REPTILES 

 AND BATRACHIANS 



Little more than a list can be given of the reptiles and the 

 batrachians of the county of Durham, as attention appears only to have 

 been paid to them in a very general way. All the common species are 

 known in the county with the exception of the grass snake (Tropidonotus 

 natrix) ; but there is no record of the natterjack toad (Bufo ca/amita), 

 and the remaining rarer British species are hardly likely to occur. 



REPTILES 



LACERTILIA tne l ate Richard Howse (quoted in Leighton's 



_ T j r ,. T British Serpents}, but Howse did not believe 



1. Common Lizard. Lacerta wiipara. lacq. , . ,< T , 



f ' J ^ the species ever occurred naturally. It has 

 Bell Zootoca vivtpara. *, ., , . . ' . , 



been described in certain newspaper articles as 



Often to be seen in dry places and about f req uent, but no confirmation has ever been 



old walls, and probably abundant in most parts forthcoming. If the grass snake is an inhabi- 



of the county. tant o f t h e county at all it is undoubtedly 



2. Slow-worm or Blind-worm. Anguis fra- Vel 7 scarce and by no means generally 



gilis, Linn. distributed. 



Common ; often seen on roads. ^ Common Viper or Adder. Vipera bertu, 



Linn. 

 OPHIDIA Bell PeRas berus. 



3. Ringed Snake or Grass Snake. Tropi- Common, especially about dry, scrubby 



donotus natrix, Linn. woods and the borders of moorlands. Full-sized 

 Bell Natrix torquata. local examples are in the Newcastle Museum. 

 It seems doubtful whether the grass snake Colour variations are met with here as else- 

 has a real place in the fauna of the county, where, and Howse states (loc. cit.) that 

 It has undoubtedly occurred as an escape ' ; an individuals of the extreme types known as the 

 instance of this at Sunderland was recorded by black and the red adder have been taken. 



BATRACHIANS 



The following appear to be as common 2. Common Toad. Bufo vu/garis, Laur. 

 here in suitable situations as they are in other 

 parts of England. 



CAUDATA 



EC AU DATA 3. Crested Newt. Molge cristata, Laur. 



i . Common Frog. Rana temporaria, Linn. 4. Common Newt. Molge vu/garis, Linn, 



174 



