#SciFri: May Project Update 2021
It’s that time of year again when I make my annual pilgrimage to Norfolk, in the attempt to catch as many grass snakes as I can. You’ll be glad to know that I have made it here nice and early…
#SciFri: Herpetofauna Workers Meeting 2021
The Herpetofauna Workers Meeting (HWM) has been a staple event for herpetologists in the UK since the first event back in the 1980s. This year’s HWM (on the 6th and 7th February) was the 34th that have been held between…
#SciFri: Why you should create a garden pond
Since 1950, we’ve lost a vast number of ponds from the British landscape. Not only has development been increasing since this time to house our ever growing population, farmland ponds have also disappeared. The farm landscape used to be dotted…
#SciFri: Reflecting on 2020, the year everyone wants to forget
For many people, this year has been quite a trying and stressful time. I fully sympathise with this view given the delays and isolation caused by lockdowns, in the attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19. To me, it has…
#SciFri: Why are there so few herpetologists in the UK?
As a herpetologist working in the UK, it has always struck me just how few of us there are. This stretches through the realms of professionals such as ecologists or academics to students with a focus on amphibian or reptile…
#SciFri: October Project Update
It’s been a while since I posted a project update so I thought now was the perfect time given the grey and gloomy weather, as a way to help distract you from the terrible weather. Unfortunately due to the ongoing…
#SteveReviews: Anaconda – Silent Killer
Few species of snake conjure up nightmarish images like the anaconda, known for it’s large size and potential human-eating behaviour. However these preconceived notions are not founded in any truth, which will hopefully be highlighted in a review I’ve authored…
#SciFri: Why do snakes shed their skin?
As someone that studies reptiles and snakes in particular, I’m often asked why reptiles shed their skin. Before I answer that question, let’s take a step back. When some people picture a reptile shedding their skin (also called sloughing), they…
#SciFri: Snake removal from a woman’s stomach?
Something that 2020 has taught me is to always expect the unexpected. Whilst perusing Twitter the other evening I saw a video shared by Emily Taylor (@snakeymama) which claims to show a woman on an operating table in the Dagestan…
#SciFri: What’s that beeping in my garden?
Picture this. You’ve been sitting in your garden during lockdown or the recent warm spell. Marvellous! Whilst turning the page to the book your reading or taking a sip of wine, you hear a conspicuous beeping sound. At first thought…