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Smooth snake? Essex, 28/05/2023 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Bewick
- Start date
Ficedula
velico ergo sum
Slow Worm
Bewick
Connoisseur of WTL
Makes sense, I’m not great with reptiles and it looked slightly too long and didn’t seem to match colour wise with other slow worms I had seen before- but after searching the on google a bit, it seems as if they can get quite long and vary in colour a bit as well.
vipersgarden
Well-known member
Slow Worm, Anguis fragilis female for sure
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Had no idea they could be so big!
Bewick
Connoisseur of WTL
Same…. But I got another one a similar size the day after. This one was the usual colour though.
Attachments
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Lovely.
Here's a Smooth Snake from a licensed survey in the new forest a few years back. A young one but plumage the same for adults. Butterfly pattern on head, eye stripe, and pairs of dots down body being the key features.
This particular sighting was fairly significant, as it was one of the first sightings to support a theory of the preferred habitat combination that the Smooth Snake prefers.
Called a smooth snake as the scales are smooth with no keel thru the scale.
My participation in new forest reptile surveys has lapsed over the pandemic, but hopefully I can go searching in the coming weeks.
Snakes in the heather project if anyone is interested
www.arc-trust.org
Edit: they are really rare and elusive, even in the heathland strongholds. I probably see 100 Slow Worms, 100 Common Lizard; 50 Adders; to each Smooth Snake.
This particular sighting was fairly significant, as it was one of the first sightings to support a theory of the preferred habitat combination that the Smooth Snake prefers.
Called a smooth snake as the scales are smooth with no keel thru the scale.
My participation in new forest reptile surveys has lapsed over the pandemic, but hopefully I can go searching in the coming weeks.
Snakes in the heather project if anyone is interested
Snakes in the Heather
Snakes in the Heather ran from August 2019 to March 2024. The project was designed to monitor and conserve smooth snakes and their habitats across Southern England.
www.arc-trust.org
Edit: they are really rare and elusive, even in the heathland strongholds. I probably see 100 Slow Worms, 100 Common Lizard; 50 Adders; to each Smooth Snake.
Last edited:
Bewick
Connoisseur of WTL
Thanks for the information, hopefully I get to see one eventually. I go to the south semi-frequently so might try looking for them… I still haven’t had an adder yet either.Here's a Smooth Snake from a licensed survey in the new forest a few years back. A young one but plumage the same for adults. Butterfly pattern on head, eye stripe, and pairs of dots down body being the key features.
This particular sighting was fairly significant, as it was one of the first sightings to support a theory of the preferred habitat combination that the Smooth Snake prefers.
Called a smooth snake as the scales are smooth with no keel thru the scale.
My participation in new forest reptile surveys has lapsed over the pandemic, but hopefully I can go searching in the coming weeks.
Snakes in the heather project if anyone is interested
Snakes in the Heather
Snakes in the Heather ran from August 2019 to March 2024. The project was designed to monitor and conserve smooth snakes and their habitats across Southern England.
Edit: they are really rare and elusive, even in the heathland strongholds. I probably see 100 Slow Worms, 100 Common Lizard; 50 Adders; to each Smooth Snake.
View attachment 1512910
One Smooth Snake this morning on my return to New Forest reptile surveys.
The only reptile I saw, and I think this one was only present under refugia as it was shedding it's skin. Notice the cloudy eye.
The reptiles do seem to become very hard to find in the summer months.
For Smooth Snakes, Best bet is to go on guided walks at RSPB Arne I suspect, and ask them for advice on best times of year.
Casual observations in the New Forest are in the region of 2 or 3 a year by very fortunate walkers typically. They spend most of their days underground/under the moss layer. Going in search without a license is illegal.
The only reptile I saw, and I think this one was only present under refugia as it was shedding it's skin. Notice the cloudy eye.
The reptiles do seem to become very hard to find in the summer months.
For Smooth Snakes, Best bet is to go on guided walks at RSPB Arne I suspect, and ask them for advice on best times of year.
Casual observations in the New Forest are in the region of 2 or 3 a year by very fortunate walkers typically. They spend most of their days underground/under the moss layer. Going in search without a license is illegal.
