Grass Snake ID in the field

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   Hopefully, by the time I set up this post, Gemma may show you all what i'm talking about. This subject is tinged with some sadness for me (as you can imagine). You can see from the pics that sometimes old friends come and go. Tony said that he thinks that female Natrix are likely to breed on a biennial basis. I agree, but think it must, in some circumstances be both sexes to abstain in any given year. If there is only four or five females in a group, two go missing and three are biennial, the males must know either by instinct or by virtue of the fact that there are no scent trails, to move quite quickly from the hibernaculum to the summer haunts. That would explain why some years the snakes arrive at the ponds earlier than other years irrespective of the weather. 
If I were to ask for 'right profile' only photos of the grass snakes that you have on record, how many do you think I would receive??? Why? Call me sad, but I just wondered if there will ever be an identical NN to another. thanks. R

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Robert V Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1264	Post Options Post Reply Quote Robert V Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Grass Snake ID in the field Posted: 19 Apr 2005 at 11:07pm
	Hopefully, by the time I set up this post, Gemma may show you all what i'm talking about. This subject is tinged with some sadness for me (as you can imagine). You can see from the pics that sometimes old friends come and go. Tony said that he thinks that female Natrix are likely to breed on a biennial basis. I agree, but think it must, in some circumstances be both sexes to abstain in any given year. If there is only four or five females in a group, two go missing and three are biennial, the males must know either by instinct or by virtue of the fact that there are no scent trails, to move quite quickly from the hibernaculum to the summer haunts. That would explain why some years the snakes arrive at the ponds earlier than other years irrespective of the weather. If I were to ask for 'right profile' only photos of the grass snakes that you have on record, how many do you think I would receive??? Why? Call me sad, but I just wondered if there will ever be an identical NN to another. thanks. R Edited by administrator
	RobV

Robert V Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1264	Post Options Post Reply Quote Robert V Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 22 Apr 2005 at 2:27am
	Identifying features apart from facial markings and collar, not clear because of the time lapse before discovery. Although the shape of 4th and 5th ventral black marking is obscured by the angle of neck in the 'live' pic, others are 9th ventral and whitish scale immediately above on the flank with extended black bar above that. 13th and 14th ventral (shape and position). White dot on black bar above 11th ventral on flank. White dot on and adjacent to black bar above 15th ventral on flank.
	RobV