Week 26
What is it about snakes? I try hard to control my fear of these slithery reptiles, despite Lakeland snakes being more afraid of me than I am of them[i], at least judging by how hard they are to find. Fear of snakes carries a name - they call it ophidiophobia[ii], a type of anxiety disorder. It is different to a fear of all reptiles, which is extremely common, and is called herpetophobia. And frogs, even though they are not reptiles but amphibians? Being frightened of frogs is ranidophobia. I happen to like them.
For snakes, research has shown that half the world’s population is anxious about them, while 2-3% have a full phobia[iii]. The problem is my long grass[iv] added to the recent hot weather. It has turned my renatured land into snake Heaven. Fortunately, snakes are difficult to see, and I make certain I am noisy, which gives them plenty of time to dash away. Even so, I nearly trod on a grass snake[v] a short while ago and am sure a neighbour has just seen an adder. There are plenty of slow worms, too, which happen to be legless lizards. There are common lizards as well. It is a slithery time of year, when reptiles are looking for grub, and humans are in the way. Lakeland contains four species of reptile, each protected by UK legislation[vi].
Grass snakes look as if they will bite humans, but will not, and will sometimes even rise like a cobra. Yet their defence is to smell terrible when in trouble, as they secrete a garlic-smelling fluid from their anal glands. They can even feign death (thanatosis[vii]) and autosecrete blood from their mouth and nose. Their natural predators are corvids, owls, raptors, foxes, and perhaps the local cat, each of which has made a home on my land, and takes advantage of the long grass, which allows perfect concealment. It is hard work being a grass snake, especially staying alive, but they are out and about on my land.
There are adders[viii], too, which are the only venomous reptiles in the Lakeland wild. An adder can grow up to three feet long while the mothers can have up to 20 young, although the baby adders (snakelets[ix]) stay at home for only a few days. It is unlikely that I will be bitten by an adder but if I am, there is a roughly 12% chance I will be hospitalised[x], although antivenoms do exist. Most at risk are domestic animals but even then, mortality is low (4.6%)[xi]. Adders are also prey, and at risk from raptors and some corvids, with badgers and foxes also having a go[xii].
My land has plenty of slow worms[xiii], which are as their name says - astonishingly slow. When I see a slow worm, I sometimes must study it hard, to see if it is moving. Slow worms can live for a very long time. Thirty years in the wild is normal, and more than 50 years in captivity. Such longevity is remarkable, especially considering a slow worm’s predators - adders, badgers, raptors, corvids, the local cat, foxes, and even hedgehogs. No wonder that slow worms choose to live under things, not on top. Occasionally I can find a slow worm slithering across a path but mostly I must lift a rock. These days I wear protective gloves whenever I lift anything as I never know what may be hiding underneath.
As for the common lizard[xiv], my land has plenty, but I must stay still to see one. A lizard is far better at staying still than me. I am no predator, but common lizards are eaten by the same wildlife as might consume a grass snake or slow worm and will live for up to six years. There are plenty around, as I see them remaining static in the hope I will not see them, while they eye me with suspicion.
This increase in slithery things may partly be thanks to the hot weather, and recently some returning rain. However, it might also be thanks to environmental vandalism in the area. Environmental vandalism is globally widespread, Lakeland is no exception, thanks to the large number of second homes and the unjustified belief that the environment is protected by others, not by those who rarely visit. The result is that green space is sacrificed to make way for construction, and displaced wildlife is forced to make a home somewhere different. As the wildlife is generally silent, especially slitherers, and tries not to be noticed, it is simple for the environmental vandal to believe that noise, toxic materials, and loss of green space is doing no harm. The vandal is wrong, but simply does not notice, nor do so many others who may be indirectly complicit, simply by doing nothing, or blindly following regulations without a second thought.
There are plenty of examples of environmental vandalism, not just the United Kingdom’s Lake District that is being slowly chipped away. Take the hundreds of tons of yellow sand from the Sahara Desert that have been spread over a Tenerife volcanic beach to improve its appearance for tourists. Or the pieces of the Great Wall of China that are scattered throughout the world on mantlepieces and in shoeboxes, as assorted rock curios[xv]. Tree felling[xvi],[xvii] takes place for the weakest of reasons, littering is commonplace[xviii], while abandoned chewing gum, ugly graffiti, and fly-tipping are not hard to find. There is plenty more as well. A recent local survey found that 26% of visitors to my area leave litter behind, while more than half (52%) expect to find litter bins in the middle of nowhere[xix]. Dog poop bags are a classic, as I often find those abandoned on my land by lazy dog owners, who believe that some mystical fairy is following behind them to sweep up the mess. I am still waiting to meet the fairy. Around the world, 500 million dog poop bags are used annually[xx], which is frightening. A few end up on my land, as an example of environmental vandalism, and the only person available to clear up the mess is, guess who, me. I may live and renature in one on my country’s most attractive areas, but caring for it is a major problem.
