Hey everyone! I'm really excited to be part of this community! I'm moving to a house in northern Portugal, surrounded by rivers and mountains, and I want to make my garden wildlife-friendly. My plans include building a pond, a bug hotel, planting flowers for pollinators, and setting up birdhouses and feeders. I also want to encourage the growth of marsh gentian to help the endangered Alcon Blue butterfly, plus create an ant crumb altar. However, I feel like I'm missing out on how to attract reptiles like geckos, skinks, and snakes. Besides the pond and bug hotel, what else can I add to support them? Also, I have a pet pigeon and I'm worried about feral cats hunting in my garden. What can I do to protect my pigeon?
2 Answers
Hey! You could definitely add some compost and build a little rock wall. It creates warm spots for the reptiles to bask in or hide from the sun. Those little changes can make a big difference!
Make sure to include some bushes and brambles where lizards and snakes can safely hide. Adding a piece of dead wood or driftwood can also attract lizards; I tried it in my yard, and it worked like a charm! They need those spots for shelter and hunting.
Oh that is a good idea! Definitely adding these two to my to-do list! Thank you ?