Caught on camera: wonderful reptiles!

It’s officially reptile season and here in the UK you can find six native reptile species all of which have been snapped by our resident wildlife photographer Ben Andrew (he’s won awards you know). You may have read our Nature’s Home photography segment in Spring’s Wild About… where he gives the low down on how to capture these slithery species. Here’s his almighty tips in action.

Adder-nough of missing the perfect shot. Ben's got your back. Head to RSPB Minsmere's adder trail if you dare!

Timing is crucial. Our slippery friends love a bit of a bask in the morning sun but once they’ve warmed up they either go into hiding for the day or they make a speedy exit from shot before you’re ready to snap them! Get up and get out about an hour before sunrise.

The common lizard is the UK's most widespread lizard species so if you look in the right places your sure to get a good shot.

Don’t shade them or their basking spot. Being cold blooded they use the environment to regulate their temperature so need to warm up to jump start their metabolism and get those muscles moving. If you shade them with your equipment then they aren’t going to stick around, or come out in the first place.

Here at RSPB HQ we’ve had the delight of watching a grass snake having a little swim (personally it’s still a bit cold for me).

“Where can I find myself some reptiles?” good question. Well Ben advises that you should find them basking in the sun near hedges, stone walls or banks of scrub (anywhere they can hide). Or on some nature reserves they put out corregated iron that gets nice and warm for these guys.

Sand lizards are the UK's rarest lizard but can found at RSPB Arne if you're up for the challenge!

Want to add a bit more colour to your reptile snaps? Female sand lizards may be brown in colour but their male counterparts have flanks of a stunning green, particularly so in breeding season.

Is it a worm? Is it a snake? No it's a legless lizard, also known as the slow worm, and it can be found hunting round your compost heap.

Revisit sites to get different behavioural shots. Male adders do a little dance to attract the ladies and sand lizards wrestle rivals to hold their territory. If you keep going back you may well see these behaviours in action.

The smooth snake is the rarest of the UK snakes and can again be spotted at RSPB Arne.

Macro lenses make a good focal shot. They really highlight intricate detail of the subject and making it truly the focus. We wouldn't encourage getting up close and personal with and adder and we advise to take a lot of care not to disturb these sensitive creatures. If you’d rather stand back, get yourself a longer lens and zoom to your hearts content.

Well that’s all folks. Get your camera out and go find some of the UKs most elusive species. Once you’ve got your shot you can send them over to natureshome@rspb.org.uk and they could feature in the magazine or here on our photo of the week blog.

Note: Please do remember that many of our reptile species are heavily protected, reside on sensitive sites and the Adder is a venomous species so treat them with a careful approach, do not handle them and follow the law regarding disturbance.