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Grass snake

The Basics of Scientific Naming

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Written by Madeleine Barnes, Transforming Lives Trainee

The scientific names of species seem incomprehensible to many people – but peeling back just one layer of confusion reveals how simple they can be to understand. Despite commonly being called ‘Latin names’ due to the prevalence of Latin-based words and a limit of only using the 26 Latin characters, scientific names can actually be made with any language and can even be complete nonsense. Typically, the names describe a species physically, but may also be the names of people or even simply be jokes (see the frog genus Mini).

The first international rules for naming animals were established in the “International Rules on Zoological Nomenclature” published in 1905. Each scientific name is a binomial name, meaning they are composed of 2 parts: the genus and species of the animal. They are always written in the format Genus species, with an added subspecies for a trinomial name if necessary.

Here are the scientific names of some of the species Froglife protects, and their meanings:

Translated directly from Latin as ‘temporary frog’, this name refers to how frogs seem to be absent during the colder months.

 

‘Triturus’ is Neo-Latin (Renaissance-era Latin) derived from the name “Triton”, a Greek god of the sea. In Latin, ‘crista’ means “plume on a helmet” or “tuft on an animal’s head” (typically referring to chickens), which describes the eponymous Great Crest on these male newts.

From the Latin ‘natrix’, meaning “water snake” – grass snakes are often spotted on water due to their preferred diet of amphibians. In Neo-Latin, ‘helvetica’ means “Swiss”, referring to this snake’s prevalence in central Europe.

NOTE: the barred grass snake was reclassified in 2017 from its previous classification as a subspecies of Natrix natrix, due to genetic testing marking it as a distinct species.

‘Vipera’ is a contraction of the Latin ‘vivus’ (alive) and ‘parere’ (to deliver), indicating a snake that gives birth to live young. ‘Berus’ is a misspelling of the Latin ‘verus’, meaning “true” or “authentic” – this could refer to the adder’s reputation as a historical staple of Europe.

Being a legless lizard, ‘anguis’ rather confusingly means “snake” in Latin – 1758 Linnaeus was clearly deceived by their snake-like appearance. ‘Fragilis’ means “fragile”, describing the way in which slow-worms drop their tails when in danger.

To learn more about the rules regarding naming animal species, access the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature online: https://www.iczn.org/the-code/the-code-online/

Reptile Awareness Day

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Written by Jade Walton, Transforming Lives Trainee

The 21st October marks Reptile Awareness Day, and what better way to celebrate than to learn some interesting facts about our six native reptile species! 

In the United Kingdom we have six native reptiles, three snakes and three lizards.

Our snakes are:

Grass snakes

Smooth snakes

and adders

Our lizards are:

Common lizards

Sand lizards

and slow-worm

Each of these reptiles have interesting facts about them that easily set them aside from their other reptile counterparts. 

Firstly, lets look to our snakes. Adders are our only venomous species, though not particularly dangerous to most humans, it is best to keep your dog on a lead when walking in areas inhabited by adders. Adders are surprisingly small, usually measuring between 60cm and 80cm when fully grown. Females birth live young that are less than 20cm long. 

Next, we come to the smooth snake. Just like their adder relatives, smooth snakes are quite short in length, usually growing to around 60-70cm. These are the rarest of our UK reptile species, only to be found in specific heathland sites. Smooth snakes are also the only snake in the UK to constrict their prey. 

Our final snake is the grass snake. Easily the UK’s longest snake growing to around 150cm, they are also the only native snake to lay eggs rather than birth live young. This is a contributing factor as to why they are not found in Scotland as they need warm enough temperatures through the summer months for their eggs to incubate. 

Adder
Smooth snake
Grass snake

Our other three reptile species are types of lizard. Sand lizards are another rare UK reptile as their habitats are greatly limited to certain sandy heathlands. The sand lizard is our only lizard in the UK to lay eggs, which they bury under sand in sunny areas to allow for them to incubate. Like our other lizards, they can drop their tails as a defence mechanism against predators. 

Common lizards are widespread throughout the UK, though their numbers are thought to be declining due to habitat loss. They are fairly often mistaken for newts as they are quite similar in appearance, the best way to tell the difference is to see the scaly skin of the lizard versus the smooth skin of the newt, they also move a lot faster. 

Our final, and perhaps most confusing reptile is the slow-worm. Many could mistake a slow worm for a snake, given they have no legs, but they are, in fact, a lizard. They are distinguished from snakes by their ability to blink and drop their tails when threatened. ​

Sand lizard (female) (c) Tracy Farrer
Common lizard (c) David Palmer
Slow-worm

 

Reptiles

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Written by Jade Walton, Transforming Lives Trainee

In the UK, there are three resident snake species, the grass snake, the smooth snake, and the adder. Each species has a characteristic that makes it unique. The adder is our only venomous species, the smooth snake our only constrictor, and the grass snake is (rather surprisingly) the only one to lay eggs. 

