June Wildlife

Some images from my travels around the Forest of Dean, so far during the month of June.

Frog
Toad
Butterfly
Dragonflies
Wild boar
Roe deer
Fallow deer
Birds

Frog

Wild boar

Tortoiseshell butterfly

Roe deer (doe)

Toad

Male broad bodied chaser

Four spotted dragonfly

Fallow deer (doe)

Emperor dragonfly

Common lizard

Wild boar

Wild boar sow

Wild boar sow

Juvenile wrens

Juvenile wrens

Wild boar

GlosARG

We are off and running with our new group; GlosARG!

Gloucestershire Amphibian and Reptile Group has been set up for the conservation of all our native reptiles and amphibians throughout Gloucestershire.
We are an affiliated group of ARG UK.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

If you would like to get involved, please contact us through one of the links below. We have a website, Facebook and Twitter pages, so you can easily get hold of us.
The feeling you get from knowing you have done something to conserve wildlife can not be beaten, so please get involved. It is fun, interesting and educational.
Get the kids involved and give them a passion, which will carry them well through life. What a feeling it would be to see your own children pass this gift onto your grandchildren!

We have only been running for a few weeks and in this time we have already discovered a "new" Great Crested Newt colony in the Forest of Dean.
These newts are endangered and protected by European law, so we couldn't have hoped for a better start!

You can reach us through the following links below.

GlosARG Website
Facebook
Twitter

ARG UK

Thank you in advance.

Rob

Spawning Frogs

Photographs taken at a pond on a local nature reserve. The water level was quite low and a lot of the spawn was exposed and drying out!
While photographing the frogs I kept looking at the spawn, wondering how long it could survive out of water.
I didn't know the answer to this so I moved it carefully back into the water. It may rain tonight and all may have been fine, but I didn't want to take the risk!
Last year this same pond was full and the spawn was all submerged or floating in the water, but this year is totally different!


Here are some pics taken at the pond over the last couple of days.

Rob

Atrazine - Amphibian Killer

Atrazine is a common pesticide, which is commonly used on corn crops among others around the world. It has been revealed that this chemical is having a devastating affect on the world’s frog population, turning male frogs into females!

Sounds bizarre? It gets worse. Once the male frogs have been turned into females, they can breed successfully with other males. The problem is, because the converted frogs are genetically male and they are breeding with another male, all their offspring will be male!

The true male frogs will have no idea, so they will think they have successfully mated, when in fact they have contributed towards their species demise!

The most common Trade Name for this chemical is AAtrex, but other trade names include...

00045 (CA DPR Chem Code) , 080803 (US EPA PC Code) , 1,3,5-Triazine-2,4-diamine, 6-chloro-N-ethyl-N'-(1-methylethyl)- , 1-Chloro-3-ethylamino-5-isopropylamino-2,4,6-triazine , 1912-24-9 (CAS Number) , 1912249 , 1912249 (CAS Number) , 2-Chloro-4-(ethylamino)-6-(isopropylamino)-s-triazine , 2-Chloro-4-(propylamino)-6-ethylamino-s-triazine , 3-(N-Butyl-N-acetyl)aminopropionic acid , 305 (PDP Code) , 45 (CA DPR Chem Code) , 6-chloro-N2-ethyl-N4-isopropyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine , A 361 , AAtram, component of (with 019101) , AAtrex , Aktikon , Aktikon PK , Aktinit A , Aktinit PK , Argezin , Atazinax , Atranex , Atrataf , Atratol , Atrazin , Atrazina , Atrazine , Atrazine , Atrazine (ANSI) , Atrazine plus related active triazines , Azinotox 500 , Candex , Cekuzina-T , Crisazina , Cyazine , Farmco Atrazine , Fenamin , Fenatrol , G 30027 , Gesaprim , Griffex , Guardsman herbicide (080803+129051) , Hungazin , Hungazin PK , Inakor , Oleogesaprim , Primatol A , Primaze , Radazine , s-Triazine, 2-chloro-4-(ethylamino)-6-(isopropylamino)- , Shell Atrazine Herbicide , Strazine , Sutazine +, component of (with 041405) , Triazine A 1294 , Vectal SC , Weedex , Weedex A , Wonuk , Zeazin , Zeazine

If you use pesticides, please check the brand on-line to make sure it has no devastating affects on our wildlife!

Look at the "W" listings above. Recognise the name Weedex? You should do as it is a very common brand in the UK!

I am sure that by now you are all aware that it wouldn't take long for the frogs to breed the true females out and then when the males die, the species will die with them!








This sight may one day be lost forever from our ponds if we don't act now!

PS: This is not scaremongering, it is fact!

Thanks

Rob

Frogs (Spawning)

Here are some pics of some spawning frogs in a local pond in the Forest of Dean.

There were well over a thousand frogs in the entire pond. An awesome sight.