From scorpions to snakes, wild boar to woolly pigs, if you take to the countryside this summer, you may be surprised at just how diverse the county's wildlife is.

With the good weather likely to tempt many outside, there are a host of wonderful creatures living among us.

And the good news is, to ease those of a nervous disposition, none are remotely interested in causing us any harm - as long as we treat them with respect.

Explains Ray Lewis at the Kent Wildlife Trust, the leading conservation charity for Kent and Medway: "The records speak for themselves when it comes to threats to us - and there really is none whatsover - whether it's from snakes or stinging insects, we have no more higher risk in Kent than any other part of the country."

But there are concerns over both the introduction of non-native species - escaping from wildlife parks or pets released to the wild by irresponsible owners - and development destroying natural habitats.

While adders may lay claim to being the only venomous creature in the UK, their numbers are experiencing a rapid decline.

Meanwhile, the humble water vole has seen its numbers hit by a population of American mink, released from fur farms many years ago and now building up their colonies.

Adds Mr Lewis: "There is so much wildlife to celebrate in Kent that is both fascinating and wonderful and for 60 years we have led the cause to protect and enhance our natural environment.

"However, nature is in trouble, so we must all strive to preserve our precious flora and fauna for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations.”

Our changing weather patterns have seen subtle changes too.

Mr Lewis explains: "There's a natural migration of species that were normally quite rare now moving to the UK because it is warming up.

"Some butterflies are moving ever northward.

"It's a gradual process, obviously, but there are lots of changes afoot - but nothing to cause alarm bells.

"We're not going to get any seriously exotic species invading our fair isle. But the wildlife around us is a real treat.

"There is so much wildlife to celebrate in Kent that is both fascinating and wonderful" - Ray Lewis

"At certain times of the year there is always something to see if you're patient.

"Most of our wonderful wildlife is nocturnal, like wild boar or the beavers down in Ham Fen in Sandwich.

"The Kent Wildlife Trust pioneered the re-introduction of beavers in this country in 2004 and that's been copied elsewhere in the UK now.

"Of course a constant threat is development.

"We understand the need for it, but obviously discourage any builders looking at areas which are sensitive such as Lodge Hill in Medway where there's the largest nightingale population in the UK where building even adjacent to that site could decimate them.

"There are also plans to build the UK's biggest solar farm at Graveney Marshes near Faversham and while we're supportive of renewable energies we don't want to see it at the cost of wildlife."

We take a look at some of the unusual creatures and where they are roaming...

Scorpions

They may sound fierce...but the reality is the chances are you'd be lucky even to see these arachnids.

Believed to have been introduced 300 years ago - arriving on merchant ships from the warmer climes of the Mediterranean - these yellow-tailed scorpions have created a colony in the wall crevices at Sheerness Docks.

They keep a low profile and are pretty tiny too - growing to around a mere two inches.

But there are certainly plenty of them there - they represent the UK's largest colony of around 10,000 to 15,000.

Should they sting you, and the chances are extremely remote, these are far from dangerous - think less painful than a bee sting. Explains Ray Lewis at the Kent Wildlife Trust: "Scorpions are not going to be in any contact with humans and pose no threat whatsoever - they have lived there for years with no reports of any incidents."

Wriggling into space where the mortar in walls is eroded, they feed on insects and can go weeks without food.

Woolly pigs

Now these are an odd lot. The woolly pigs - they sport blonde curly coats - initially appear to be sheep.

But they are in fact Mangalica - a Hungarian breed of domestic pig - which were once on the brink of extinction but were earlier this year spotted in Thornden Woods, between Whitstable and Herne Bay.

They were then spotted at Tyler Hill recreation ground, near Canterbury.

Quite how they arrived is open to speculation, but staff at the nearby Wildwood Trust in Herne Common believe they may have escaped from a private collection.

A spokesman explained: "They are not indigenous to the UK.

"There are a number of farms in the UK which breed them for meat and they also make good pets, but as far as we're aware there are no wild colonies on our shores.

"Chances are that the pigs roaming Thornden Woods have escaped from a farm or a private collection - they have certainly not escaped from Wildwood, as we do not have any of this breed at the park.

"They're not a danger to the public unless cornered or threatened, but you should keep your distance and report any sightings to the council."

Ring-tailed parakeets

Quite how these bright green ring-tailed parakeets, who originate in the Himalayas, found their way to Thanet remains subject to plenty of speculation.

But those living in Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs will frequently spot them in flight or perched in trees - or hear their distinctive calls which sound more paradise island than Isle of Thanet.

Remarkably, they now flourish around the Home Counties - including the former Kent boroughs of Bexley and Bromley - and the occasional one will stray to nearby towns too.

Most likely they were introduced to the wild in this country by escaping as pets.

But there are rumours too they were on the set of the movie African Queen at Shepperton studios in 1951 and flew off or even that rock legend Jimi Hendrix bred and released them from his home in London.

Whatever the truth is, the population is growing rapidly.

In 1998 they numbered around 1,500 - today it stands at 40,000, which will cause concern for some as they can out-compete native birds such as woodpeckers and owls for nesting sites - normally crevices in tree trunks.

Little wonder that in parts of continental Europe they are considered pests to agriculture, with large flocks known to strip vines.

Adders

Reputations precede some animals, and the snake is most definitely one which causes many a shudder.

But although the adder is the only venomous animal in the UK, it is both rare and, sadly, on the decline.

Living mostly on chalk downland - such as the High Weald which stretches across west Kent or the Greensand Ridge which runs from Sevenoaks, through Maidstone, Ashford and down to border the Romney Marsh at Folkestone and Hythe - is is also often found in the coastal habitats in north Kent.

