IN Britain we have six species of native reptiles.

Unfortunately, due to habitat loss and needless persecution all of these species are in decline and are in desperate need of conservation help if they are going to continue to survive.

In the Wyre Forest district we are fortunate enough to have four of the six reptile species.

I am fairly sure, that over the past few years it would only be a very small percentage of people that had even encountered one of these animals even once and very few people who had seen all four.

Even in my job as a ranger for Wyre Forest District Council I only encounter these animals on an infrequent basis.

Adders are perhaps our rarest reptile, with our district being one of their last strong holds in Worcestershire.

Saying that, there is estimated to be only 120 of these majestic animals left in the county.

The grass snake, recognisable by its yellow collar markings, is the only other true snake.

This is a bit more wide spread but is still extremely scarce. The slow worm is a bit of an enigma in that it is certainly not a worm and closely resembles a snake in appearance but is in fact a legless lizard.

While probably our most common reptile, if any could be called common these days, is the Viviparous lizard.

This wonderful animal is quite large with a length up to 16 centimetres and is highly active through the day.

It is though, quite difficult to see due to its excellent camouflage and lightning fast reflexes which means it's usually seen you before you've seen it and then in a blink of the eye has disappeared into thick cover.

The best way to see one is to try to spot one of these lizards in the morning when they will usually be basking in the sunlight.

If their body temperature has not been warmed high enough by the sun it will make them a little slower and if you can see the spot from which they fled you can settle down near here and wait a little.

The lizards highly prize their basking spots and will usually return to them after being disturbed.

Unusually, this lizard sort of gives birth to live young, hence its name Viviparous.

However it is only sort of as the young are in fact kept within a membranous sac within the lizards body and are born within this but the full formed young then immediately hatch and disperse and begin to fend for themselves.

Mortality is high among young lizards with many birds picking them off as an easy snack but with luck on their side these lizards can live for up to 12 years.