Grass snake (Natrix natrix) Grass snakes do not have the dark zigzag down their backs like adders, making them easy to tell apart. Grass snakes are grey-green coloured with black bars down their sides and a yellow and black ‘collar’ around the neck. They are found throughout England and Wales, but not Scotland.
What colour are grass snakes UK?
grey-green
Identification. This is the UK’s longest snake, growing to well over a metre in length. Typically grass snakes are grey-green in colour. They have a distinctive yellow and black collar around the neck, with black bars down the sides of the body.
Are grass snakes in the UK poisonous?
Grass snakes are non venomous and pose no threat to humans. Grass snakes are the UK’s most common snake species. Your best chance of seeing a grass snake is to catch one basking in the morning sun. Grass snakes are non venomous and pose no threat to humans.
Can you find grass snakes in the UK?
The UK has three species of grass snake, adder and smooth snake.
How can you tell an adder from a grass snake?
The dark zig-zag pattern along its back makes the adder easy to distinguish from the grass snake, which also lives out on the mossland. Male adders have a black zig-zag, female adders, on the other hand, tend to be more brownish. The adders have red eyes with a vertical pupil, reminiscent of a cat’s eye.
What do I do if I find a grass snake?
Answer. Nothing! Grass Snakes are a natural predator of frogs (and fish) and it’s best not to interfere; one snake will not make much impact on the population. Grass Snakes often hunt in water and will prey on amphibians and fish in garden ponds.
What time of year do grass snakes come out?
Grass snakes begin hibernation from October, and will typically emerge in either March or April (depending on the weather). Like most reptiles, they will spend the first few days sunbathing close to the area where they hibernated.
How big is a UK grass snake?
3-feet
The grass snake grows to over a metre (3-feet) long, and is strongly associated with water habitats, including garden ponds. It is completely harmless to man, and almost never bites, even when caught. As with all native reptiles, it is illegal to harm or kill them.
What is the difference between a grass snake and a garter snake?
garter snake, (genus Thamnophis), also called grass snake, any of about 35 species of nonvenomous North American snakes having a striped pattern suggesting a garter: typically, one or three longitudinal yellow to red stripes, between which are checkered blotches.
Would a grass snake bite a dog?
While grass snakes are on the larger side, they are less likely to pose a threat to your pet as they are not venomous. If attacked they are more prone to deterring predators by releasing foul-smelling secretions. However, if they are backed into a corner, there is a chance that they will bite.
How do you tell if a snake is a grass snake?
Grass snake (Natrix natrix)
Grass snakes do not have the dark zigzag down their backs like adders, making them easy to tell apart. Grass snakes are grey-green coloured with black bars down their sides and a yellow and black ‘collar’ around the neck.
Where do grass snakes live UK?
Grass Snakes are found throughout England and Wales but are absent from Scotland. They’re quite often seen in gardens, especially those with ponds which the snakes can hunt in. Grass Snakes are quite timid, often feigning death if disturbed; alternatively they may excrete a foul-smelling liquid.
Are grass snakes scared of humans?
Britain’s largest reptile is shy by nature and wary of humans.
What time of day do adders come out?
afternoon
Adder season can usually be classed as any time between April and September and most commonly in the afternoon when the adders are most active and out basking in the sunshine.
How can I tell what kind of snake I found?
Key field marks for identifying snakes
- Head Shape: Is the head shaped like a broad arrowhead, like a spade, or like an oval?
- Eyes: Are the eyes large or small?
- Scales: What texture are the scales, rough or smooth?
- Patterns: What kinds of patterns does the snake have?
- Color: Which color(s) is the snake?
What’s the difference between a grass snake and a slow worm?
The grass snake has a smooth appearance and is the largest indigenous UK reptile. Males can reach a length of up to 100cm and females up to 130cm. Slow worms are very secretive creatures but can be found in a variety of habitats including gardens. They are not actually snakes, but the UK’s only legless lizard.
Can you handle a grass snake?
So, handling a wild-caught grass snake is unlikely to be a straightforward or enjoyable experience. To handle a grass snake, you have to let it wrap around your hand/arm. If you don’t support it this way, it’ll feel unsafe and become stressed. However, most forms of handling tend to result in musking.
Do grass snakes hiss at you?
Because of their liking for gardens and particularly for compost heaps, grass snakes are often encountered in gardens. They are harmless to humans, though they can act quite aggressively if cornered, puffing up their bodies, hissing loudly and even lunging to make a strike with a closed mouth.
Where do grass snakes make nests?
Females seek out nest sites where warmth is generated artificially by the surroundings. Manure and compost heaps, together with piles of rotting leaves or reeds, are ideal and it is into these that between 30 and 40 eggs are laid during June or July.
Where do grass snakes like to hide?
Tall grasses and shrubs are two ideal hiding spots for these reptiles. They also tend to hide away in storage sheds, piles of wood, or in fallen branches and limbs. Proceed with caution when removing and clearing your property to avoid any snake bites.
How do you tell if a snake has been in your yard?
Common Signs You Have Snakes
- Shed snakeskins.
- Snake holes.
- Tracks in your dust or dirt from slithering.
- Strange smells in enclosed spaces.
- Snake droppings.