautiful, gentle peeping sound like a child's toy, rather than a croak.  The larger females emerge later, and often arrive at their breeding ponds with an amorous male already hitching a ride on their backs.

After breeding, toads return to their lives in woodland, where they are no longer tied to water.




 

Britain's most familiar amphibian remains common across Derbyshire and is the most likely one to be seen in garden ponds.  They occur in the lowlands and on the high moorland of the Peak District.

Text coming soon!

Palmate Newts are less common than Smooth Newts in Derbyshire.  A typical habitat for them is in acidic ponds and pools on gritstone moorland.

I've described this species in the Amphibians of Spain section of the site.