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One of my garden snakes |
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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Posted: 26 Jul 2013 at 12:42am |
I have a large garden ending at a sunken stream (15ft down). All the gardens are interconnected so reptiles can pass through. Some are a bit wild where they edge onto the sunken stream, and in some places the stream is more or less level with the gardens. I have let about 15ft of grass go wild where it meets the banking above the stream. I have also left a 3-4ft strip go wild all down one side of a part of the garden where it joins the 15ft strip. So I have made a pathway in effect. In places I have put down Coroline covers. This L shaped habitat ends at a series of compost heaps where slow worms live and breed. Grass snakes, when about, also go into the compost heaps - I'm hoping for breeding! I have a pond 20 yards away from the composters where newts breed, but sadly not frogs although they use the pond. I live in a small town but am about 300yds from open countryside which is agricultural but also there are wilder parts.
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Suz
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daveg
Senior Member Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 52 |
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Good luck with that and hope to see some pictures when you do! I need some inspiration to find grassies in my area which on the face of it would seem to offer some good habitat. Whats the habitat like where you are Suzy? Maybe I need to find some large manure heaps on the local farms cause grass snakes are always attracted to them for egg laying.
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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Well the hot weather seemed to drive all my slowies and the recently seen grassie out of sight! I checked places early morning and into the late evening, but zilch. Since it has cooled down, but in the low 20s,the slowies are all back where I expect to see them. Hopefully will see a grassie or two shortly as well.
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Suz
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will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
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good luck, hope it's not too hot - maybe a chance to see one swimming
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daveg
Senior Member Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 52 |
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Thanks Will, I live in North Dorset and am always on the lookout for grass snakes. Havent seen any live ones recently but know they must be around from several squashed dor examples. I think compost heaps near farms are probably the best bet otherwise we have 3 small rivers running through our town (Gillingham) that look like great habitat. Now its cooling off a bit 27 deg C at 19:45! I will go for a cycle and see what I can find.
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will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
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Hi Dave - I saw the snake about a fortnight ago, just before the real heat started to kick in, so around 20degC at about 6pm; I should have made that clearer, sorry!
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daveg
Senior Member Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 52 |
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Nice picture Will. What time of the day and temperature was the snake out and about? It must be rare to find grass snakes away from water when day time temperatures are up to 30 deg c.
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will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
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Absolutely - hats off to an animal which can turn up like that, and which lacks wings or even legs to make these seemingly puzzling journeys!
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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Will, two years ago my brother and I saw a grass snake on a small heath that we've known for 40 years. Never seen one there before and wouldn't expect to as there is no water anywhere nearby. It was on the summit of flat topped hill/plateau. Nice to be surprised like that!
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Suz
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will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
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...just what I was thinking, Tim. There's not much chance of grass snakes in my garden, although I did find this one about half a mile away at a common lizard site which I have been monitoring for the last twelve years and never seen a grassy there before (no idea how it could have go there - it's nowhere near any waterbodies!) so maybe there's hope after all..
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