It is a common misconception that all reptiles reproduce by laying eggs, but besides the grass snake, the only other UK resident egg-laying reptile is the sand lizard. In our four other species, the females incubate their eggs internally, then ‘give birth’ to their young. This internal incubation gets rid of the need for nest making and laying on the eggs to keep them warm, which is particularly helpful given the unpredictable weather in the UK. 

The need to keep eggs warm is a major factor in grass snakes being absent from Scotland since they rely on warmer temperatures for incubation. The best place for grass snakes to lay their eggs is in piles of rotting vegetation, since the process of rotting creates heat. It is for this reason, grass snakes are often found in compost heaps. 

By the end of summer, the eggs will have hatched to reveal juvenile snakes that look exactly like their adult counterparts, except for being only a tenth of their length. 

The best way you can help your local grass snake population would be to have a compost heap in your garden for them to lay their eggs, or a wildlife pond in which they can hunt. 

You can find lots of tips on how to help grass snakes, as well as our other reptile and amphibian species here.

What our animals are doing this month

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Written by Kaitlin Oliver: Transforming Lives Trainee

While the August sun gets hot and animals start looking for shaded areas to rest, a certain reptile is looking to take advantage of the summer rays.

Grass snakes, while rather shy, can be found basking on rocks or riverbanks. They do this to regulate their body temperature as they are unable to do this themselves. If the sun gets too hot, they will go and seek shelter in hedgerows or even take a dip in rivers and ponds. Grass snakes are surprisingly good swimmers!

They primarily feed on amphibians as well as small fish and occasionally small mammals.

The summer months are crucial for grass snakes to find mates and reproduce. Males are actively searching for females to perform their courtship rituals. After successful mating, the females seek out warm and sheltered areas to lay their eggs. During June and July, females lay eggs in compost heaps and rotting vegetation as it acts as an incubator for the eggs to develop. Watch out this time of year as there may be some juveniles around already!

Fun fact: Grass snakes are the only snake in the UK that lays eggs.

What our animals are up to this month…

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With Spring in the air April is the time our reptiles start to woo their mates. After emerging from brumation around March, they are ready to mate as the weather starts to warm up. This will continue into May.

The territorial adder dances a duel to compete for females this month. These females, like most of the UK’s reptiles, give birth to ‘live young’. The eggs have been incubated internally and this process is called Viviparity. This method of producing young protects the developing eggs from predation, disturbance or just getting too cold in our climate to survive. Only Grass snakes and sand lizards lay eggs. The sand lizard lay their eggs under a sunny patch of sand and the grass snake in rotting vegetation like a compost heap that creates heat during decomposition.

During April, May and September our reptiles are at their most active so now is the time to see them out and about. Early morning basking as they top up their temperature for a day of hunting ahead is a good time for spotting. Check out sunny spots that are sheltered from the wind. If you do spot anything report this on our make sure to let us know through Froglife’s free Dragon Finder app on Google Play and Apple Store!

female sand lizard

What our animals are doing this month…

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In the UK we have three native species of snake: the adder, grass snake and smooth snake. 

Adders can be up to 80cm in length and have a rather ‘stocky’ body. They are very distinct and can be identified by their zigzag pattern down the centre of their back and either a ’V’ or ’X’ marking on their head. They also have a vertical pupil and red iris. Grass snakes on the other hand, can be up to 150cm long! They are a grey-green colour with a yellow and black collar and dark bars along the side of their body. Grass snake’s eyes also have a circular pupil.

Adders have a very distinctive ‘X’ or ‘Y’ shape on the tops of their heads

Grass snakes are the UK’s only egg-laying snake (grass snakes are not often found in Scotland and are mainly further south in Dumfries and Galloway), and they will have already laid their eggs in June/July with the eggs hatching in late August/early September. From September onwards as we head into Autumn, grass snakes will be preparing for winter, hunting for amphibians or fish in ponds, canals, and reservoirs. However, the adder will be giving birth to live young in August/September. Litters can range from three to twenty and the young will stay with their mother for a few days before fending for themselves. Adders like to spend their time in undisturbed habitats such as moorland, heathland, and woodland. 

The smooth snake is the UK’s rarest reptile and is only found on the heathlands of Dorset, Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex. Their name comes from the fact the scales are smooth and flat, unlike the Grass Snake’s and Adder’s scales which have a ridge down the middle. They are a shy, secretive snake.

Female smooth snakes incubate their eggs internally and ‘give birth’ to 4-15 live young around September. The rest of the year is spent hunting for lizards, rodents and sometimes invertebrates; prey is subdued by constriction. Smooth snakes tend to bask entwined in heather, where they are well camouflaged, or under other objects. 

Smooth snake. Credit: Matt Wilson

 

Have you seen a snake near you? Are you able to identify it using the identification features above (we would be particularly interested in any sightings of grass snakes in Scotland)?

Make sure to record it on our Dragon Finder App, available for free on Android and Apple devices. You can download it here. All of the data collected is shared with the National Biodiversity Network and is available to view on their atlas here.