Wildlife May 2011

[Nick_the_grief]

Apologies if there is one already but my t'interweb is sooo slow tonight I can type faster than it can upload


From Yesterday.. My first dragonfly/damselfly for Warwickshire this year ( there's been loads spotted but I haven't seen them)
Hairy Dragon flies mating.  At firts we thought it was one "hatching" from the exuvia till I looked at the photo on the computer and zoomed in! THey're not usually out for another 2 weeks by me so well early.




And another ready to pop out under the cover of darkness

[mark smyth]

The first swift of 2011 is back in one of my nest boxes.

It returned on

3rd May 2011
3rd May 2010
7th May 2009

This bird and it's mate were the firsts swifts to nest on my house back in 2007.

Only 9 and half pairs to return

[mark smyth]

here it is and its probably thinking "why did I leave sunny Africa for cold nights like these?"
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_lsnv2_4lA[/youtube]

[Anthony Darby]

Amazing, and to think it probably hasn't touched a solid surface since it was last in that box in 2010!

[Anthony Darby]

Here are my geckos. First the Northland green, or Gray's gecko (Naultinus grayi). These are adult and should produce twins next February. They are a bit skinny at the moment. Green geckos are diurnal and like to bask in the sun. Being diurnal must be a relatively new adaptation as they have the eyes of a nocturnal gecko with its slit pupil. In contrast, the green day geckos of the western Indian Ocean (Madagascar, Seychelles and Mauritius), which are similar in colour, have round pupils.

[Anthony Darby]

Here are the Auckland greens, or elegant gecko (Naultinus elegans). These are juveniles and the recessive yellow form. They would normally be the same colour as the Northland gecko, but don't grow as big. In both species the colour and pattern does not indicate sex. Males have swellings at the base of the tail where the hemipenes are kept and have spurs at the base of the tail for stimulating the female. Their eyes have no lids but have an 'optic', which is kept clean with the tongue. The optic is sloughed of during a moult.

[Anthony Darby]

Here is one of my forest geckos (Hoplodactylus granulatus). I think this is the male? The pair are adults and although larger, can be safely housed with green geckos. Different species of greens must be housed separately as they hybridise. This is a big no-no and not allowed. This species has now been put in a new genus which is at the moment called genus 'B'! These geckos are nocturnal.

[mark smyth]

brilliant. How did you persuade the licencing people to let you keep them?

[Anthony Darby]

brilliant. How did you persuade the licencing people to let you keep them?

Quite routine. You join the NZ Herp Soc.; contact a licencee to recommend you; build your cage to the desired spec (mine exceeds it - DOC man was impressed, even though it is identical to one in the latest Herp newsletter - he even took pics); apply for permit to keep and breed captive geckos; have you cage inspected and Bob's your uncle you have a permit! It also helps that you have kept and bred geckos in an unforgiving environment like Scotland for 30 years.

[angie]

Anthony they are lovely. I am scared of worms but I like fogs and newts. Hope we get to see the babies in February. You will be so happy getting them.
Feed them up like you said they are a bit skinny, we all need a little fat around us like the Auckland greens.

Angie

[Anthony Darby]

I have a fly trap and a moth trap and am breeding fruitflies. The mothtrap is a "Moonlander" from Worldwide Butterflies Ltd (www.wwb.co.uk). Not as efficient as my MV trap, which was sold on fleabay. I'd had it 40 years! It could trap enough moths to feed a hungry swift!

[Nick_the_grief]

Here are the Auckland greens, or elegant gecko (Naultinus elegans). These are juveniles and the recessive yellow form. They would normally be the same colour as the Northland gecko, but don't grow as big. In both species the colour and pattern does not indicate sex. Males have swellings at the base of the tail where the hemipenes are kept and have spurs at the base of the tail for stimulating the female. Their eyes have no lids but have an 'optic', which is kept clean with the tongue. The optic is sloughed of during a moult.

I like these little fellas Anthony. My daughter had been "babysitting here friends little friend Darwin ...




He's a cutey as well but my wife said your not having one of those to both me and Daughter ... and we hadn't even asked !

[Anthony Darby]

Bearded dragons are available here too. No permit required.

[Anthony Darby]

Here are the forest geckos today. Clearly the male doesn't mind the rain. The female is in the sheltered part of the cage.

[Lesley Cox]

They all look beautiful Anthony. I'm so pleased you were able to arrange their keeping as I was worried you yould really miss your UK wildlife such as the chameleons and others. These will be some compensation. A pity it's not so easy to arrange for cyps and other plants.