the online meeting place for all who love our amphibians and reptiles
Home Page Live Forums Archived Forums Site Search Identify Record Donate Projects Links
Forum Home Forum Home > Herpetofauna Native to the UK > Grass Snake
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Grass Snake Identification & Sightings
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Grass Snake Identification & Sightings

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 456
Author
Message
Robert V View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 06 Aug 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1264
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Robert V Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Aug 2006 at 3:31am

For amatuers info really: here are typical examples of head shape. The wider one being a typical female, the more slender one being the male. I stress that this is a general rule only to give people some idea as to what sex they have seen. BUT, in about the second, third years ie young adults, it can be hard to distinguish and you can only really be sure by the Snout to vent / tail length calculation. Sexing with probes should NEVER be carried out/attempted by amateurs as it can damage the sexual reproductive organs, so if you find one and want to report your findings then by all means use this "rough" guide.

Cheers

robert

RobV
Back to Top
jpr1981 View Drop Down
Member
Member
Avatar

Joined: 10 Apr 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 5
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jpr1981 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2007 at 9:46am

A couple of nice closeups taken of a grassie in Yeovil - see garden sightings for full post!

A nice macro shot of the head!

A preys eye view!

Back to Top
Robert V View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 06 Aug 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1264
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Robert V Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Oct 2007 at 12:11pm

 

Hey Jpr,

Your Grassie appears to have 4 post ocular scales - very unusual. I've not seen 4 before.

Rob

RobV
Back to Top
Peter View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 17 Jan 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 310
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Peter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Jun 2008 at 1:58pm
I saw two grass snakes today, one in particular was a prolonged view.  Both were assumed female as they were large with broad heads.   It was at a site that I had never before visited, I was there to survey Odonata (Damselflies and Dragonflies), the two grassies were a bonus.    They were both at the west end of a square shaped fishing lake in Neath, West Glamorgan.  Grid reference available to the right people.
Back to Top
AGILIS View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1689
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AGILIS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug 2009 at 6:31am
see two nats at 8am Sunday after heavy rain both stretched out on a concrete sluice river wall drying out keith

Edited by AGILIS
   LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 456
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 11.06
Copyright ©2001-2016 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.156 seconds.