She said a "substantial" number of reptiles - including snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises - had died, along with meerkats and and an ant colony.

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Snakes and lizards were hit extremely hard.

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Crews managed to rescue some animals, including rabbits, guinea pigs, snakes, and lizards.

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He said they had also had to find homes for turtles, birds of prey, snakes, and lizards that had been left outside the shop.

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"Lizards and snakes rivalled the dinosaurs in terms of diversity, making it just as much an 'Age of Lizards' as an 'Age of Dinosaurs, '" Dr Longrich said.

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The specimens were determined to range from tiny lizards such as O. gracilis, to snakes as large as a modern boa constrictor, to meat-eating lizards up to 2m (6ft 6in) long.

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Since October last year 250 common lizards, 50 grass snakes, six adders and six great crested newts have been trapped and relocated.

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With both sites found to be suitable, over 290 adders, 400 grass snakes, 17, 000 common lizards and 6, 000 slow worms have been carefully captured by hand and transported in grass-lined boxes to the county.

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The snakes, which can grow up to 8 feet long, also eat small mammals and lizards.

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