In Cumbria, Network Rail has been helping to protect snakes and lizards, as some have made the railway their home.

Some overgrown areas of Shap Cutting now have too much shade for some certain species to stay there, and Network Rail is cutting down some of the trackside vegetation so the reptiles can sunbathe.

Some of the reptiles include Britain’s only venomous snake – the Adder, plus a shy species that belong to the viper family and many more.

Female vipers incubate their eggs inside their bodies and give birth to live young. This means they rely on the sun for warmth and for their snakelets to survive.

The team at Network Rail have been cutting down overgrown trees and overgrown plants by hand so there is less chance of disturbing the wildlife.

With all the work that Network Rail are doing, the wildlife will have a habitat to call home for years to come.

Habitat piles made from logs were also built for other wildlife to take refuge on the railway.

Matthew Thomas, Network Rail ecologist, said: “When you think of animals living beside the railway, snakes and lizards aren’t perhaps the first ones which spring to mind. But like for so much other wildlife, embankments and cuttings – rarely visited by humans – provide a perfect sanctuary.

“We used special equipment to quietly clear overgrown trees and plants to provide perfect sunbathing conditions for our cold-blooded Cumbrian creatures at Shap. It’s all part of Network Rail’s commitment to protect the environment while running a safe and reliable railway for passengers and freight.”

For more on Network Rail’s environmental work you can visit: www.networkrail.co.uk/wildlife

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