Froglife

Leaping forward for reptiles and amphibians

You are here: Home / Archives for Grass snake

Grass snake

What our animals are up to this month…

by

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…

by

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.

Reptiles in London

by

Although London is a large urban landscape, it is home to a wide range of fauna and flora. One group of London wildlife that is often overlooked are the reptiles. London is home to four native reptile species: Adder, Grass Snake, Common Lizard and Slow-worm.  

If you are inspired to go out and look for London’s reptiles, here’s a couple of site suggestions for 3 of the most common species to find around the capital from courtesy of our London team.

Common Lizards:

  • Little Wormwood Scrubs, Kensington & Chelsea

Slow-worms:

  • Lesnes Abbey, Bexley

Grass Snakes:

  • WaterWorks Nature Reserve, Waltham Forest

Remember to report your reptile sightings (including juveniles and eggs) on our free Dragonfinder app. 

The Ecological Importance of Small Freshwater Bodies

by

Small Freshwater Bodies include ponds, ditches, springs and flushes. All of these provide huge ecological benefits, supporting a wide range of aquatic species and offsetting some of the negative impacts of many environmental issues facing us such as climate change, flooding and noise pollution.

Ponds support an extraordinary two-thirds of all freshwater species and are central to the survival of many including frogs, toads, newts, a huge range of aquatic invertebrates and plants. Freshwater Bodies also provide mammals and birds with drinking water and some species such as grass snakes with important foraging areas.

One third of ponds are thought to have disappeared in the last fifty years or so and of those that remain more than 80% are considered to be in ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ condition (Freshwater Habitats Trust research). This has had an enormous impact on aquatic wildlife. 

Creating a clean, new pond is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect freshwater wildlife.  Where it is not a viable option to create new ponds, restoring existing, depleting ponds is greatly beneficial.

You can find tonnes of information on pond creation in our Just Add Water leaflet here. 

What our animals are doing this month….

by

The grass snake is the only UK snake to lay eggs rather than give birth to live young. They lay their eggs in June and July, ideally in rotting vegetation which provides a warm and safe place for the eggs to be incubated. Compost heaps are a perfect egg-laying spot, so keep an eye out for grass snakes using compost heaps in your garden or allotment. Since they are such a popular spot for grass snakes, it is also important that we minimise any disturbance to our compost heaps at this time of year to avoid harming any eggs.

Grass snakes are the largest of our native snakes, reaching up to 1.5m in length, and can be easily identified by their distinctive yellow and black collar. Once the eggs hatch in late summer, the tiny juveniles look exactly same as the adults, except they are just 15cm long. They can be found throughout England and Wales, but are more limited in Scotland where they are only found in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway.

Remember to record any reptile, amphibian or egg sightings on our FREE Dragon Finder app. 

Why I love Snakes! – A poem

by

Adder, smooth or grass snake by name,
Our native snakes are not all the same.

The adder’s stylish zig-zags black

Make a splash along its back.
The smooth snake, who is rare to find

Has smoother scales than the other kinds.

The grass snake is the last of the three,
They love to swim – it’s a sight to see!

Snakes may have a difficult time,
But seeing one is just sublime!

Poem written and shared with us by Bethan Davies 

Please click "Accept" to use cookies on this website. More information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close