On World Snake Day 2022 (16^th July) our Saving Scotland’s Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAAR) project team are launching an exciting new citizen science survey!

There is an ongoing debate as to whether grass snakes are considered to be a Scottish species… can you help us to find out? With your help, we can increase reptile records to give us a better understanding of how reptiles are doing in Scotland.

How you can get involved?

If you are out and about and spot a grass snake (or other reptiles), please fill in our short online form to let us know what you spotted and where. Ideally, if you get an opportunity you can take a photo and upload that too. The form is very quick and easy and it will help us to get more records for reptiles in Scotland. Incidental records are a great way to increase our awareness of species distribution and habitat use. Please feel free to download the leaflet below with further information and either share the link or leaflet with others you think might be interested in getting involved. We are particularly looking for records in the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway.

If you are unsure which reptile species you have seen, we have a lot of fantastic resources on our website: www.arc-trust.org/snakes.

   

How we will use these data?

These records will help us to identify areas that need more detailed surveys and to engage with local communities to get more volunteer surveyors. We can provide training in species ID, ecology, conservation and survey methods to get people started with becoming a volunteer surveyor.

How do I send you my records? You can either just scan the QR code which will link you to the online form or you can click the button below: Record your sighting!

How do I find out more?

If you have any queries about the grass snake survey, please e-mail [email protected] or if you would like to know more about our new Scotland project – ‘Saving Scotland’s Amphibians and Reptiles’ then please visit www.arc-trust.org/ssaar for more information and to find out how you can get involved with amphibian and reptile surveys and conservation across Scotland.

Other ways to get involved?

If you would like to know about our online and in person training events then please either e-mail Rachael or ideally sign up to our Volunteer Registration Form and select Scotland and we’ll be in touch.

Janet Ullman is our dedicated Education Officer, so if you would like to know more about our educational resources or in person engagement opportunities then please e-mail [email protected].

ARC works across the UK and you can find out more about our reserves and work in England and Wales from our website as well as lots of great resources and information on the fantastic amphibians and reptiles we have in the UK.

How can I support ARC's work in Scotland?

If you would like to support our work in Scotland please visit www.justgiving.com/campaign/SSAAR to make a donation or create a fundraising page.

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We are very grateful to our Saving Scotland's Amphibian and Reptiles funders, The Helvellyn Foundation, The R S MacDonald Charitable Trust, The Bannister Charitable Trust and Thistledown Trust, who have made this project possible.