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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Grass snake (1 Viewer)

Just found this thread...any joy on capturing your Grass Snake yet Robin?
As Bert has already said, getting in touch with the RSPCA will probably be a waste of time as wildlife removal is not really their thing. Probably the best thing to do would be to get in touch with your local Wildlife Trust...they will know where you stand as regards handling and removing the snake. I know that all reptiles and amphibians in the UK are protected but I'm not sure if, like bats, you need a licence to handle/remove them? If you can remove the snake they may know a reptile expert who can come around to your house to do it for you and take the snake to a safe spot.
Personally I would be thrilled to bits to have ANY reptiles in my garden....not a lot in urban North Shields! I am seriously envious!!! The only reptile that I've EVER seen was an Adder in the Ingram Valley in June 1994!!!
Hope you get it sorted...like I say, getting in touch with the Kent Wildlife Trust may be your best bet.

GILL
 
Gill Osborne said:
...any joy on capturing your Grass Snake yet Robin?
Click to expand...
No. In fact I haven't seen it since I created the thread. I wonder if the disturbance in a small garden was too great and it has moved on. There is a stream nearby and it may be more to its liking there. I hope so.
 
Hi, just found this thread in a Google search! I'm county recorder for reptiles and amphibians in Kent. If anybody does observe one of these animals in Kent I would be very happy to receive details. The information can then be added to the county database and will help to provide a better understanding of the animals' distribution.

For info on herp recording in Kent see this link.

Thanks in advance,

Lee Brady

[email protected]
 
Hi Lee,

A warm welcome to BirdForum from all the Admin and Moderators. Glad to welcome another Kent member.

As this was "my" snake I will send you details.
 
bert said:
Robin, i should have said in the above message you need to find the favourite place were the snake suns itself to warm up. And when you have approach quickley and place sacking over snake, you will find it docile enough to do this because its temp will still be low. bert.
Click to expand...


And pray it isn't a released or escaped boomslang or green mamba !
 
scampo said:
If anyone has any reliable sights within easy reach of Leicesterhire, I'd be grateful to hear about them!
Click to expand...

Steve: I used to routinely see grass snakes and adders when out walking in Windsor Park and elsewhere. I've even been lucky enough to see a very rare Smooth Snake in the New Forest. I haven't seen any snakes for a year or two now though I'm not sure why. The best places are moors and parkland. I would think that Bradgate Park and Old John would be good sites. As mentioned, they do like to sun themselves, and are often quite timid, so they will scuttle if disturbed. Slow worms are much more elusive in my experience.
 
Thanks, Leif. We did manage to see a few adders and two slow worms on holiday in Northumberland during what was a marvellous holiday.

We have looked and looked in the areas you mention without success, although nearby there, we have found slow worms. Adders in particualr must be there as dogs are bitten each year as they scamper through the bracken.

From our holiday experience, we have realised that morning is a good time before the heat of day is at its full. We found that later in the day, if the snakes were sunning themselves, they were able to slither away at such a speed there was hardly a chance to see but the end of a tail if anyhting at all; but when it was cooler, we found the snakes stayed in place, allowing good views before they slowly slithered away.

We also saw several rather beautiful fungi while we were away, too - I thought of you and your wonderful photos. What a fascinating hobby that is.
 
We lost one goldfish to a grass snake earlier this Summer - the snake and it's snack were by the side of the pond.
 
I know I've come to this a bit late, but for what its worth, I have seen two or three grass snakes in our grounds over the last year or two. One dead, unfortunatlely - I suspect the cats, who also kill slow worms. But more excitingly, having seen a grass snake in the compost heap last year and this, we now have a fair number of baby grass snakes in the compost. I was turning over the surface, looking for some brandlings, and disturbed a whole clump of them - very lively! I covered them back up at once, but my wife saw one in the other side of the heap the other day.

I also met one in the lane a couple of miles from here, back in the summer - I came round the corner on a hot sunny afternoon and met it crossing the road!

Gower is obviously good for snakes!

Paul
 
robinm said:
I noticed a grass snake in my garden pond system this a.m. I didn't get a good look at it but it was 12-18 inches long - I think this is not fully grown.

Should I be worried for the fish in my pond - mainly gold fish, but also some carp which are 8-10 inches themselves.

Ta,
Click to expand...

Hi,
Yes grass snakes do eat fish but one that is 18" long will take only small ones up to a few inches long so if you have small goldfish they may get eaten. The snake must be attracted by something and as far as I know grass snakes are most likely to take either fish or amphibians when feeding in water. A nice addition to your pond's fauna though!
Good luck,
Keith.

P.S. Some replies mention lengths for grass snakes. A few weeks ago I found a shed skin from a grass snake (at R.S.P.B. Elmley) so was able to get an accurate measurement; 3 ft. 4 ins.
 
Leif said:
Steve: I used to routinely see grass snakes and adders when out walking in Windsor Park and elsewhere. I've even been lucky enough to see a very rare Smooth Snake in the New Forest. I haven't seen any snakes for a year or two now though I'm not sure why. The best places are moors and parkland. I would think that Bradgate Park and Old John would be good sites. As mentioned, they do like to sun themselves, and are often quite timid, so they will scuttle if disturbed. Slow worms are much more elusive in my experience.
Click to expand...

Hello Leif,
Just a quick note about slow worms. I think the reason that they seem more elusive is that they are mainly nocturnal. To find them in daylight I usually lift up something flat like a sheet of corrugated iron or an old tile or slab where they can warm up during the day out of sight.
Regards,
Keith
 
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