Page 150 - Eden Meadow 35 houses application as of 12 October

Page 11 11th Setember 2020
6.20 Reptiles are ectothermic and use their immediate environment to regulate their body temperature. In
order to raise their body temperature they either bask in direct sunlight in sloped and sunny positions

within suitable habitat or they seek out objects that provide indirect radiation.

6.21 Artificial cover objects (ACOs), comprising bitumen roofing felt, corrugated coruline sheets and tins,
were deployed within the Site and within any vegetation considered to provide suitable habitat for
reptiles.

6.22 The thermal properties of the ACOs encourage basking reptiles and therefore provide an appropriate
and quantitative method on which to base surveys.

6.23 35 ACOs were distributed within the Site on 20th February 2020 and left to ‘bed in’ prior to the first
survey on 16th March 2020.

6.24 The ACOs, suitable basking spots and any other potential refugia within the Site were then checked
for the presence of basking and sheltering reptiles during suitable weather conditions, with no
precipitation.

6.25 Table 2 provides details of the dates and weather conditions for each survey. Surveys, were carried
out by experienced surveyors with good knowledge of reptile identification and understanding of
survey protocol.

Table 2: Survey details and weather conditions for survey of the Site.

Survey Survey date Surveyor Survey time Weather conditions
no.
Start End Start End

cover, ground damp, no
cover, ground damp, no
1 16.03.2020 Kari 14:30 14:50 12°C, light air, 30 % cloud 12°C, light air, 30 % cloud
Mcsherry
rain
rain
2 24.03.2020 Kari 14:10 14:25 12°C, light breeze, 0 % 12°C, light breeze, 0 %
cloud cover, damp ground, cloud cover, damp ground,
Mcsherry
no rain
no rain
3 27.03.2020 Kari 13:10 13:35 13°C, breezy, 0 % cloud 13°C, breezy, 0 % cloud
Mcsherry
cover, dry ground, no rain
cover, dry ground, no rain

cloud cover, dry ground, no cloud cover, dry ground, no
4 05.04.2020 Kari 11:40 12:00 17°C, light breeze, 0 % 17°C, light breeze, 0 %
Mcsherry
rain
rain
5 07.04.2020 Kari 12:20 12:40 17°C, light breeze, 0 % 17°C, light breeze, 0 %
cloud cover, damp ground, cloud cover, damp ground,
Mcsherry
no rain
no rain
cloud cover, damp ground, cloud cover, damp ground,
6 10.04.2020 Kari 10:00 10:25 16°C, light breeze, 0 % 16°C, light breeze, 0 %
Mcsherry
no rain
no rain

0444_R02_REV A_ECIA_LAND REAR OF EDEN MEADOWS, NEWINGTON