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One of my garden snakes

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Suzy View Drop Down
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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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daveg View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote daveg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jul 2013 at 5:27pm
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 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jul 2013 at 4:11pm
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.
Suz
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will View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote will Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jul 2013 at 9:01am
good luck, hope it's not too hot - maybe a chance to see one swimmingWink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote daveg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jul 2013 at 7:48pm
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 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote will Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jul 2013 at 6:05pm
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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote daveg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jul 2013 at 4:40pm
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 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote will Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jul 2013 at 8:14am
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 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jul 2013 at 11:46pm
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!
Suz
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will View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote will Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jul 2013 at 6:45pm
...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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