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As discussed at the ARG UK AGM on 7th January 2026, we are seeking passionate young herpetologists to join a new ARG UK Youth Panel.This panel aims to engage those aged 18–26, who wish to take a more active role in conserving our native amphibians…

Read more: Join our ARG UK youth panel

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In response to questions we have received relating to ongoing media coverage of proposed amphibian rewilding and reintroductions, ARG UK wishes to clarify its position, building on our previous ARG UK Policy Statement Concerning Reintroductions, and  pdfARG UK Advice Note 12 Amphibian and Reptile Reintroduction Guidelines…

Read more: ARG UK Position Statement on reintroduction proposals

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Responding to local concerns about declining reptiles and amphibians, and particularly our native adder, which is already facing local extinctions in other parts of England, a new project in collaboration with Natural England, Forestry England, Amphibian and Reptile Groups of the UK (ARG UK) and…

Read more: Where in the Wyre? - a new conservation programme for amphibians and reptiles in the Wyre Forest

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A collborative project funded by the Natural England Species Recovery Programme, the project aims to find out more about migrating common toads in the UK, in partnership with ARG UK, The UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, University of Chester and Froglife. The project has two themes:…

Read more: 'Travelling Toadlets' - common toads on the move

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Over the weekend, 6 & 7th of September 2025, I attended the Vanishing Viper Conference at the University of Chester. This event was organised by the Amphibian and Reptile Groups UK (ARGUK) in partnership with the School of Natural Sciences at the University of Chester and Amphibian…

Read more: A review of The Vanishing Viper 2025, University of Chester 6-7 Sept

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We are pleased to be able to release Vanishing Viper 2025 merchandise.
 
We've teamed up with Green Hare Designs to produce a range of T Shirts and Hoodies based on the wonderful design by our amazing digital creator Anna Maka.
 

Read more: Vanishing Viper 2025 merchandise - T-shirts and hoodies

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PLEASE NOTE - THE DEADLINE FOR PURCHASING TICKETS IS THURSDAY 28th SEPTEMBER This special two-day event focusing on our native adder, Viper berus, seeks to unlock the drivers behind adder declines, and determine how research and landscape-level projects can meet the challenges - #vanishingviper2025 We are…

Read more: Conference - Vanishing Viper 2025 - a landscape-level approach to adder conservation

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The European Adder (Vipera berus) is a widespread reptile, ranging from the UK in the west throughout Northern Europe, Central Asia and Russia. Historically widespread in England, adders have declined across much of their former range and have already been lost from a number of…

Read more: Secretive Serpents - conserving adders in Norfolk and Suffolk

Adders are Amazing! - copyright Sam Kelly
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A new publication from the Adders are Amazing! Team

Adder (Vipera berus) populations are experiencing declines in many countries, including the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, perceptions of adders and other venomous snakes are generally negative, making conservation of these species a challenge. More worryingly, data from the…

Read more: Improving attitudes towards adders (Vipera berus) and nature connectedness in primary‐age group children

European tree frog (Hyla arborea) copyright Tariq Stark
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In the face of ongoing wildlife declines, releasing animals back into the wild has become an increasingly popular proposition.  For species with limited dispersal abilities, such as amphibians and reptiles, actively moving animals may be the only way of restoring them to some sites.  Nevertheless,…

Read more: Amphibian and Reptile Reintroductions - Guidelines for Amphibian and Reptile Groups

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Welcome to our ARG UK 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM), an online event held on Tuesday 16th July starting at 7:30 pm. As always, all of our affiliated ARGS and their members were very welcome. The event ran in three parts starting with an update on…

Read more: 2024 ARG UK AGM - Presentations and Workshops

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Having alerted our volunteers to the potential changes proposed to the Wildlife and Countryside Act, under the QQR7 review, we now wish to bring your attention to an even more serious threat posed by the UK government’s drive for deregulation that may involve scrapping the…

Read more: Stand up for nature! Help us to protect our precious Habitats Regulations

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The SW ARGS online meeting recorded on 06.11.2021 provided an opportunity for volunteers, NGOs, academic researchers and statutory agencies to network and catch up on the latest news and research findings from reptile and amphibian conservation projects from right across the region. Session…

Read more: SW ARGs regional online meeting recorded 06.11.2021

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We are delighted to present the Scottish ARGs regional meeting for 2021 which was recorded on Saturday October 30th. You can view the recording on YouTube here: Introduced by Chris Cathrine (ARG UK, Cent ARG, Caledonian Conservation), the online meeting provided an opportunity for volunteers,…

Read more: Scottish ARGs Regional Meeting 30/10/21 - Recording and summary

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What is it?

Whilst most of the leeches you will encounter in the UK are a natural part of your ponds' ecosystem and doing no harm to other wildlife, since 2020 we've been receiving unusual reports of leech predation on amphibians from a small number…

Read more: A new report of leech predation on amphibians

More Articles ...

