Ruttersleigh facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
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| Area of Search | Somerset |
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| Coordinates | 50°56′35″N 3°04′08″W / 50.94304°N 3.06889°W |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 97 hectares (0.97 km2; 0.37 sq mi) |
| Notification | 1991 |
Ruttersleigh is a special natural area in Somerset, England. It's about 97 hectares (that's like 240 football fields!) and is located on the side of the Blackdown Hills, between the villages of Buckland St Mary and Staple Fitzpaine. It was officially recognized as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1991 because of its amazing plants and animals.
What Makes Ruttersleigh Special?
Ruttersleigh is a mix of different natural habitats. You can find areas of broadleaved woodland, thick bushes (scrub), bracken ferns, wet marshy areas (mires), and natural grassland. This variety of habitats makes it a perfect home for many different creatures, especially some types of butterfly that are now quite rare in Britain. The site is also important for its unique lichens.
Amazing Plants of Ruttersleigh
The plants growing on the ground in Ruttersleigh include some species usually found only in very old forests. These include woodruff (Galium odoratum) and wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa).
A plant called Wood horsetail (Equisetum sylvaticum) is very common here, even though it's rare in other parts of Somerset. You can find it growing in many places, including among the bracken ferns.
The lichens that grow on trees (called epiphytic lichens) are also typical of ancient woodlands. One example is Lobaria pulmonaria. You can also find two very rare lichens here: Opegrapha corticola, which is scarce across the country, and Chaenotheca stemonea, which is nationally rare.
Cool Animals of Ruttersleigh
The open paths and clearings in the woodland are perfect places for the nationally scarce wood white butterfly (Leptidea sinapsis). Ruttersleigh has the largest group of these butterflies known in Somerset. The open grasslands are home to another nationally scarce butterfly, the marsh fritillary (Eurodryas aurinia).
Many interesting birds also breed here, including the nightingale (Luscinia megarhyches), redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), and wood warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix).
Ruttersleigh is also home to several reptiles. You might spot an adder (Vipera berus), a grass snake (Natrix helvetica), a slowworm (Anguis fragilis), or a common lizard (Lacerta vivipara).
