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Reptile Surveys

Home Species Reptile Surveys

Many UK species of reptile are in decline or in low abundance and are therefore afforded protective status. Should any of these species be impacted, further surveys will be required to assess site dynamics before works can proceed. The species that we survey for on a regular basis are listed below.

There are key times of the year when reptile surveys can be completed, for further information please refer to our calendar planner.

Similarly, it is only possible to implement mitigation at certain times of the year, please refer to out mitigation calendars within the below species pages to assist your scheduling.

REPTILES

All reptiles are afforded protection under UK Law, two species are afforded a higher status of protection and include the smooth snake and sand lizard. common and widespread reptile species encounter include slow worm, common lizard, adder and grass snake.

Services

Our services offer a full package from initial site inspections, through to reptile surveys and assessment, licensing and mitigation, translocations and habitat manipulation, and also future monitoring and management, giving our clients a complete service for their project. For further details refer to our additional services.

Reptile Surveys

Our reptile surveys we provide include;

  • Habitat Assessment
  • Presence / Absence Surveys
  • Refugia Population Surveys
  • Pitfall Population Surveys
  • Thermal Imagery

Please note that there are seasonal restrictions to some of the reptile surveys listed above, please refer to our calendar for further information.

What We Do

All our native reptile species are commonly found in a range of habitats including brownfield sites, grassland, hedgerows and scrub. Our experienced team of ecological consultants will;

  • Guide you through the complete process
  • Initial assessment
  • Complete any necessary pre-planning surveys
  • Through construction
  • Licensing and mitigation
  • Translocation and relocation
  • Artificial habitat construction
  • Post completion monitoring

We deliver a complete peace of mind package to our clients.

Our common-sense approach to mitigation aims to avoid, cancel, reduce or offset any impacts from a proposed development, as well as to maintain the reptile species in an efficient and cost-effective manner. We will support any license application required to the statutory body and provide further monitoring if you or any mitigation licence requires this for a site.

All our reptile surveys are carried out by a fully insured, experienced, Natural England licensed dormouse surveyors and comply with the latest guidelines and legislation.

Licencing

Not all developments will require a reptile licence, only those sites where either the smooth snake or the sand lizard have been recorded. Licenses are not required for the common species which include the slowworm, common lizard, adder and grass snake.

If a reptile licence is required, this will be a European Protected Species Mitigation (EPSM) license.

Additional Services
  • Mitigation of works
  • Method statements
  • Licences
  • Erection of reptile exclusion fencing
  • Reptile capture and translocation
  • Ecological Clerk of Works
  • Habitat design and enhancement
  • Artificial refugia
  • Future site and receptor site monitoring
Case Studies

Just some examples of what HEA Ecology are regularly commissioned to undertake;

  • Reptile Surveys for small and large scale development schemes
  • Translocations
  • Reptile Fencing
  • Artificial Habitat Creation
  • Ecological Clerk of Works
  • Destructive Search and Watching Brief
Legislation

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) protects all reptile species in the UK from injury, killing or sale.

The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010; and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) protects all smooth snakes and sand lizards in the UK, making it an offence to:

  • Deliberately capture, injure or kill an individual
  • Disturb a when in a place of shelter or rest
  • Damage or destroy an individual resting place (even if individuals are not occupying at the time)
  • Intentionally obstruct access to a place of shelter
  • Possess or advertise/sell/exchange an individual (dead or alive) or any part

Find out more about our species?

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