# Adder Dissertation Ideas



## TheDeadDodo (Nov 5, 2010)

Alright guys
Over the last couple of weeks I have been trying to sort my dissertation project out for uni. Though it hasnt been easy as the department of the uni I am in only seemed to have an interest in trees, soil and fungi. But I have finally found someone to be my project manager who will be able to help me a bit with snakes or other reptiles  :no1::2thumb:
Though now I have I have to come up with a title for my project. I study environmental conservation , so am looking at doing something on the protection and conservation of adders, though I am not limited to this.
Just looking for a few more ideas that anyone has and if they would suggest any to me please?
Other things that I am considering are population counts, public knowledge and attitude towards adders ect.
Any suggestions that you can throw in my dirrection would be greatly apprietiated.  Also As they are a DWA and I havnt got any training i wont be doing any handeling or catching, just possibly spot and moniter sort of thing.
Thanks
Will


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## puff the magic adder (Jun 23, 2010)

TheDeadDodo said:


> Alright guys
> Over the last couple of weeks I have been trying to sort my dissertation project out for uni. Though it hasnt been easy as the department of the uni I am in only seemed to have an interest in trees, soil and fungi. But I have finally found someone to be my project manager who will be able to help me a bit with snakes or other reptiles  :no1::2thumb:
> Though now I have I have to come up with a title for my project. I study environmental conservation , so am looking at doing something on the protection and conservation of adders, though I am not limited to this.
> Just looking for a few more ideas that anyone has and if they would suggest any to me please?
> ...


Have you got any study sites where you can guarantee seeing reasonable numbers of animals for meaningful statistical analysis? I also live in North Wales, and it took several years just to get to know a few sites and perfect my field skills to consistently spot adders. You don't want to be doing this at the start of your project because you may well end up with no data. Also, if you get a crap year in terms of weather that could seriously screw the whole thing up.

If are a adamant about doing a field-based project, then common lizards or slow worms may be a better choice as you should be able to get reasonable sample sizes. Slow worms would also be good as you could do some experimental manipulation by putting down different types of cover boards (tin, wood, etc.) to see what they prefer in terms of microhabitat.

Another idea, if you want to do adders, is to do ecological niche modelling. This would utilise existing presence records (so you don't have to collect all the data yourself), plus various climatic and vegetation variables to define the preferred climatic/ecological niche and you would then be able to predict areas of suitable habitat. This would mostly be computer based using GIS software, but there are some cool possibilities, and the work is very relevant to conservation, etc.

Just make sure you plan a project with a good chance of getting meaningful data - this is your degree, after all.


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## TheDeadDodo (Nov 5, 2010)

Hi
Thank-you for the reply I will be doing the study in Cornwall over the summer. We have several sights near to me where adders are commonly found, these are a local sand dunes and all of the cliff Coastal paths.
I never though to do that with the slow worms and does sound an interesting project to do. I remember do this as a kid though I never had much luck with it lol but could be a good idea for a project.
I would like to avoid GIS but I know I will likely have to use it anyway so another idea that will be noted or possibly included in whatever I decide to do.
Another idea I have been running through my mind which I mentioned in the original post was the fact on doing something on public opinions and reactions with snakes in the wild and captivity.
If you don't mind can I ask what projects you have carried out on adders please? Also where in north Wales are you based and do you ever carry out any work with reptiles, amphibians, inverts ect. That as a student I would be able to possibly come and volunteer and help with, for experience and interest?
Thank-you for your reply
Will


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## Gaboon (Jun 20, 2005)

I always thought it would be interesting to study their parasites.


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## TheDeadDodo (Nov 5, 2010)

It would be very interesting to study this, but the biggest problem I think there would be finding the relevant information that's already be published on this. I would not be able to carry this out due to not having any experience in handling a DWA and also would not be able to get the correct certificates to allow me to handle them. Also with internal parasites I would not be able to carry this out due to the nature of it and my lack of biology experience.


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## Gaboon (Jun 20, 2005)

Look for something to do with surveying numbers? You may be able to get data from NARRS.

