For several weeks now, the tracks between Hoppegarten and Fredersdorf have been the workplace for Lennart Praed and his colleague Daniel Keller. They are combing the area for sand lizards, collecting them, and releasing them in more suitable locations. A report by Ulrike Nagel for RBB.
There’s a lot of construction going on along the rail network around Berlin—including between Hoppegarten and Fredersdorf. But before work can begin, the animals that live there and are protected by law must be rescued. In this case, they’re sand lizards.
Report by Ulrike Nagel for RBB, Brandenburg Aktuell, “Mark & Metropole,” Sunday, September 27, 2020, at 7:30 p.m.
The rbb24 program “Abendschau” reports on a species conservation project in the Hoppegarten and Friedersdorf region, near the railroad tracks.
Species Conservation for Sand Lizard
- The reason: Tracks are to be built on this section of the line, which requires an environmental impact assessment.
- The discovery: This study found that a significant number of sand lizards—which are a protected species—live there.
- The task: Lennart Präd and Daniel Keller are biologists tasked with relocating the lizards.
- The method: Lizard fences were set up to capture the animals. Volunteers search for the lizards, which are startled by their footsteps and then dart across the ground, and collect them using a sponge. They capture both adult and juvenile lizards.
- Data collection: Each captured lizard is measured (e.g., 6.6 cm) and documented.
- Relocation: The rescued animals are released directly behind the specially constructed fence in the same area. The goal is for the animals to remain in their original habitat as much as possible, even if it is located within an urban area.
- Habitat Creation: To ensure that the animals find a suitable new home, replacement habitats are even created—mounds or “mountains” of deadwood, brush, and sand that mimic their natural habitat. This is particularly important in the city, where there are often no other suitable locations for relocation.
The work aims to protect nature within the concrete landscape of the metropolis and ensure that sand lizards can survive despite construction projects.
