Top Five Insects I’ve Seen – #4 – The Rose Chafer (Cetonia aurata)

I was initially going to write a list of top five most striking UK insects but alas when I actually put grey matter to the task I realised the list would be mostly, if not exclusively, beetles. Beetles, the order coleoptera, are a huge group. Of all the species described in the world somewhere around

The Barred Grass Snake (Natrix helvetica)

A look at the barred grass snake (natrix helvetica), evolution, classification of species and the human relationship with snakes.

The Adder (Or European viper) – Vipera berus

Oh, be still my beating heart! What a day. Adders are gorgeous snakes. Unbelievably pretty and exotic looking for what is the most northerly distributed member of the viper family. They are a short, stout snake, maximum length here in the UK is around 80cm (slow worms can be longer!) with a weight of up

On the Origin of a Species – The Slow Worm, Anguis fragilis

A look at one of the world’s most interesting reptiles and one of Britains few native reptiles, the slow worm, anguis fragilis – looking at its evolutionary history, remarkable behaviours and why they’re so great.

Grown Up’s Guides: Hedge-hunting for Bugs

A short and step-by-step guide on how to enjoy a day gazing into the undergrowth and overgrowth to see the wealth of biodiversity that nature has to offer. Including many pretty pictures.

Red vs. Grey: Squirrels at War?

We explore the battle in the UK between the previously widely distributed, native red squirrel (sciurus vulgaris) and the imported invader the grey squirrel (sciurus carolinensis) looking at why the grey could be harmful to the UKs ecosystems and habitats, how they managed to reduce populations of red squirrels and what we could possibly do to remedy the situation. We include discussion on the pine marten (martes martes) a natural squirrel predator, as well as effective woodland management and ensuring all development is led by a core premise to not only not harm, but to improve, UK habitats and ecosystems to promote native wildlife biodiversity.

Hated (But Misunderstood) Animals: Final Thoughts

A short summary of the work I did on learning about, and writing about the top ten hated species who really don’t deserve to be.

I reflect on my thoughts and feelings of what I’ve learned about different species, how I felt about it, what it has given me moving forward and give a little personal perspective.

It’s been a genuine project! I can’t even say I put this much effort in when I was an undergrad. And I am changed because of it.