Arc Data Sharing Policy 

This may interest you.

The BHS - Research.


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## TheDeadDodo (Nov 5, 2010)

Cool thank-you for the links I will have a look at them when on a computer and not on my mates iPad in a lecture lol.
Trying to find people who carry out any work on reptiles is harder than I though contacted my local wildlife groups who all send me to the same group, who won't answer their phone :devil: grrrr lol
Real tempted to do public opinions and views on snakes while doing some surveys in different areas such as zoos, exotic shops and places where they are commonly seen in the wild. To many options but also not enough ideas if that makes sense lol


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## Gaboon (Jun 20, 2005)

It depends how much time you have. A lot of it is down to personal choice and determination but more (I found) is down to the supervisor you get. You need someone (preferably two people) who can mark a paper on your specialist area. Without this your probably looking at a survey based project or working through pre-collected data (eg NARRS). Unless its a matter than can be adapted? I suggested parasites as an angle as most universities lecturing zoology type schemes would have a parasitologist and/or and entomologist. Does it have to be adders? You are immediately bringing potential restrict restrictions there. Also, the strict animal welfare issues that universities adhere to can make dealing with live animals a drawn out process. However this depends on the university.


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## slippery42 (Mar 23, 2008)

The problem with using adders as a study species is that they are one of the most surveyed and studied species around!


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## TheDeadDodo (Nov 5, 2010)

i have the time over the summer to do anything which is about 3months then about 6months to do the write up while at uni and find anymore information i need.
We do have a biology department which we interact with, but it's onlya minimule amount of interaction, and the staff don't seemto willing to help my department as they have to also do there own which is fair enough.
It doesnt have to be adders specificaly can be anything but preferably reptiles, as suggested the slow worm idea above sounds like a very good idea aswell.
With regards to them being a highly moniterd species that is actualymore useful due to it allowing more data to be availalable so, if it comes down to me getting my own data then i can potentialy compare it to another setof data, or find information easier. Where as if it was a species which wernt worked with a lot and for some reason I was unable to gather all the data needed, or no comparisions then i have nothing to fall back on or any evidence to support what I have said.


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## puff the magic adder (Jun 23, 2010)

TheDeadDodo said:


> Hi
> Thank-you for the reply I will be doing the study in Cornwall over the summer. We have several sights near to me where adders are commonly found, these are a local sand dunes and all of the cliff Coastal paths.
> I never though to do that with the slow worms and does sound an interesting project to do. I remember do this as a kid though I never had much luck with it lol but could be a good idea for a project.
> I would like to avoid GIS but I know I will likely have to use it anyway so another idea that will be noted or possibly included in whatever I decide to do.
> ...


Yeah, the public opinions study sounds interesting, particularly if you can devise some kind of hypothsis testing approach - diferences between people who live near adder populations vs. in cities, or between different age groups, for eg.

I work at Bangor University on the systematics and phylogeography of various African snakes, so my interest in UK herps is purely hobby-based. If you want experience with UK reptiles best I can advise is simply get out there. Get to know the natural history and habitat prefernces, then get into the field and find them! I have found slow worms in the centre of Bangor, you just have to take the time to look.


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## TheDeadDodo (Nov 5, 2010)

puff the magic adder said:


> Yeah, the public opinions study sounds interesting, particularly if you can devise some kind of hypothsis testing approach - diferences between people who live near adder populations vs. in cities, or between different age groups, for eg.
> 
> I work at Bangor University on the systematics and phylogeography of various African snakes, so my interest in UK herps is purely hobby-based. If you want experience with UK reptiles best I can advise is simply get out there. Get to know the natural history and habitat prefernces, then get into the field and find them! I have found slow worms in the centre of Bangor, you just have to take the time to look.


Ye thats sort of what I was aiming for either differnt age groups, or locations. I was planning to carry out surveys in 4 differnt locations being, a town, zoo, fish and exotics shop, and in an area with a known population. See if there was a differnce in opinion there, as I think I would have a broad range of answers from reptile keepers in the shop to people who have little or no interaction with snakes in town. 
Due to Cornwall being so small and the media everyone believes where ever in the countryside they are there are adder populations near to them. So to find anyone in a city without that "knowledge" I would have to travel to Plymouth (which wouldnt be to much of a problem).

