The RSPB Fen Drayton Lakes Wildlife Explorers group met for the first time on Saturday afternoon. A busy programme of activities was put together, with the main one being a bug hunt.
Many of our members are already experts at this, as they've joined us on these events in the past, so they needed little guidance on where to look. There were lots of bugs, with a number of different bumblebees, solitary bees, flies, ladybirds, ants, centipedes and snails collected in pots, looked at then returned to where they were found.
One member looked under a log and found a lizard without a tail (Stumpy), then another went to look for bugs on a tree trunk and found another lizard there, this one with a full tail.
I wonder what we'd find if we try a reptile hunt?
PS - the alternative name is spelt viviparous, which means "bearing live young", and that is just what they do, rather than lay eggs like the majority of reptiles do. These lizards are harmless (unless you are a small invertebrate and get eaten by one), and can be found as far north as the Arctic Circle. They are found across Europe and northern Asia, from Ireland to Japan.