the online meeting place for all who love our amphibians and reptiles |
|
Baby grass snake or adder |
Post Reply | Page 12> |
Author | |
AGILIS
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1689 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Posted: 12 Sep 2017 at 6:35am |
Usual response any unknown flea bite is put down to adders as it the only snake name they use to cunjour up the national kill a snake a day hysteria in places like Essex or Waltham forests s diminishing green belt areas
|
|
LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
|
|
JOC
New Member Joined: 23 Aug 2017 Status: Offline Points: 9 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Hi GemmaJF
Yes, I did send a reply to the message and sent a tel. number. I also think, given our stodgy London clay that adders are unlikely (though we are not so far from the sea wall areas in a straight line) that adders are unlikely. I know they prefer sandy environments. The incident with the horse that I was aware of happened a few years ago - it was the premises next to ours whose land abuts ours, but I think they would technically be in the next village since we are the last house in our parish boundary. The report only comes 2nd hand, but it is my understanding that a vet treated the horse next door for an adder bite.
|
|
GemmaJF
Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 Location: Essex Status: Offline Points: 4359 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Hi JOC, not sure if you got my email that I am just at the other end of the village.
I remembered that you had some concern about adders in the first post. We are on London Clay, the adders in Essex are only associated with the sea wall and outcrops of more sandy soils such as at Danbury. So nearest records are Maylandsea. I have never once seen an adder locally and really would not expect to. This does not explain the horse being bitten, was it actually in the village? I know many cases where dog and horse bites are attributed to adders in areas where they do not occur, so there is likely some other culprit. In any case if you have further concerns I would be happy to help out. I would be fascinated if adders do occur in the village, it would be quite an amazing find. Though I think the odds are heavily against it.
|
|
AGILIS
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1689 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Natrix austriaca
|
|
LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
|
|
will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
@JOC - top stuff, I'd love a wildlife garden / nature reserve like yours!
@Gemma - thanks, much appreciated! |
|
GemmaJF
Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 Location: Essex Status: Offline Points: 4359 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Will, with you now, lovely snake and beautiful shot as always.
|
|
GemmaJF
Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 Location: Essex Status: Offline Points: 4359 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
JOC
Your picture above is another fine example of a grass snake appearing very dark before skin sloughing. The clue is the blue eye, caused by fluid building up under the scale that covers the eye. I'm very local in Maldon and the herp county recorder for Essex, if a rather inactive one. Your lizards will be common lizards (viviparous lizards). Typically with these things I just disposed of hundreds of survey felts due to having no interest in anyone having anything surveyed locally other than for planning permission (which I charge for but they want it done for free lol). But if you want me to do a walk over in the spring and record the species be more than happy to do so. |
|
JOC
New Member Joined: 23 Aug 2017 Status: Offline Points: 9 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
I was reminded of this picture of a grass snake that I took many years ago on the same piece of land - it was under a bit of corrugated iron and was an absolute corker of a snake
Gemma, I've spotted your comments about Danbury common that's only about 7 miles from me!
|
|
JOC
New Member Joined: 23 Aug 2017 Status: Offline Points: 9 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Hi Will, we think its a paradise anyway. It's a little unkempt around the edges, but the wildlife don't seem to mind. At the moment one of the more interesting things are my 3 'bug boxes' which I put up this summer and have had a constantly shifting set of visiting inverts. all summer - they are on my shed and when we drink our morning coffee outdoors they are only a few meters away and have been very interesting to watch. The reptiles and amphibians like all the ponds, ditches, purposefully left wood piles, manure/compost heaps and have taken a real shine to our poly-tunnels I think for the warmth. When you look at the two photos on this thread, yours and mine it seems amazing that they are the same species - it just goes to show that you can't always make clear cut statements about the colour of some animals.
|
|
will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
@JOC - what a shame to have this lack of interest! maybe you should submit a fake planning application and watch as the council sends in ecologists galore to survey what's there before it goes under a bulldozer... Surely the local wildlife trust would send someone? sounds a paradise anyway and well done you, even if it is unrecognised by the 'officials'.
@Gemma - got it, thanks - I've seen older females without yellow/cream collar but the one in my pic above was the first I've seen with little of the black behind the collar. It also had few bars on its body, but still Natrix natrix helvetica or Natrix helvetica or Natrix what-the-hel rather than 'persa' or a hybrid. |
|
Post Reply | Page 12> |
Tweet
|
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |