Dragons in your Garden

Great crested newt (male) (c) Fred Holmes

Dragons in your Garden

How to encourage amphibians and reptiles into your garden.

Many of the places where amphibians and reptiles thrive have disappeared and they need our help. Luckily it's easy to make changes in your garden which can help encourage them in.

Amphibians and reptiles are highly charismatic parts of our natural history. Here are some reasons why you should consider giving them a helping hand...

Cold-blooded wonders

Amphibians and reptiles have a unique array of unusual behaviours and talents. Some jump, some crawl, some run and others slide. They can change colour, shed their tails and to top it off some have a fish-like tadpole stage before undergoing a full metamorphosis into a miniature adult form. They are truly unique parts of the UK's natural history.

Amphibians and reptiles are key parts of food webs. It is estimated that only 5 of every 1,000 frog eggs survive to adulthood. The rest provide food for other wildlife. Amphibian and reptiles are themselves predators - so they really are a key element in food webs.

"Canaries in the Coalmine" for the health of our environment. Amphibians live partly in water, partly on land - so they're a good measure of the health of both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Declines of amphibians around the world have raised concerns about the health of environments which we're all dependent upon.

They've been around a long time. Amphibians were the first back-boned animals to walk the Earth. Their survival up to now shows how perfectly they have evolved to fit within ecosystems, and how sorely they would be missed if they were allowed to disappear for ever.

They're inspiring and accessible. There's little to match the bright orange belly of a great crested newt or the fiery golden eyes of a common toad. On close inspection many of our amphibians and reptiles are intricately marked, with unexpected flashes of colour. Kids (and, let's admit it, quite a few adults too) love them. With the right conditions in your garden, you can get up close with these animals and, in the case of amphibians, watch one of nature's complex life cycles unfold right under you nose!

Creating a Dragon's Garden is a great way to teach others, especially children, about the wonders of cold-blooded life.