I have landed myself in the deep end thanks to a meeting later this year hosted by the French. There is a conference in the Vaucluse[xxi] where they are interested to learn about planting dry stone walls. Although my message may slowly be getting through, my dry stone walls - vertical gardens[xxii] - may be showing some signs of life, but it is not overwhelming. I had hoped for them to be smothered with flowers, herbs and ferns by now. I have some, but not many, so there is more work to do. After all, the nation’s 140,000 miles of bare dry stone wall is currently wasted planting space and holds sufficient room for up to 130 million trees, or tree-equivalents. That is enough oxygen for more than 12 million people and the French wish to know more.
I have a holly tree that I planted 18 months ago that is now looking sickly. Its species is Ilex aquifolium alaska, which is female, as I liked the look of its red berries. The female holly produces berries, the male holly does not. Early this year, the tree started to look sad, occasional black rings appearing on its lower branches, with its leaves failing to grow. I thought this was a root fungus, and the tree was dying. I even asked a local arborologist, who advised felling the tree and using the space for something different. I was about to do that yesterday when I had a closer look. Fresh green spiky leaves had appeared, and even the occasional berry. I have thus spared the tree and will wait and see what happens, although I have pruned anything dubious. Trees, as with mankind, can recover from disease[xxiii]. Not everything means a chainsaw and destruction.
Immediately beside the holly is a ten-metre stretch of bamboo that shows no sign of disease at all. I have long adored bamboo, which is a problem, as so many others hate it. Once I was a soldier and the jungle’s bamboo was my friend as it is impossible to walk through a bamboo plantation without making any noise. Bamboo was a wonderful guard. Yet there are superstitions, too. In Nepal, the planting of bamboo by young adult males was said to render them infertile. If females planted bamboo, it was important they avoided the plant’s shadow as that was an invitation to the God of Death, Yamraj. As for bamboo harvesting, it was never to be undertaken on a Tuesday or Thursday, as it was a sign of bad luck[xxiv]. Despite such misgivings, bamboo is truly eco-friendly. It produces 35% more oxygen and absorbs five times more CO2 than similar plants, which is good for mitigating climate change. Bamboo products are also 100% biodegradable, and very soil-friendly[xxv],[xxvi]. It is time to think again about bamboo, and I certainly intend to plant more.
To the other side of the sickly holly stands a tall rhododendron that is showing signs of age. I was going to remove that as well. Yet the moment I thought the thought, rhododendron flowers began to appear. The old plant was alive, not thriving, but certainly worth preservation. Some people hate rhododendron, just as they do bamboo, as it is seen to be highly invasive, toxic to grazing animals, and with 1000 square kilometres of the plant growing in the United Kingdom. A single rhododendron bush can generate more than one million seeds each year[xxvii]. In Lakeland, rhododendrons adore the acid soil and there are plenty of specialist species that are confined to the area. There was once a time when the plant was collected, gathered and treasured in Lakeland, so perhaps that time has returned[xxviii]. As with the holly, I have now spared the ageing rhododendron, but I have pruned it radically and removed anything dead.
After all, my conscience will not allow me to reduce any shelter provided to the slitherers, and rhododendrons are especially good at offering shelter. The shade and shelter a rhododendron can offer is impressive, which is one reason why so many people hate it, as other plants find it hard or impossible to grow beneath a rhododendron.
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Acknowledgement
Take it from me - none of this would be possible without the help of RSG Horticulture. Rufus, who runs it, has far more energy than me and is full of ideas and skills. Do contact him through https://www.rsghorticulture.com.
