The only reptile resident at the Botanic Garden is the grass snake. They are best looked for in spring near the Lake or in the Fen Display, or can sometimes be seen basking in the sun on the Rock Garden. One particular grass snake seems to enjoy the extra heat of the Palm House in the Glasshouse Range and is known as Hissing Sid!
If you spot a grass snake in the Garden, please let us know by emailing wildlife@botanic.cam.ac.uk. If you get a photo, we’d love to see it.
Frogs and toads are both present and their spawn is a common spring sight in the slow-flowing Stream in the breeding season. The Fen Display is a good place to spot smooth newts, which otherwise seek the moist shelter beneath rotting logs.
We would love to receive your records of frogs and toads and their spawn, please send these in to wildlife@botanic.cam.ac.uk or submit them to our iRecord activity CU Wildlife Recording.
