Tag Archives: species in focus

Species in Focus; Chough

Chough Vaughn Matthews The chough is a member of the crow family, distinctive from others thanks to its red legs and beak. The chough has a slightly shyer nature than other crows. They can be seen from the Wales Coast Path performing aerial acrobatics and calling with their distinctive call. The

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Species in Focus; Medicinal Leech

The medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) is the UK’s largest leech species, at 16cm in length when fully extended. It is striking in colour, with stripes of red and yellow set on a black background. As suggested by the name, this is the leech of medieval medicine fame! The leech is still

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Species in Focus: Grass Snake

Grass snakes are Britain’s largest snake, reaching up to 150cm in length. They are olive-green in colour, with a pattern of dark markings along their flanks and a distinctive yellow collar around the neck. Completely harmless to humans, it’s another story when it comes to amphibians! They survive on a diet

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Marsh Fritillary Butterfly PONT Cymru

Species in Focus; Marsh Fritillary

Look closely at the ground in a marshy grassland at this time of year and if you’re very lucky, you could spot the larval webs of the beautiful marsh fritillary butterfly. The marsh fritillary is a threatened butterfly, small in stature but beautifully patterned. Once widespread in Britain, they have declined

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greater butterfly orchid pont cymru

Species in Focus; Greater Butterfly Orchid

The greater butterfly orchid, Plantanthera chlorantha, is a beautiful orchid with greenish-white flowers that have a light vanilla scent. This gets stronger at night in order to attract moths, their main pollinators. Found in woodlands, in open scrub and grasslands, the greater butterfly orchid comes into flower at this time of

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Natterjack Toad Epidalea calamita by berniedup is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Species in Focus; Natterjack Toad

Spend an evening in the sand dunes near Talacre in North Wales at this time of year and if you are lucky you will hear the distinctive call of the natterjack toad. Natterjack toads are distinguished from their more common relatives by a slightly smaller size and a yellow dorsal stripe.

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