  1. 7th Quinquennial Review (QQR) of Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) - A summary by ARG UK
  2. NEW - Job vacancy - with The Dragons in the Hills project in Northern Ireland
  3. ARG UK Seminar Series: The Role of Reintroductions in Rewilding - recording and poll results
  4. How to ARGWEB - video tutorials that cover frequently asked questions
  5. Enter the Natrix: surveying grass snakes in eastern England by Steve Allain
  6. What's in your pond? Spawn spotters in 2021
  7. London ARG (LARG) Relaunch - new year, new start!
  8. ARG UK Policy Statement Concerning Reintroductions
  9. Dragons in the Hills: Music and Myths by the Fireside 1 - with TAP South Armagh and Una Walsh
  10. Dragons in the Hills: Music and Myths by the Fireside 2 - with Marie Murphy
  11. Dragons in the Hills: Music and Myths by the Fireside 3 - with Ann Ward
  12. Dragons in the Hills: Music and Myths by the Fireside 4 - with Seamus Murphy, and music from Colleen Savage and Padraig Carragher
  13. ARG UK Autumn Seminar Series: A celebration of ARG projects - ice age ponds, finding adders and mitigating for reptiles
  14. ARG UK Autumn Seminar Series: What can we do about alien amphibians and reptiles in the UK?
  15. ARG UK Seminar Series: Amphibian diseases – Understanding and managing the spread of a highly aggressive amphibian disease
  16. Dragons in the Hills - news and information from Northern Ireland in 2020
  17. Dragons in the Hills - news from Northern Ireland in 2021
  18. Dragons in the Hills - news from Northern Ireland in 2022
  19. ARG UK Autumn Seminar Series: Engaging community champions – developing and evaluating innovative outreach programmes for amphibians and reptiles with diverse communities.
  20. ARG UK Seminar Series: District Level Licencing – an exploration and evaluation of a new approach to managing great crested newts in the planning system
  21. ARG UK Autumn Seminar Series: Conserving amphibians and reptiles in South Africa, working in harmony with communities to overcome fear and improve local knowledge.
  22. ARG UK Seminar Series: Meeting the challenges of conserving adders in a 21st Century landscape – lessons from England and France. Streamed 17.09.20
  23. ARG UK Autumn Seminar Series - Recording of Dragons in the Hills on 3rd September 2020
  24. 100% success restoring ponds in Derbyshire in 2020
  25. 100% success supporting reptile and amphibian conservation in 2021
  26. Dragons in the Hills - project updates from Northern Ireland
  27. Dragons in the Hills - connecting communities with their natural heritage, and conserving amphibians and reptiles in Northern Ireland
  28. Wildlife Pond Construction and Habitat Creation on an Allotment in Norfolk
  29. Vanishing Viper 2019: A European approach to developing an adder conservation strategy
  30. Creating grass snake egg-laying heaps – the ‘RAVON Recipe’
  31. Look out for toad fly this summer
  32. Keeping everyone safe - Our adder code 'Stop, Step Back and Smile'
  33. Atlas of the Amphibians & Reptiles of Warwickshire (Vice County 38 Records) up to 2018
  34. Wildlife conservation charity urges private amphibian traders to prevent Bsal fungus from infecting wild populations
  35. Press Release: First study of national adder population trends reveals adders are facing near extinction in Britain
  36. Madeleine's Patch - 100% support from ARG UK
  37. Amphibians and Reptiles in Leicestershire and Rutland: A Review (2018)
  38. Chris Packham's - A People's Manifesto for Wildlife
  39. Bsal - a deadly new newt disease on our doorstep!
  40. Two herp conferences in 10 days - Christmas has come early!
  41. Adders are (even more) Amazing - Fun facts and top tips!!
  42. An ARG view of the 2018 Herpetofauna Workers Meeting - In our own words
  43. Networking at the RAVON International Adder Symposium, December 2017
  44. 100% success saving amphibians from drains in Warwickshire
  45. What does the re-classification of European grass snakes mean for our native grass snakes?
  46. 100% fund news - Swabbing midwife toads for chytrid in Cambridgeshire
  47. Snake fungal disease identified in wild British snakes for first time
  48. Review of the 2017 Herpetofauna Workers Meeting, Nottingham, 11-12 February
  49. Revised Advice note 4 - Amphibian Disease Precautions, A Guide for UK Fieldworkers
  50. Latest Updates on GCN licensing reforms
  51. ARG UK 100% fund successes in 2016
  52. Vanishing Viper Presentations Available for Download
  53. The Vanishing Viper: Priorities for Adder Conservation
  54. Herping for the Future - Volunteer with Indigo Expeditions
  55. Kids' stickers and fun fact sheets
  56. Volunteer dates now available for Merseyside Sand Lizard work parties
  57. Volunteer dates now available for Merseyside Sand Lizard work parties (2)
  58. Amphibians and SUDS Conference 2016
  59. The first national adder meeting to take place 8-9 Oct 2016
  60. Do you find shed reptile skins while surveying in the UK?
  61. Updated Amphibian and Reptile Atlases for North East England Released
  62. New for 2016 - the Revised Reptile ID Guide
  63. The 2016 Herpetofauna Workers' Meeting
  64. Report on the South West Region Amphibian and Reptile Groups Conference 2015
  65. Highlights of the First Joint Herpetological Scientific Meeting in Dublin
  66. Finding out more about diseases in our native reptiles and amphibians
  67. ARC Snake Publications
  68. Kent Reptile and Amphibian Group
  69. There's a snake in the garden...
  70. Early Success for the Sefton Coast Sand Lizard Task Force
  71. Round up of the West Midlands Regional Meeting 'Captive breeding & re-introduction of UK reptiles & amphibians'
  72. Amphibians in Drains - Scotland
  73. Make the Adder Count in 2025

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