The vipera berus is a shy and retiring creature, however, and has protected status.

Its numbers are in something of free fall with experts believing it has declined by nearly 40% since the 1980s.

However, in good weather you may get lucky and see one basking in the warm sunshine.

It will not cause you any problem unless you antagonise it when, like any creature, it may lash out.

Its bite, while sometimes unpleasant, is highly unlikely to be fatal unless you have a pre-existing medical condition.

But should you accidentally stand on one while walking in long grass and it gives you a nip, it's worth getting it checked by a doctor.

Since records began in 1876, the NHS says the last death by an adder bite was back in 1975 and there have only been 13 other fatalities prior to that.

Explains Ray Lewis from the Kent Wildlife Trust: "Adders are quite scarce now. You can point your finger at climate change or habitat destruction, but it's hard to put your finger on one issue.

"We have them on Blue Bell Hill in Maidstone on the nature park and they're difficult to spot but obviously approach with care if you are lucky enough to see them. It's common sense really - don't pick them up.

"We're so fortunate not to have anything venomous other than the adder.
"You just have to have respect for all wildlife - particularly for those that can deliver a punch."

Identifiable by its distinctive zig-zag pattern, black adders have also been occasionally spotted in the county. Same creature, just as the name suggests, black in colour. They are not the only snake in the county - there's the non-venomous grass and smooth snake too.

And you would not be the first to mistake a common slow worm - a legless lizard which looks like a miniature snake and is frequently found in gardens - for a snake. They're not. And they're completely harmless and fascinating to observe.

Wild boar

For fans of Asterix the Gaul, wild boar may well have been his pal Obelix's favourite food, but the UK's biggest feral population straddles the Kent and Sussex border.

And you have to admire their stamina. While the creatures alive today are likely to have been the result of escaping captivity - there had been no free-living wild boar in Britain for 300 years until relatively recently - they have twice gone extinct in this country.

Ancestors of the domesticated pig, they first died out in the 13th century. Reintroduced again, they once again went extinct in the 17th century.

Largely nocturnal, again you'll be hard placed to spot them as they roam woodland - plus as they're timid they're likely to avoid contact with humans.

They have been spotted in the likes of Paddock Wood, Tonbridge and Wrotham.

They feed mainly on deer truffles, acorns, nuts, insects and worms and can live for as long as 20 years. Are they dangerous?

Well if you antagonise them, or they stroll out into the road on a country lane late at night, then they could be.

The biggest problem they can cause is when they veer into a garden and start digging through it for food.

Otherwise, they're one of our woodlands' hidden treats and a throw back to our past.

Seals

It is thought there are around 1,000 seals on and around our coastline - and with a little patience you can spot them from the shore.

The Goodwin and Margate Sands are their primary sites when they emerge from the water to to feed their young, rest or engage in a little courtship.

The majority are harbour, or common, seals but there are also some grey or Atlantic too.

The common seal grows up to 1.7 metres long - the grey up to 2.5m.

They normally live in our fish-rich seas for 20 to 30 years. So where can you see them?

Aside from the regular boat trips to let you get a little closer - services operate from Sandwich, Ramsgate and Whitstable - then a pair of binoculars at the nature reserves at Sandwich Bay, Pegwell Bay and Oare Marshes should allow you to see them.

Mink

Smaller than the secretive otter, the American mink has long made Kent - and many other parts of the UK - its home.

First introduced to this country for fur farming in the 1920s - it peaked during the 1960s - escaping captivity has led to many living wild.

Spotted across the county, they have proved problematic for some our native species.

Particularly the water vole. It prompted an effort six years ago to eradicate them in an area of north Kent which stretched around the coast of Sheppey to Seasalter, between Faversham and Whitstable.

The mink are voracious predators and have targeted the native water vole, able to out swim them and access their burrows too. They also hit sea birds and fish.

Lampreys

If you've never heard of lampreys, these eel-like fish may be a little put out.

After all, they may look rather ugly, but they evolved some 200 million years before the dinosaurs so may have hoped, over time, they became rather more household names.

Parasitic fish, they latch onto larger animal to such their blood and scales - earning them the dubious nick-name of the 'vampire fish'.

Once a medieval delicacy - legend has it King Henry I died from eating too many in 1135 against his doctor's advice - industrial pollution almost saw them wiped out.

Man-made barriers preventing their migration up and downstream and today they are a rare site - although they have been spotted in recent years in the Medway.

They may not win any beauty pageants but they are a remarkable sight.

Spiders

Every year, normally when the temperatures take a dip, tabloid headlines will shriek of false widow spiders - famed for their similarity, in appearance at least, to the potentially fatal black widow which lives in Africa, Australia and the US.

Introduced to these shores at the end of the 19th century - believed to have come over with imported bananas from the Canary Islands - the false widow is a far less troublesome house guest.

Fairly common across the region, the false widow has proved to be something of a catch-all phrase deployed for any spider - but the term usually applies to the steatoda nobilis.

So let's put your mind at ease. Firstly, yes, they do bite.

But they're not going to cause you any great harm.

More significantly, they're frightened of humans so tend to hide in dark, undisturbed corners and will flee if the opportunity arises.

But - along with around a dozen UK spider species - they can give you a nip when threatened and it could cause swelling and even feeling a little nausea. Such cases are extremely rare, however, if you are unlucky and concerned, get it checked. But don't panic!

Adds Ray Lewis from the Kent Wildlife Trust: "The media love a spider attack but all it really does is make those with arachnophobia more jittery.

"The incident of bites is very rare."