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Welcome to our adder resource page! Lots of fun facts and top tips about our iconic native adder and more about a very special outreach project 'Adders are Amazing!'

The adder (Vipera berus) - fun facts!

  • Adders are quite small snakes and only grow to…

Read more: Adders are (even more) Amazing - Fun facts and top tips!!

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Once again, the annual HWM, held at the Hilton Hotel, Northampton (3-4 February 2018), and jointly organised by Amphibian and Reptile Conservation and Amphibian and Reptile Groups of UK, proved to be a lively and informative event. The centre point of our annual calendar, it…

Read more: An ARG view of the 2018 Herpetofauna Workers Meeting - In our own words

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A small group from ARG UK along with colleagues from ARC, Bangor University and DICE, were delighted to attend the International Adder Symposium, in Velp in the Netherlands on 9thDecember 2017, which was organised by our friends and colleagues from the Workinggroup Adderresearch Netherlands (WAN)…

Read more: Networking at the RAVON International Adder Symposium, December 2017

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On a rainy night in early March 2015, Warwickshire Amphibian and Reptile Team (WART) members went to check out roads in Balsall Common, Solihull for amphibians and found approximately 20 common frog and around 10 smooth newts on the roads, many of which had been…

Read more: 100% success saving amphibians from drains in Warwickshire

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With thanks to Rob Ward, University of Kent.  Following on from the recent publication of the scientific paper by Kindler et al., (2017), there have been some misunderstandings about the classification of our native UK grass snake. To clarify:

Then:

Until recently, two species…

Read more: What does the re-classification of European grass snakes mean for our native grass snakes?

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Throughout 2016 and 2017 the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Amphibian and Reptile Group (CPARG) has been monitoring a population of the non-native midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans). As a part of this programme, the animals encountered were swabbed for the amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) which has…

Read more: 100% fund news - Swabbing midwife toads for chytrid in Cambridgeshire

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  Europe’s wild snakes could face a growing threat from a fungal skin disease that has contributed to wild snake deaths in North America, according to an international collaborative study, led by conservation charity ZSL (Zoological Society of London) alongside partners including the U.S. Geological…

Read more: Snake fungal disease identified in wild British snakes for first time

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Once again, the annual Herpetofauna Workers’ Meeting (HWM) was a huge success attracting over 208 delegates in 2017, with a lively mix of professional herpetologists, volunteers, academics, students, representatives from the statutory agencies and other conservation organisations; drawn from all corners of the UK and…

Read more: Review of the 2017 Herpetofauna Workers Meeting, Nottingham, 11-12 February

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We are delighted to be able to launch the newly revised version of "Advice note 4 - Amphibian Disease Precautions, A Guide for UK Fieldworkers", which is published in March 2017. This important resource for amphibian fieldworkers and trainers has been comprehensively revised in partnership…

Read more: Revised Advice note 4 - Amphibian Disease Precautions, A Guide for UK Fieldworkers

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UPDATE 10 March 2021 Following the re-launch of the London Amphibian and Reptile Group (London ARG), they invited Natural England to present a seminar on the new District Level Licensing Scheme for the Great Crested Newt. Presented by Rachael Hamilton (Great Crested Newt Strategist) and…

Read more: Latest Updates on GCN licensing reforms

Mendip pond restoration © RAGS
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We’ve had a great year with the 100% fund and have been able to support some amazing practical conservation projects benefiting amphibians and reptiles around the UK. Screening for amphibian diseases in Cambridgeshire We were able to support Cambridge and Peterborough ARG (CPARG) with their amphibian…

Read more: ARG UK 100% fund successes in 2016

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Responding to popular demand you can download the presentations from The Vanishing Viper: Priorities for adder conservation meeting in .pdf format. Please respect the presenters' copyright, and do not circulate unattributed material. For downloads follow the link: Downloadable presentations from The Vanishing Viper - October 2016

Read more: Vanishing Viper Presentations Available for Download

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Building on the South East regional adder meeting hosted by Kent Amphibian and Reptile Group (KRAG) in 2011, ARG UK, together with our partner organisation, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) co-hosted a very special meeting in Somerset in October, to discuss how best to conserve…

Read more: The Vanishing Viper: Priorities for Adder Conservation

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For those who fancy volunteering a bit further afield, Indigo Expeditions offer conservation opportunities to carry out wildlife surveying & monitoring, specialising in the ecology and behaviour of reptiles and amphibians. They have developed a unique training programme 'Herping for the Future’ in Guatemala, so that…

Read more: Herping for the Future - Volunteer with Indigo Expeditions

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ARGUK is delighted to partner with the artist Mabel Harris to create a vibrant new range of stickers, fun fact and colouring sheets for our budding young herpetologists.  These are perfect for events and other herp-themed activities. We are delighted to be able to offer a range of…

Read more: Kids' stickers and fun fact sheets

More Articles ...

  1. Volunteer dates now available for Merseyside Sand Lizard work parties
  2. Volunteer dates now available for Merseyside Sand Lizard work parties (2)
  3. Amphibians and SUDS Conference 2016
  4. The first national adder meeting to take place 8-9 Oct 2016
  5. Updated Amphibian and Reptile Atlases for North East England Released
  6. New for 2016 - the Revised Reptile ID Guide
  7. The 2016 Herpetofauna Workers' Meeting
  8. Report on the South West Region Amphibian and Reptile Groups Conference 2015
  9. Highlights of the First Joint Herpetological Scientific Meeting in Dublin
  10. Finding out more about diseases in our native reptiles and amphibians
  11. ARC Snake Publications
  12. Kent Reptile and Amphibian Group
  13. There's a snake in the garden...
  14. Early Success for the Sefton Coast Sand Lizard Task Force
  15. Round up of the West Midlands Regional Meeting 'Captive breeding & re-introduction of UK reptiles & amphibians'
  16. Amphibians in Drains - Scotland
  17. Make the Adder Count in 2024

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