There have been scorpions living in Sheerness, Isle of Sheppey for some 200
years. These live in walls in the old dock yard.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print...102285,00.html


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On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 13:03:07 GMT, "Yakman" wrote:

There have been scorpions living in Sheerness, Isle of Sheppey for some 200
years. These live in walls in the old dock yard.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print...102285,00.html

almost anything is possible nowadays. My wife saw a small lizard in
our Dutch garden last week.
--
Martin

In article ,
writes:
| On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 13:03:07 GMT, "Yakman" wrote:
|
| There have been scorpions living in Sheerness, Isle of Sheppey for some 200
| years. These live in walls in the old dock yard.
|
| http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print...102285,00.html
|
| almost anything is possible nowadays. My wife saw a small lizard in
| our Dutch garden last week.

That isn't surprising at all. Lacerta vivipara is common a LONG
way north of the Netherlands - I think that I saw one at 800 metres
near Inverness last week, though I didn't know they lived that high
there. And, with you, it could have been other lizards as well.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 26 Jul 2004 13:25:54 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:


In article ,
writes:
| On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 13:03:07 GMT, "Yakman" wrote:
|
| There have been scorpions living in Sheerness, Isle of Sheppey for some 200
| years. These live in walls in the old dock yard.
|
| http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print...102285,00.html
|
| almost anything is possible nowadays. My wife saw a small lizard in
| our Dutch garden last week.

That isn't surprising at all. Lacerta vivipara is common a LONG
way north of the Netherlands

So are arctic foxes,but that doesn't mean that they are two a penny in
Zuid Holland.

- I think that I saw one at 800 metres
near Inverness last week, though I didn't know they lived that high
there. And, with you, it could have been other lizards as well.

My wife saw this one at one metre. It can't be that common in our
garden otherwise we would have noticed it before and almost certainly
one of the cats would have caught one by now.
--
Martin

In article ,
writes:
|
| | almost anything is possible nowadays. My wife saw a small lizard in
| | our Dutch garden last week.
|
| That isn't surprising at all. Lacerta vivipara is common a LONG
| way north of the Netherlands
|
| So are arctic foxes,but that doesn't mean that they are two a penny in
| Zuid Holland.

Perhaps I should have spelled it out. Those lizards are widespread
over all of Europe, from the south to the latitude of Scotland and
perhaps higher. That range included the Netherlands, the last I
heard.

| - I think that I saw one at 800 metres
| near Inverness last week, though I didn't know they lived that high
| there. And, with you, it could have been other lizards as well.
|
| My wife saw this one at one metre. It can't be that common in our
| garden otherwise we would have noticed it before and almost certainly
| one of the cats would have caught one by now.

Common doesn't mean they occur every few feet. And how do you know
that the cats haven't caught a few, but not shown you them?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 26 Jul 2004 14:05:00 GMT, Nick Maclaren wrote:

In article ,
writes:
|
| | almost anything is possible nowadays. My wife saw a small lizard in
| | our Dutch garden last week.
|
| That isn't surprising at all. Lacerta vivipara is common a LONG
| way north of the Netherlands
|
| So are arctic foxes,but that doesn't mean that they are two a penny in
| Zuid Holland.

Perhaps I should have spelled it out. Those lizards are widespread
over all of Europe, from the south to the latitude of Scotland and
perhaps higher. That range included the Netherlands, the last I
heard.

| - I think that I saw one at 800 metres
| near Inverness last week, though I didn't know they lived that high
| there. And, with you, it could have been other lizards as well.
|
| My wife saw this one at one metre. It can't be that common in our
| garden otherwise we would have noticed it before and almost certainly
| one of the cats would have caught one by now.

Common doesn't mean they occur every few feet. And how do you know
that the cats haven't caught a few, but not shown you them?

I'd be surprised if even the cats could actually catch a whole one.
Possibly the twiching tail.

--
Tim C.

On 26 Jul 2004 14:05:00 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:


In article ,
writes:
|
| | almost anything is possible nowadays. My wife saw a small lizard in
| | our Dutch garden last week.
|
| That isn't surprising at all. Lacerta vivipara is common a LONG
| way north of the Netherlands
|
| So are arctic foxes,but that doesn't mean that they are two a penny in
| Zuid Holland.

Perhaps I should have spelled it out. Those lizards are widespread
over all of Europe, from the south to the latitude of Scotland and
perhaps higher. That range included the Netherlands, the last I
heard.

| - I think that I saw one at 800 metres
| near Inverness last week, though I didn't know they lived that high
| there. And, with you, it could have been other lizards as well.
|
| My wife saw this one at one metre. It can't be that common in our
| garden otherwise we would have noticed it before and almost certainly
| one of the cats would have caught one by now.

Common doesn't mean they occur every few feet. And how do you know
that the cats haven't caught a few, but not shown you them?

because as far as we can tell they show us everything they catch and
only kill for later inspection, if we are not home.
--
Martin

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:08:35 +0200, Tim Challenger
wrote:


I'd be surprised if even the cats could actually catch a whole one.
Possibly the twiching tail.