References [i] Snakes are actually more scared of humans than we are of them, experts explain. See https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/snakes-are-actually-more-scared-of-humans-than-we-are-of-them-experts-explain#:~:text=According%20to%20experts%2C%20the%20best,probably%20more%20afraid%20of%20you. Accessed 22 June 2023. [ii] Ophidiophobia (Fear of Snakes). See https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22519-ophidiophobia-fear-of-snakes#:~:text=But%20most%20mental%20health%20professionals,an%20intense%20fear%20of%20snakes. Accessed 22 June 2023. [iii] Polák J, Sedláčková K, Nácar D, Landová E, Frynta D. Fear the serpent: A psychometric study of snake phobia. Psychiatry Res. 2016 Aug 30;242:163-168. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.05.024. Epub 2016 May 31. [iv] Zachary M. You're Inviting Snakes to Your Home If You Have This in Your Yard. See https://bestlifeonline.com/news-tall-grass-snakes-yard/#:~:text=%22If%20you%20have%20tall%20grass,for%20them%20to%20hunt%20prey. Accessed 22 June 2023. [v] Natrix natrix. Often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians. The grass snake is a strong swimmer and are at the mercy of the environment, so must overwinter where it does not freeze. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass_snake. Accessed 22 June 2023. [vi] Reptiles. See http://www.cbdc.org.uk/uploads/cbeb/statements/CBEB-Reptiles.pdf, Accessed 22 June 2023. [vii] Apparent death. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apparent_death#Thanatosis. Accessed 22 June 2023. [viii] Vipera berus and sometimes known as the common European viper. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adder. Accessed 22 June 2023. [ix] What is a bay snake called? See https://alexaanswers.amazon.com/question/1tlyOZAGH1jA9cdtbKmdGg. Accessed 26 June 2023. [x] Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G (2003). True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. ISBN 0-89464-877-2. [xi] Sutton NM, Bates N, Campbell A. Canine adder bites in the UK: a retrospective study of cases reported to the Veterinary Poisons Information Service. Vet Rec. 2011 Dec 3;169(23):607. doi: 10.1136/vr.d4695. Epub 2011 Aug 25. [xii] Adder. See https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/gbw/gardens-wildlife/garden-reptiles-amphibians/a-z-reptiles-amphibians/adder#:~:text=Adders%20are%20mostly%20predated%20on,Smooth%20Snakes%2C%20Badgers%20and%20Foxes. Accessed 22 June 2023. [xiii] Slow worm. Anguis fragilis. Sometimes called a deaf adder or blindworm. Most active at night and does not bask in the sun like other reptiles. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_worm. Accessed 22 June 2023. [xiv] Zootoca vivipara. Lives farther north than any other species of non-marine reptile and called viviparous because it gives birth to live young. Exclusively carnivorous and eats only flies, spiders and insects. Spends most of its time on the ground. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viviparous_lizard. Accessed 22 June 2023. [xv] Environmental vandalism. See http://encyclopedia.uia.org/en/problem/environmental-vandalism#:~:text=Name(s)%3A,of%20rock%20on%20a%20bushwalk. Accessed 22 June 2023. [xvi] McCarthy J. Dunmurry tree felling 'environmental vandalism'. See https://belfastmedia.com/dunmurry-lane-trees. Accessed 22 June 2023. [xvii] Telford W. Daylight in Plymouth reveals full scale of tree-felling in Armada Way. https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/daylight-plymouth-reveals-full-scale-8252103. Accessed 22 June 2023. [xviii] Jing-Han Wu, Hsing-Wei Lin, Wan-Yu Liu. Tourists’ environmental vandalism and cognitive dissonance in a National Forest Park. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening,Volume 55, 2020, 126845, ISSN 1618-8667,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2020.126845. [xix] The Great Cumbrian Litter Pick. https://www.friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/news/litter-research. Accessed 22 June 2023. [xx] Brammer M. Pet Parents: It’s Time to Reconsider Plastic Dog Poop Bags. See https://www.cleanupnews.org/home/are-biodegradable-dog-poop-bags-environmentally-friendly#:~:text=Why%20are%20dog%20poop%20bags,to%20decompose%20in%20a%20landfill. Accessed 26 June 2023. [xxi] See https://www.goult.fr/sps-congress/. Accessed 22 June 2023. [xxii] See week 14 entry. [xxiii] Can you save that diseased tree? https://reliabletreecare.com/can-you-save-that-diseased-tree/. Accessed 26 June 2023 [xxiv] Das AN, Mitchell CP. Beliefs, superstitions and taboos associated with bamboos in Nepal and its implications. Banko Janakari 2005; 15(2):63-71 [xxv] Why Bamboo? (Green Solution). See https://lewisbamboo.com/pages/why-bamboo-green-solution#:~:text=Bamboo%20is%20a%20crucial%20element,and%20help%20fight%20global%20warming. Accessed 23 June 2023. [xxvi] Which plants absorb the most CO2? See https://kibodo.shop/en/blogs/infos/quelles-sont-les-plantes-qui-absorbent-le-plus-de-co2. Accessed 23 June 2023. [xxvii] Moss S. Why I want to see every rhododendron bush wiped off the planet. See https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-4828608/Why-want-rhododendron-bush-gone.html#:~:text=The%20leaves%20are%20poisonous%2C%20particularly,and%20the%20plants%20grow%20unchecked. Accessed 23 June 2023. [xxviii] Hoblyn T. Gardens: the rhodos return. See https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/apr/26/the-rhododendrons-return-tom-hoblyn. Accessed 23 June 2023.
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