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Dragons
in your Garden Enhancing your garden: Compost heap
Placed in a sunny, south-facing position, compost heaps or bins make excellent reptile habitats, particularly for slow-worms. They are often found buried within them, feeding on the numerous slugs and ants found there. Amphibians may also forage or hibernate in a compost heap. Make sure there are gaps underneath your compost bin or heap (so it's not completely sealed in) for creatures to get in and out. Piles of old grass or leaves also work well.
Grass snakes sometimes make use of compost heaps to lay their eggs. The bottom of the heap keeps a good, constant temperature allowing the eggs to incubate over the summer whilst being well-protected from predators. The eggs are white, leathery in texture and measure around 2.5cm. Generally there are between 10 and 15 eggs in a clutch, though there can be up to 40. Several females may use the same site to incubate their eggs.
If the compost heap is covered with an old carpet or tarpaulin this may encourage the grass snakes or slow-worms to hang around a little longer. Checking under the cover can be a great way to get a closer look at the creatures living in your garden.
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