Karl J
Well-known member
Thought I'd post an observation I had on Thursday.
Driving towards Watton in Norfolk, along the B1077 near Caston (near the sharp left hand bend, if anyone knows it) I saw a snake laying on the other side of the road, so with my curiosity aroused I pulled up and reversed back onto the verge for a better look. Sure enough, there it was .... an Adder, it didn't move at all, just laid in the road in the sunshine. I'd guess it was about 2.5 - 3 ft long, but coiled up.
The next thing I know there's a car I hadn't seen come round the corner and was nearly on top of it, at which point my mind was thinking ''yep, one dead snake coming up''. and so then the car proceeded to run straight over it. A real running over - front and back wheels, not just a glancing blow or anything like that, but right over the coiled middle of it.
After the car had gone I fully expected to see the snake firmly plastered to the road, But no, all that happened was that it slowly lifted its head and looked about..... almost as if to idly say ''did someone say something ?'' .... and slowly slid off down the road and eventually into the undergrowth opposite, apparently unharmed, no tyre marks or obvious injury whatsoever.
I've read about snakes having a sort of 'elastic' body, so they can swallow big stuff and let it digest inside them, and presumably that was the reason it wasn't killed outright, but still I thought that was pretty amazing.
Driving towards Watton in Norfolk, along the B1077 near Caston (near the sharp left hand bend, if anyone knows it) I saw a snake laying on the other side of the road, so with my curiosity aroused I pulled up and reversed back onto the verge for a better look. Sure enough, there it was .... an Adder, it didn't move at all, just laid in the road in the sunshine. I'd guess it was about 2.5 - 3 ft long, but coiled up.
The next thing I know there's a car I hadn't seen come round the corner and was nearly on top of it, at which point my mind was thinking ''yep, one dead snake coming up''. and so then the car proceeded to run straight over it. A real running over - front and back wheels, not just a glancing blow or anything like that, but right over the coiled middle of it.
After the car had gone I fully expected to see the snake firmly plastered to the road, But no, all that happened was that it slowly lifted its head and looked about..... almost as if to idly say ''did someone say something ?'' .... and slowly slid off down the road and eventually into the undergrowth opposite, apparently unharmed, no tyre marks or obvious injury whatsoever.
I've read about snakes having a sort of 'elastic' body, so they can swallow big stuff and let it digest inside them, and presumably that was the reason it wasn't killed outright, but still I thought that was pretty amazing.
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