In Wallonia, seven species of reptile hide themselves from the eyes of the general public. In looking around us, in renouncing our fears and prejudices, we discover a fascinating world with particular lifestyles, revealing marvels to those who know how to observe them. Unfortunately, the reptiles of Wallonia are today in danger. The destruction of habitat, the culling of snakes, very close mowing, a mechanised working of the lands, etc.; snakes and lizards have a good deal more to fear from humans than the contrary. A few adjustments, nonetheless simple and not very expensive, be they in terms of time, space or in money, can be carried out to improve their living conditions.
Reptiles have fed the imaginations of human beings since the dawn of time. And more particularly the snakes which, in Western Europe, inspire feelings of fear, disgust and fascination, whilst they are sometimes venerated in other parts of the world. Our European snakes nevertheless do not attack either humans or domestic animals, and the vast majority of them are not poisonous.
Very inconspicuous, they are nonetheless there under a stone, hidden amongst dense vegetation, within a low wall or under a pile of compost, looking for the ideal temperature for their survival or simply a shelter to flee their predators. ‘It is, effectively, a challenge to observe the reptiles, especially the snakes, but that comes with time,’ states Eric Graitson, a researcher at the University of Liège’s aCREA Laboratory (Conseil et Recherches en Ecologie Appliquée) and who has just devoted a study to these reptiles (1).
As someone who has always been fascinated by reptiles, E. Graitson has acquired great expertise in the domain. He is currently overseeing their study and their conservation in Wallonia and, according to him, ‘the occupational hazards of observing these unsung animals are the weather, climate conditions. The primary difficulties encountered are above all the sources of funding in order to carry out studies over the long term!’
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Snakes and lizards are in effect ectothermic animals, which is to say that their body temperature is variable. Each species has to reach a very specific body heat to be able to get active and look for its food. Their activity is regulated by the seasons and the weather. They have thus acquired a whole series of behavioural features aiming to regulate the temperature of their bodies: a good sunbathe to get warmed up or on the contrary looking for shelter should the temperature become too high or too low. This is what is known as thermoregulation. During the Winter, they just keep ticking over, well bundled up deep in their shelters, without completely sleeping and without eating. They will only leave at the beginning of Spring, when the temperatures will be milder.
Beyond the impositions of thermoregulation, the reptiles have another fixed idea firmly planted in their minds: to eat and above all not be eaten! The reptiles are efficient predators. Lizards are very partial to insects and other invertebrates such as spiders and worms, whilst snakes feed on small vertebrates such as voles, lizards and amphibians. Moreover lizards need to eat very regularly, which is not the case for snakes, which are capable of fasting for a long time. Being for the greater part diurnal (active during the daytime), their predators are for example birds (buzzards, crows and herons). On the ground they need to be wary of hens, pheasants and mammals such as hedgehogs and stone martens, but above all boars and cats.
