What is it?
Usually, these are corrugated iron or plastic sheets but they could be a bunched-up old carpet or any other stiff fabric with tunnels created by the folds. It’ll be sited on well drained and sunny ground, ideally catching the morning sun. Heavy objects like bricks, logs or stones placed on top help prevent wind and animals from disturbing the shelter.
What does it do?
Artificial refugia provide essential shelter and basking spots. In that sense they’re like log piles for their hideaway nooks and crannies and like rockeries for their hot sunbathing surfaces. The key thing about them though is that they combine the best of both worlds by providing those hideaways under a tough but thin surface. This keeps out predators, wind and rain but lets the sun’s heat through to warm whoever’s hiding underneath.
Who benefits?
Slow worms and frogs – and other reptiles and amphibians if you’re lucky enough to have them in the area – will sneak underneath to warm up safely out of sight. You can check to see if anyone’s using your refugia by gently lifting it and looking for signs of life underneath. Try not to do this too often though or you’ll scare them away, and always put it back the way you found it. You could also set up a camera trap nearby or get hold of an endoscope – a camera on a tube – to see who’s at home without causing so much disturbance.
