Wednesday 7 August 2013

Lagoon in danger!

After recent sightings of A Terrapin in our Lagoon - I did a bit of checking to see if they can survive our winters. I found an interesting article on "The Independent" website:

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/look-out-abandoned-terrapins-about-1863903.html

I had an idea they could be a nuisance, but have found out they can be highly destructive to everything else.

Most important Question - Is there only one? or a breeding pair? As the "experts" only THINK their eggs are laid too late & can't survive Autumn.

This animal will dine on everything in the water - Dragonfly Larvae, Tadpoles, Frogs, Fish, Beetles, & when big enough Ducklings & Little Grebe chicks.

We really need to have this beastie REMOVED! Note I don't say destroyed! but removed!, they are fine in the correct place - Aquariums, greenhouses etc. but not munching all our native species.

3 comments:

Steve Blacksmith said...

There were some sightings of terrapins in the Rochdale Canal near Sowerby Bridge in the 1990s. But not since.

AndyC said...

I saw 4 red necked terrapins on the canal near cromwell lock about 10 years ago, floating on a log basking in the sun,,,not to be seen again.

Anonymous said...

We thought we saw a terrapin in the RiverCalder yesterday, underneath a vehicle bridge just along from the weir. We watched it from the foot bridge adjacent. Dave