#SciFri: The potential for damage from the JNCC 7th Quinquennial Review
Something happened this week but it’s taken a few days to sink in. There was news from the Amphibian and Reptile Groups UK (ARG UK), that the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) was recommending the removal of protections to species…
#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: Do reptiles and amphibians hibernate?
We all know that mammals such as squirrels and hedgehogs hibernate for the winter and in the wider landscape of the Northern Hemisphere, other species such as bears are also another group of animals that often come to mind when…
#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…
#SteveReviews: The Secret Life of Snakes
You’ll be glad to know that this week’s #SteveReviews is snake themed! It turns out that Amazon Prime Video has a lot more herpetological documentaries that have now been added to my ‘to watch list’. The first of these is…
#SciFri: A look back on World Snake Day
For those of you that don’t happen to have a passion for herpetology or to be working with snakes, you may not have realised it but yesterday was World Snake Day. Now some readers may ask, “What’s the point of…
#SciFri: July Project Update
If you haven’t been keeping an eye on my social media accounts, I have some good news for you all. I’ve finally been given the permission to get out in the field and catch some grass snakes! I’m extremely grateful…
#SteveReviews: Into The Forest
First off, apologies for the patchy frequency of blog posts recently. I have only just returned to the field and I had a mad period of getting ready to get back out and chase snakes. I’ll tell you more about…
#SciFri: Colour polymorphisms in amphibians and reptiles
Field guides are a great way to identify wildlife whether it be in the field or from photographs. I have a large number of them that make up the core of my reference library for countries I’ve visited or I’m…