Thats cool are you a part of SBS? As I am a student studying in the SENRGY department studying Environmental Conservation. 
I have seen maybe one or two wild adders and love seing them just got to go and look for them more often. I always seem to find slow worms when not looking for them and never when i look lol. But like you said just have to learn more about them and it should become easier.
For you hobby with them do you just go out and simply view them and moniter the populations you know off, or do you have the correct papers and able to go "hands on" a bit more? Can I be a bit cheecky and would I ever be able to potentialy come along with you when you do something with them one day and learn some more?
Thanks again for your input.
Will


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## komodoman (Jan 10, 2011)

*Smoothies*

I know you're all sorted now, but the recent reintroduction of the Smooth Snake to Devon would have been a cool project to have got involved with.


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## TheDeadDodo (Nov 5, 2010)

Na not sorted at all yet man so any ideas welcome. That does sound pretty cool and im sure if i can contact a few people that were part of it i would be able to do something on it. Will give that some serious thought as its not to far away to do several days work if needed.
thanks man
will


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## Jeffers3 (May 18, 2010)

I can also help, if you want. It's too late tonight, but I'm happy to help you plan this - I also work at a University (Cranfield) and run loads of summer projects.

For now, all I'll suggest is for you to make sure you have your aims and objectives very clearly thought through, written down and agreed with your supervisor. Print them out and think about them before you do anything each day.

Good luck!


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## TheDeadDodo (Nov 5, 2010)

Jeffers3 said:


> I can also help, if you want. It's too late tonight, but I'm happy to help you plan this - I also work at a University (Cranfield) and run loads of summer projects.
> 
> For now, all I'll suggest is for you to make sure you have your aims and objectives very clearly thought through, written down and agreed with your supervisor. Print them out and think about them before you do anything each day.
> 
> Good luck!


thank-you for the offer Jeffers  What sort of projects do you run? Any ideas you may have just throw them at me please.

I emailed my potential supervisor earlier this afternoon with several potential titles for my project and will wait and see what she says about them. 
will keep use posted 
Anymore ideas please keep them coming if there are anymore as nothing is yet set in stone.
Thank-you to everyone aswell who have put time into answering this with their opinions and ideas as greatly apprietiated. :no1:
Will


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## Jeffers3 (May 18, 2010)

I mainly run projects in areas like medical diagnostics - human health related stuff, but I have had environmental projects over the years.

If there are reasonable numbers of adders in the vicinity, it might be interesting to look at the environment in the locality, so that an assessment of the environment's effect on adder populations and vice versa can be made.

This could involve a survey of the total flora and fauna in the area. Temperatures and sunlight levels might be interesting to record. Don't forget to get control experiments sorted - so you'll need areas where there are no adders.

I haven't checked, but you would probably find similar studies in the literature, which you could adapt to your project, species and locality. This would have the advantage of allowing you to start with a validated experimental protocol.


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## TheDeadDodo (Nov 5, 2010)

Cool man thanks shall look into this, sounds pretty interesting and something decent to do while im not working over summer 
Think the hardest part is remembering having to do everything to make sure the experiments are fair by making sure each thing has the same amount of everything invloded in doing it and what not. Gonna be interesting, still yet to hear back from my superivosr about my email though 



Jeffers3 said:


> I mainly run projects in areas like medical diagnostics - human health related stuff, but I have had environmental projects over the years.
> 
> If there are reasonable numbers of adders in the vicinity, it might be interesting to look at the environment in the locality, so that an assessment of the environment's effect on adder populations and vice versa can be made.
> 
> ...


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## TheDeadDodo (Nov 5, 2010)

Just like to say thank-you to everyone for their input.
Submitted my 3 title ideas today, and find out on the 15th if i have got what i want.
Luckily managed to get 3 supervisors to agree to the same title so shouldnt have anything else fingers crossed 
Will


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