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Snake eating my fish

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=5300
Printed Date: 29 Mar 2024 at 3:27pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.06 - http://www.webwizforums.com


Topic: Snake eating my fish
Posted By: Lucille
Subject: Snake eating my fish
Date Posted: 08 Sep 2019 at 6:55pm
Could someone please give me some advice please?
My terrier has been going mad at a particular place, under the black plastic around my pond, for a couple year. We just presumed it was a mouse or rat and didn't take much notice until my fish started going missing! Today we pulled up some of the black plastic...had never been touched since pond was made. Underneath was a very large snake skin, nearly a metre long and quite wide, after looking up different markings etc I think it is an adder, I'm worried about my dog and how to stop my fish being eaten. Any advice would really be appreciated, thanks, Lucille



Replies:
Posted By: GemmaJF
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2019 at 3:06pm
Hi Lucille,

The skin is likely to have belonged to a harmless grass snake and not an adder. Adder do not visit ponds to feed on fish. However grass snakes often do and use items such as black plastic to gain a little extra body warmth for the process of skin shedding. A grass snake is not a threat to your dog. 


Posted By: chubsta
Date Posted: 11 Sep 2019 at 9:15am
that is a lovely snake to have in your garden, as Gemma says it will be no danger whatsoever to your dog, or anything else other than its food. A large snake will still only be able to take very small fish prey so are you sure you aren't being visited by a heron or gull, my fish were regularly taken by gulls from my pond.


Posted By: Lucille
Date Posted: 11 Sep 2019 at 7:32pm
Thank you all for your replies, I get it now it won't harm my dog! I have a wildlife camera and there has never been any herons or gulls. Unfortunately a small bit at the edge of the pond isn't visible because of long pond grass etc. So I guess I'll just have to lump it. Again thankyou for your replies x



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