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please help idetify

Printed From: Reptiles and Amphibians of the UK
Category: General
Forum Name: What is it?
Forum Description: Seen something in the wild and wondering what it is? This is the place to ask
URL: http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5157
Printed Date: 29 Mar 2024 at 9:05am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.06 - http://www.webwizforums.com


Topic: please help idetify
Posted By: bealy
Subject: please help idetify
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2017 at 12:58pm
Ive seen 2 snakes this week, 1 at home and 1 on my allotement can anyone identify please? this is allotement 1



Replies:
Posted By: Iowarth
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2017 at 11:03pm
Hi there

This is a grass snake ....... lucky you!

Chris


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Chris Davis, Site Administrator

Co-ordinator, Sand Lizard Captive Breeding Programme (RETIRED)


Posted By: will
Date Posted: 28 Jun 2017 at 7:04am
poor snake though - did you get it out of the mesh OK?


Posted By: bealy
Date Posted: 28 Jun 2017 at 9:01am
I didn't personally, I watched from a distance but a lovely man rescued it, it took a while. I have a video of another larger snake outside my house from the same week but I cannot post it on here as its too large a file. I would love that one to be a smooth snake as they are building 100 houses next to me and I may get them to prospone building. thanks for your help.


Posted By: Iowarth
Date Posted: 28 Jun 2017 at 9:18am
That's excellent news!
So far as your other snake is concerned, if you can download the picture to your computer then you should be able to resize it using any simple photo or art program (even recent versions of Microsoft Paint!)
Unfortunately it won't be a smooth snake - you are a long way away from the nearest colonies. BUT, ALL of our British snakes have some degree of legal protection and, at the very least, surveys and/or mitigation should take place prior to any building.
All the best
Chris


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Chris Davis, Site Administrator

Co-ordinator, Sand Lizard Captive Breeding Programme (RETIRED)


Posted By: Suzi
Date Posted: 28 Jun 2017 at 11:42am
Microsoft Paint is the prog. I always use for resizing. It's very easy.

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Suz


Posted By: PondDragon
Date Posted: 28 Jun 2017 at 6:55pm
It's worth adding that Grass Snakes getting caught in netting seems to be quite a common problem in gardens & allotments, especially the nylon strawberry netting type. I had the same problem in my garden several years ago when some netting had been left in the long grass - fortunately I was able to cut the snake free.

It's difficult because obviously you need to protect certain crops from birds etc, but at the same time please try to minimise the danger to snakes.

You could put the video up on youtube and post a link here. A large snake (over 2.5' or so and bulky) is likely to be a female Grass Snake, potentially looking for an egg laying site in e.g. a compost heap. Gardens & allotments can be important breeding sites for these if you have compost heaps.


Posted By: chubsta
Date Posted: 28 Jun 2017 at 9:35pm
Unfortunately that type of netting is also a terrible hazard to hedgehogs as well, responsible for the deaths of untold numbers every year...


Posted By: Suzi
Date Posted: 29 Jun 2017 at 9:53am
Many years ago I used to put net curtains bought from charity shops over fruit bushes, then one year bought black netting. As I couldn't secure it at ground level birds used to run in underneath and blackbirds and thrushes would get temporarily stuck. However one day I found a dead blackcap hanging from the netting. It's head had become stuck in one of the holes and it must have suffered terribly as all the feathers on its neck had been rubbed off. I never used netting on the bushes again. For strawberries I use very fine netting that nothing would get stuck in and have it secured all round so nothing can get underneath it.

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Suz



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