Aliens in our canals

[Ray T]

Interesting article from the BBC:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-28896634

[pete.i]

We have terrapins in the Selby canal and have had for a number of years. They, apparently, were originally pets that got too big and were released. They breed in the warm outlet from Drax Power Station which outfalls into the Ouse and find their way into the canal from there. We have four or five sightings a year and I don't take my boat out that often. They like to bask in warm sunshine sitting on exposed logs. Apparently red eared terrapins, which is what they are in the Selby Canal at least, can be quite viscious and can give a nasty bite. A couple that I have seen have easily been the size of dinner plates.

[Bee]

30 years ago I found a small catfish in a drained pound at Hatton.

[matty40s]

I always look over the wall to the river on the right before descending DENHAM Deep Lock, there are usually a couple of Terrapins/Turtles which crawl out of the river and sunbathe on rocks there.

[magnetman]

There is a terrapin the size of a saucer near the Ragged School museum at Mile End near Limehouse. We normally see them around Cookham and Pangbourne on the Thames sunbathing on fallen trees.

 

Never occurred to me there were enough of them to be a danger to indigenous species

 

They seem rare.

 

I was quite surprised this summer to spot a small crocodile up near Abingdon this summer. Its only the second time I have ever seen one in UK waters

 

Quite small, I don't think they survive long

[Noah T]

Ah, that explains it.

 

While coming up the Paddington Arm around Southall a few weeks ago I saw what I at first took to be a very large pet tortoise that had fallen into the canal. But when I got closer I saw that it was swimming very competently!

 

So, presumably it was a terrapin. It was big, I reckon at least ten inches long.

[bigray]

30 years ago I found a small catfish in a drained pound at Hatton.

One has been fished from the Chesterfield this year and another sighted. They are in the Trent so quite possible they will spread to several waterways.

[MaryP]

There were many in the lakes in Vicky Park in London, and they attacked the ducklings and goslings until there were very few waterfowl at all. They grabbed the little'uns and dragged them under. It wasn't uncommon to see at least 10 basking on logs in the sun.

However, they drained the lake and moved them out!

[Naughty Cal]

There used to be a quite large terrapin in the Witham near Stamp End but we have not seen it for a few years now. Suspect a cold winter finished it off!

[Athy]

A terrapin regularly clambers on to some tree branches which droop into the water at the end of our garden on the Middle Levels, and basks there. It's not quite dinner plate size, more cereal-bowl. There appears to be only one of it, which is sad for the terrapin.

[John V]

There appears to be only one of it, which is sad for the terrapin.

 

But probably a little bit comforting to its dinner menu

Edited September 15, 2014 by John V

[Athy]

 

But probably a little bit comforting to its dinner menu

Yep, all they have to do is to avoid the zanders, another alien species which apparently has colonised the Old River Nene.

[Top cat]

Saw a terrapin in the GU at Milton Keynes this summer, seemed happy enough. Also saw two snakes (in separate locations) swimming in the Coventry canal near Atherstone.

 

T C

[junior]

This was doing the rounds on Twitter & Facebook a few weeks ago. A terrapin basking on a dead fox in London.

 

[MHS]

This was doing the rounds on Twitter & Facebook a few weeks ago. A terrapin basking on a dead fox in London.

 

I feel a new book coming on: 101 uses for a dead fox

[PaulG]

I've seen terrapins on the Warwickshire Avon, and, more recently, on the Staffs & Worcs.

[johnmck]

We were recently on the T&M. Another alien species really taking hold is Floating Pennywort. We saw this in large mats near Acton and Dutton and it appears to be spreading, even onto the Bridgewater north of the Ship canal.

[trackman]

The pennywort has really taken a serious hold along the Soar this year. We saw small colonies in many places between Loughborough and Sileby a couple of months ago, but recent trips down to the Trent and up to Sileby have shown it to have exploded into huge clumps along the banks in most places.

We've seen terrapins quite a few times in many parts of the system over many years.

Snakes needn't be aliens though. Grass snakes and adders are good swimmers and native to this country. Slow worms, legless lizards, not snakes, are also native, but I don't know if they swim too. I see no reason why not though.

[blackrose]

I've never seen any terrapins, but I saw quite a few big Chinese mitten crabs in the Brentford basin when I first moored there about 9 years ago. One was the size of a dinner plate. They must have come up from the Thames but for some reason I never saw them again after that day.

[Peter-Bullfinch]

Two weeks back a number of us saw a terrapin about the size of a dinner plate basking on a log near Gathurst Lock on the Leeds and Liverpool where the M6 crosses the canal west of Wigan.

[Bazza954]

We saw a terrapin yesterday on the L&L near bridge 17 at Lydiate, fair size, about 8 inch head to tail, sat on a floating pile of reed roots.

[blackrose]

Two weeks back a number of us saw a terrapin about the size of a dinner plate basking on a log...

 

That sounds more like a turtle!

[magnetman]

I am not turtley convinced you are right about that Mike

 

Its been a long time since I was at school so I can't remember quite what they tortoise about these species.

 

[Athy]

He's only being flippernt.

 

 

Turtles have flippers. Terrapins have feet.

[astalweeks]

I've never seen any terrapins, but I saw quite a few big Chinese mitten crabs in the Brentford basin when I first moored there about 9 years ago. One was the size of a dinner plate. They must have come up from the Thames but for some reason I never saw them again after that day.

probably eaten by all the terrapins