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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Torchepot" data-source="post: 3375151" data-attributes="member: 123265">Sounds very likely to be Aesculapian snake which is perfectly harmless (unless you're a rat) and can grow to 2 metres in length - one of the biggest snakes in Europe. It's quite a common road casualty and a frequent feature of France's flattened fauna.I don't know of any local names for it - it's French common name is Couleuvre d'Esculape but none of the people I've spoken to know what that is - they tend to just lump all snakes together and kill them on sight. It's ironic as this snake is actually the symbol for French Pharmacies.Not only does it have the misfortune to be large and therefore "dangerous" looking it also tends to stand it's ground when prodded with a stick though it's not know to be agressive. It's a good tree climber - one of my mates found one way up in the conifer in his garden.</blockquote>