REPTILES 

 AND BATRACHIANS 



Reptiles and batrachians are, as may be supposed, exceedingly few in the 

 county ; there is no record of the smooth snake, and the sand-lizard rests 

 on the authority of Harley only. The natterjack, so far as I am aware, 

 does not occur, nor have I discovered more than the two common species 

 of newts. 



REPTILES 



LACERTILIA 



1. Common Lizard. Lactrta vivipara, Jacq. 



Locally, Scaly Lizard, Viviparous Lizard. 

 Harley considered this species almost confined to 

 the district known as Charnwood Forest, and wrote 

 under date 1845 : 'December loth. "Para "Bates 

 informs me that he has occasionally seen, in his ento- 

 mological rambles in Charnwood Forest and the 

 neighbourhood around it, a species of lizard which 

 appears to affect the leaves of brambles and other 

 plants. He describes the creature's habits very 

 vividly as being like unto those of a chameleon, 

 especially so when observed basking in the beams of 

 the sun and intent on feeding.' It is well known, 

 however, that this is a common habit with L. vivipara, 

 and indeed with most lizards. It occurs commonly 

 in the ' Forest ' and in other places in the county. 



2. Sand-Lizard. Lacerta agilis, Linn. 



Rare, and I have no record of it save that furnished 

 by Harley, who describing it under Daudin's specific 

 name of stirpium, appears to have met with it, for he 

 wrote : ' If the vernal months be open and warm, 

 accompanied with soft breezy skies, the species comes 

 abroad towards the latter end of March and beginning 

 of the month following. During the spring of the 

 year 1 842 the author in his walks met with it, 

 2 2 April. In the following year it was recognized by 

 us on 19 April, two days earlier.' He further 

 remarked that it is liable to much variation in colour, 

 he having met with it of a pale greenish-yellow, with 

 the back of an umber-brown colour ; others of a 

 darker hue and others again variegated with black 

 spots down the centre of the back. Although I 

 have not met with it, I cannot think Harley could 

 have confused it with the preceding common species, 

 for he expressly stated (speaking of Lacerta vivipara) : 

 'The species appears in the spring much about the 

 same time as the sand lizard, but its reproduction is 

 very diverse from it, since it is ovo-viviparous, while 

 Lacerta stirpium is oviparous only,' which shows that 

 he recognized the characteristics of the two species, 



and was net misled by considerations of colour or 

 habitat. 



3. Blind- Worm or Slow- Worm. Anguis fragUis, 



Linn. 



Locally, Slow- Worm. 



Resident, commonly distributed, and variable in 

 colour. There are specimens in the Leicester Museum 

 from Charnwood Forest, Bardon Hill, and other 

 places. 



OPHIDIA 



4. Common Snake. Tropidonotus ttatrix, Linn. 



Locally, Grass-Snake, Ringed-Snake. 

 Resident and commonly distributed, especially 

 throughout Charnwood Forest ; and the Leicester 

 Museum possesses several from there and from other 

 parts of the county. Mr. G. Frisby writes on 

 29 May, 1906 : 'I saw three grass-snakes together 

 in Wood Lane, Quorn ; they were all three run over 

 by a milk-cart just previously. Shortly after I secured 

 a live one, and presented it to the schoolmaster.' 

 A year or so ago (circa 1905), a newspaper 

 recorded that during the course of some digging 

 operations at Eye Kettleby, an albino form of this 

 snake with eyes of a bright ruby red was unearthed. 

 Albinism has hitherto been entirely unknown in 

 connexion with reptiles. 



5. Viper. Vipera berus, Linn. 



Locally, Adder, Hether. 1 



Resident and generally distributed, especially about 

 Charnwood Forest, but not so common, fortunately, 

 as its harmless relative. Harley remarked under date 

 1846 : ' Pelias berus and Coluber natrix came forth 

 abroad very early this season,' viz., during the first 

 and second week of March. On the 1 3th and 1 4th of 

 that month he noted both reptiles in Bradgate Park. 

 There are specimens in the Leicester Museum from 

 many localities in the county, but chiefly from the 

 ' Forest,' all of the dark variety. 



1 Leic, Proverbs, probably a corruption from Adder. 



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