Harlequin Ladybird. And apparently Brown Hare.

The Romans introduced the common brown snail into the UK as food

Snails have more teeth than any other animal, having anything from fifteen to fifty thousand teeth.

Budgerigars: I was in the Isle of White about 20 years ago and one day I was looking at this lovely old garden and a flock of about 50 Buderigars descended into the garden.

This post was last modified: 13-11-2007 10:19 PM by treetops.

Stoop & Bill .. No Chance!!!!! Uuuuuggghhhhh!!!!! I might have mentioned NZ flat worms so looked for more info....... You look not me, They are 'Orrible!!!!!!!!!!!!! Very bad , Very bad...I will have nightmares about them tonight.................

I decided to look up the NZ flat worm out of curiosity and yes, you're right, they are horrible!!!

The site I found mentioned that it's relative, the Australian flat worm has also made it to the British Isles and also eats earthworms, but they don't seem to think it poses as much of a threat as the New Zealand one

NZ Flat Worm

This post was last modified: 13-11-2007 04:49 PM by KatRaven.

Fallow and Sika deer

That's something I didn't know! Quite incredible too. I also didn't realise the Romans ate snails, although I don't know why I thought they didnt!

Im told you can eat slugs too, I've eaten snails many times.

Brown Snails can have up to 50,000 teeth?! Wow, gives a whole new meaning to 'Jaws'. Someone should phone Spielberg.

Yes! maybe he can do another film and call it, killer escargot or revenge of the snails, while we are on the subject of sharks, the average shark has 2,000 teeth in its mouth at any one time and in its lifetime it will get though another 23,000 teeth before it dies. What I would like to know is who checks?

This post was last modified: 23-11-2007 08:13 AM by treetops.

Ugh.

On the other hand, if I am ever lost in the woods at least I know I have a plentiful supply of edibles (assuming I have brought enough garlic and butter with me, that is)!

Kingfisher

The midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) has recently been spotted in Wales for the first time.

It is believed that the Midwife toad first arrived in the UK in Bedfordshire among a delivery of plants from France in 1903. The toad can now also be found in South Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Devon, Hampshire, Surrey and London but this is the first account of the toad appearing in Wales.

If you forget your garlic you can always use Ramsons or Crows Foot Garlic and if you have Athlete's foot then simply crush some of the garlic cloves into a piece of lint and apply to you foot as you wait for the snails to cook. As for butter for the snails I cant help you there but maybe a passing cow can.

This post was last modified: 23-11-2007 02:21 PM by treetops.

'Escargots remind me of holidaying in Brittany,France where this chap came round our caravan every morning taking the snails presumably for the dinner table! He was quite welcome ,didn't fancy them myself!!!
Although I quite like snails (to look at not eat!) & we do have quite a lot of snails here once had a blackbird who had an anvil stone on the front.

This post was last modified: 23-11-2007 03:59 PM by tibbar.

How do you tell the common and midwife toads apart? I spend most of my time in Surrey and Hampshire although I've never consciously seen a midwife toad. Are they difficult to distinguise from common toads? Or are they still quite rare?

How about the Sycamore(Acer pseudoplatanoides),introduced in the 17thC. I think.
There are probably a few conifers that have escaped or set seed in wild places now-we only have 3 native conifers in this country.

As far as I'm aware we have only had three native conifers (Scots pine, Yew and Juniper)
in the UK since the last ice age. Am I wrong in thinking that?