All in a Mouses Night - Genesis

 Herps is a vernacular term for non-avian reptiles and amphibians but as far as what we describe as

Herp Covers

is concerned this is something of a misnomer.

From beneath we have recorded small Mammals, as was the case today, Insects, Arachnids, Snails et al but still continue to use the term.

Being only Friday it wasn’t even close to the routine we have gotten ourselves into of turning them on a Sunday, but with little else to be found need where needs must! To emphersise the point all that was found yesterday was a

most welcome

WOOD or if you prefere LONG-TAILED FIELD MOUSE
 which will likely be the final find under the covers for 2020.

 Under such circumstances it is usual to take stock of what has been recorded over the year with the signs not being at all Good.

In no particular order, we would start with the humble

SLOE WORM
which appears not to have fared too well at all compared with previous years.

We only log individual sightings, with no attempt to specify individual creatures or mark them in any way, with this years count having been as low as 13 sightings where in other years it has been 'dozens'!

As far as the

GRASS SNAKE
 is concerned this was the only example recorded this year but not to say there are not others out there?

Next, the already endangered and protected by law

SAND LIZARD

of which there have been

no more than c2 sightings!

The absolute 'beauty' that is the

ADDER

 Creatures shaped this planet's soil
Now their reign has come to end

has only been noted on a single occassion across 2020

as, sad to say, has the

COMMON LIZARD

 Has life again destroyed life?
Do they play elsewhere, do they know
More than their childhood games?

which may be close to extinction here?
Maybe the lizard's shed its tail

This is the end of man's long union with Earth

Watcher of the Skies - Genesis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5NOV0-EH0c
Finally, for our patch at least and most numerous,

SMOOTH SNAKE

Dave Foot
with shedded Smooth Snake skin.

Appears also to have declined with just 33 sightings whereas in previous years
3 to 5 dozen would be a usual tally.
We end this post with a likely impossible wish list as we pay a visit to Portland, Dorset

to view one of their specialities
WALL LIZARD 

Oh to have them Here!