REPTILES 

 AND BATRACHIANS 



Reptiles are but poorly represented in Derbyshire, both in species 

 and individuals, and their numbers seem to be steadily decreasing, especi- 

 ally in the vicinity of towns and villages. 



The common lizard and the blindworm are most abundant in the 

 north of the county ; the lizard being still plentiful on the moors, but 

 it also occurs, although very sparingly, in the southern district. The 

 ringed snake is widely distributed throughout the county, being far 

 from rare even in the south Derbyshire plain, from which the viper is, 

 I believe, entirely absent. The latter however still exists on the northern 

 moors, and is also to be met with on the Leicestershire border. 



Neither the sand lizard nor the smooth snake occurs in the county, 

 and the European water tortoise, described and figured by Sir Oswald 

 Mosley from a specimen taken on the canal bank near Burton in 1857, 

 was evidently merely a stray specimen which had escaped from captivity. 



The batrachians of Derbyshire include the common frog, the com- 

 mon toad, the great crested newt and the smooth newt. The active 

 natterjack toad, although found in both Cheshire and Lancashire, does 

 not occur in Derbyshire ; whilst the palmated newt also has not been 

 recorded for the county. 



REPTILES 



LACERTILIA plentiful amongst the rough rocks of Charn- 



I. Common, Scaly or Viviparous Lizard. wood Forest in that county. 



Lacerta vivipara, Jacquin. 2 Blind-worm or Slow-worm. Anguh 



This species occurs most abundantly in the fragilis Linn. 



north of Derbyshire but is rare or altogether More restricted in '; ts than the com . 



absent from many districts in the centre and mon , izard and ig chjefl found jn the hm 



south of the county The Rev. Francis C. R. districts-Miller's Dale, Dove Dale, Thorpe 



Jourdam kindly informs me that in 1876 he cloud {Rey j Q Stephens) Belper . Mr . 



'found this species very abundant on the Hutchinson obligingly writes to inform me 



moors wh.ch reach from Ashopton to Shef- that he receivec f on Y a few years ago from 



field, especiaUy near Moscar. Litt , e about IQ inches f n j f h> 



In south Derbyshire it occurred three or 



four years ago on some rough furze-covered OPHIDIA 

 land near Drakelow, but has entirely disap- 

 peared since this was drained and put under 3- Common or Ringed Snake. Tropidonotus 

 cultivation. About six years ago it was to natrix. Linn, 

 be found near Burton, but is not now to be Natrix torquata, Ray. 



met with. On the Leicestershire border the Although nowhere numerically very abun- 



scaly lizard is more abundant, and is still dant, the common snake is widely distributed 



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