Little green frogs from the neighbour's pond spend whole days being
caught by the cats and returned by us to the pond. So far the only
dead frog was discovered on the pillow next to my wife's head one
morning. The cats must have seen the Godfather.
--
Martin

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:26:57 +0200, wrote:

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:08:35 +0200, Tim Challenger
wrote:

I'd be surprised if even the cats could actually catch a whole one.
Possibly the twiching tail.

Little green frogs from the neighbour's pond spend whole days being
caught by the cats and returned by us to the pond. So far the only
dead frog was discovered on the pillow next to my wife's head one
morning. The cats must have seen the Godfather.

Lizards are significantly more agile than frogs.
--
Tim C.

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 13:03:07 GMT, "Yakman" wrote:

There have been scorpions living in Sheerness, Isle of Sheppey for some 200
years. These live in walls in the old dock yard.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print...102285,00.html


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There's been colony's in Portsmouth docks for years also, make
interesting pets not quite as easy to watch as the bigger species but
just as cool.
Ford.

wrote in message
news
On 26 Jul 2004 14:05:00 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:


In article ,
writes:
|
| | almost anything is possible nowadays. My wife saw a small lizard
in
| | our Dutch garden last week.
|
| That isn't surprising at all. Lacerta vivipara is common a LONG
| way north of the Netherlands
|
| So are arctic foxes,but that doesn't mean that they are two a penny in
| Zuid Holland.

Perhaps I should have spelled it out. Those lizards are widespread
over all of Europe, from the south to the latitude of Scotland and
perhaps higher. That range included the Netherlands, the last I
heard.

| - I think that I saw one at 800 metres
| near Inverness last week, though I didn't know they lived that high
| there. And, with you, it could have been other lizards as well.
|
| My wife saw this one at one metre. It can't be that common in our
| garden otherwise we would have noticed it before and almost certainly
| one of the cats would have caught one by now.

Common doesn't mean they occur every few feet. And how do you know
that the cats haven't caught a few, but not shown you them?

because as far as we can tell they show us everything they catch and
only kill for later inspection, if we are not home.
--
Martin

I wouldn't advise trying to catch one. I cornered one in Greece as a child,
and was somewhat horrified to find it dispensing with its tail (in the grip
of my hand). They wriggle quite a while after the lizard is gone.
They apparently grow a new tail. Quite amazing.

I live just north of london. never seen a scorpion, lizard or snake in the
UK. Probably for the better... :O)

Matthew Durkin wrote:
:: I wouldn't advise trying to catch one. I cornered one in Greece as
:: a child, and was somewhat horrified to find it dispensing with its
:: tail (in the grip of my hand). They wriggle quite a while after
:: the lizard is gone.

As a keeper of reptiles, I know a little bit about this...The wriggling of
the shodden tail is to fool predators, they will often shed it when being
pursued, giving the predator a moving object to attack while they make their
escape.

:: They apparently grow a new tail. Quite amazing.
::
:: I live just north of london. never seen a scorpion, lizard or
:: snake in the UK. Probably for the better... :O)

Parts of Wales have a good pupulation of snakes, I saw one there as a child,
about 4 foot long and a sandy beige colour, this is the only wild snake I've
ever seen in the UK...they are, like my own snakes, very shy of people and
just want to hide all the time.

In article , Matthew Durkin
writes

I wouldn't advise trying to catch one. I cornered one in Greece as a child,
and was somewhat horrified to find it dispensing with its tail (in the grip
of my hand). They wriggle quite a while after the lizard is gone.
They apparently grow a new tail. Quite amazing.

Slow worms (which are lizards rather than worms or snakes) do the same.
The tail wriggles like fury to attract the predator's attention while
the rest of the body makes itself scarce. The regrown tail isn't a
perfect fit - is slightly thinner than the old one.

I live just north of london. never seen a scorpion, lizard or snake in the
UK. Probably for the better... :O)

Slow worms in abundance when I lived in Sevenoaks. Only place I've seen
lizards is Inner Hebrides. Seen many adders- mainly the tail end
departing as fast as poss - but not yet seen a grass snake.



--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:32:17 +0200, Tim Challenger
wrote:

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:26:57 +0200, wrote:

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:08:35 +0200, Tim Challenger
wrote:

I'd be surprised if even the cats could actually catch a whole one.
Possibly the twiching tail.

Little green frogs from the neighbour's pond spend whole days being
caught by the cats and returned by us to the pond. So far the only
dead frog was discovered on the pillow next to my wife's head one
morning. The cats must have seen the Godfather.

Lizards are significantly more agile than frogs.

and a lot rarer, I've lived here for 38 years and never seen one, not
even in the local dunes. I have seen a rare three legged tortoise in
our garden. I saw lizards in Hampshire when I was a kid.
If I visit Rome or Greece I see one within an hour of arriving. In
French Guyana I had one in my hotel room.
--
Martin

The message
from Tim Challenger contains these words:



I'd be surprised if even the cats could actually catch a whole one.

Unfortunately, they can :-(

Janet.