Natural history of the British Isles
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Reptiles and amphibians of the British Isles A-Z
Adder
Vipera berus
The common European adder is Britain’s only venomous (poisonous) snake. It does not usually bite unless it is disturbed or threatened. Its bite is painful and can seriously injure—but not kill—a person. Adders are greyish-brown with black markings in a zigzag shape along their backs. They live in areas with long grass and vegetation to hide in, such as woodlands and heathlands. Female adders incubate their eggs inside their bodies, and then give birth to live young. Length: 50–80 cm (20–30 inches). Eats: small mammals (mice, voles, shrews), lizards.
Common frog
Rana temporaria
The common frog is found in ponds and rivers all over Britain and Ireland. This amphibian's smooth skin is usually greenish-brown, although it may be yellow or even reddish, according to where it lives. A pattern of dark blotches helps it to blend in with its surroundings. Frogs have long, powerful back legs, which make them good swimmers and allow them to jump quickly away from predators on land. They spend the winter sheltering under rocks or submerging themselves in mud to keep warm. In spring, females lay large clumps of jelly-like eggs known as frogspawn, which float on the water’s surface. Length: 6–10 cm (2.5–4 inches). Eats: insects, snails, slugs, worms.
Common lizard
Zootoca vivipara
Common lizards live everywhere in the mainland British Isles, and are the only reptiles that live in Ireland. Their skin is usually greyish-brown, but can also be various shades of green or yellow. A male's belly is yellow or orange, while a female's is pale. A pattern of dark spots and stripes camouflages them from predators. Common lizards live in dry, scrubland areas where there is plenty of low vegetation to hide in. They can be spotted basking in the sun in sunny spots. If threatened, they can shed their tails to distract predators; a new one will eventually grow back. Length: 10–15 cm (4–6 inches). Eats: spiders, insects.
Common toad
Bufo bufo
The common toad is much larger than the common frog. Its greyish-brown skin is covered with small raised bumps, giving it a “warty” appearance. Common toads live in southern England and Wales. These amphibians spend most of the year in grassy habitats such as woodlands and gardens, and hibernate in winter. In early spring, they migrate in large groups to breed in ponds, where they lay their spawn in strings around aquatic plants. When threatened, the toads puff up their bodies and release a bad-smelling scent from their skin to warn predators away. Length: up to 13 cm (5 inches). Eats: slugs and snails, insects, sometimes small snakes and mice.
Grass snake
Natrix helvetica
Grass snakes are long, greenish-brown snakes with black spots. These shy, harmless snakes can grow to more than one metre (3 feet) long. They live in England and Wales, in damp areas with plenty of hiding places such as wetlands, meadows and gardens. Grass snakes may swim in water to hunt for frogs and toads. Like other cold-blooded reptiles, they hibernate from October to April, emerging in spring to lay their eggs in piles of rotting leaves, compost heaps and plants. Length: 90–150 cm (35–60 inches). Eats: birds, frogs, toads, fish, small mammals.
Great crested newt
Triturus cristatus
The great crested newt is the British Isles’ largest and rarest newt. These small amphibians live in lowland parts of southern England and Wales. They spend most of the year on land, living in woodlands, hedgerows and marshy areas with plenty of rocky crevices and muddy holes to hide in. In spring, they breed in ponds. Great crested newts have black, warty skin, white spots along their sides (flanks) and orange bellies. During the breeding season in spring, the male grows a wavy crest along its back. Length: 17 cm (7 inches). Eats: worms, insects, spiders, slugs, snails.
Natterjack toad
Epidalea calamita
Natterjack toads are much smaller than common toads, and very rare. They are found in only a handful of places in the British Isles, mainly along England's south coast. They breed in warm, shallow pools on heathlands and sand dunes, but the loss of these habitats has made them critically endangered in Britain. Natterjack toads have greenish-brown skin with a pale yellow stripe running down their backs. In spring, males sing at night to attract females. Their calls are so loud that they can be heard up to 1.5 km (1 mile) away. Length: 6–8 cm (2.5–3 inches) Eats: slugs and snails, insects, sometimes small snakes and mice.
Palmate newt
Lissotriton helveticus
Palmate newts are the British Isles' smallest newts. These tiny amphibians live on moorlands, as well as in a handful of heathland spots in southern England. With their pale brown colouring, palmate newts are often difficult to tell apart from much more common smooth newts. During the breeding season, males grow black webbing on their feet, which smooth newts do not have. Palmate newts breed in shallow ponds in spring, but for the rest of the year they are able to live in drier conditions than other types of newt. They shelter under rocks and leaf piles during winter, emerging if the weather is mild enough to forage for food. Length: 8–9 cm (3–3.5 inches). Eats: insects, caterpillars, slugs, worms, tadpoles.
Sand lizard
Lacerta agilis
Sand lizards live on sandy heathlands and dunes. The loss of many of these heathland habitats in the British Isles has severely reduced their numbers and today they are found at only a few sites in southern England. For most of the year sand lizards are a pale brown colour, but during the breeding season in spring, males turn a bright green. At night they burrow into the sandy soil and shelter in long, narrow holes. Length: 20 cm (8 inches). Eats: insects, especially grasshoppers, spiders.
Slow worm
Anguis fragilis
Slow worms look like snakes but they are actually legless lizards. These harmless creatures live in damp, leafy areas of England and Wales. They have smooth, grey-brown bodies and shiny skin. If a slow worm is attacked by a predator it can shed its tail to escape and grow a new one. Length: up to 50 cm (20 inches). Eats: slugs, snails, insects, worms.
Smooth newt
Lissotriton vulgaris
Also known as the common newt, this tiny amphibian has smooth, greyish-brown skin with black spots and an orange belly. It is found all over Britain and Ireland, where it lives in damp woodlands and rocky, boggy marshes. Like the great crested newt, the male grows a wavy crest along its back during the breeding season. Length: 10 cm (4 inches). Eats: insects, caterpillars, slugs, worms, crustaceans, tadpoles.
Smooth snake
Coronella austriaca
These greyish-brown snakes have similar markings to adders, but their patterns are much fainter. Smooth snakes are only found in a handful of places in southern England, where they live in heathland habitats: areas of wide open land with heather, shrubs and grasses. They are types of snake called constrictors—they kill sand lizards, slow worms and small chicks by coiling themselves around and squeezing them to death. Length: 50–70 cm (20–28 inches). Eats: lizards, insects, slow worms, chicks.
Consultant: Chris Jarvis
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