Grass Snake Identification & Sightings

Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic

I've been keeping watch on several good local sites for Grass Snakes over the spring and haven't been lucky. Yesterday I return from a search and take a look at my garden pond only to disturb this fine looking lady (?). She has Newts and Goldfishfish for company, at the moment. 
She has been out on the logs and rocks and seems quite at home. The pond is rather small-two x four and she seems to fill it. I estimate her size to be about 24-30 inches. 

Tony

Author	Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic
matchless Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Member Joined: 04 Jun 2006 Status: Offline Points: 1	Post Options Post Reply Quote matchless Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04 Jun 2006 at 10:22am
	I've been keeping watch on several good local sites for Grass Snakes over the spring and haven't been lucky. Yesterday I return from a search and take a look at my garden pond only to disturb this fine looking lady (?). She has Newts and Goldfishfish for company, at the moment. She has been out on the logs and rocks and seems quite at home. The pond is rather small-two x four and she seems to fill it. I estimate her size to be about 24-30 inches. Tony

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: 05 Jun 2006 at 8:54am
	Tony, great pic, and by the look of your grassie, shes either gravid or has been making the most of your goldfish and newts! Rob
	RobV

yellowhammer Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Member Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 22	Post Options Post Reply Quote yellowhammer Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 13 Jun 2006 at 6:30am
	Hi guys, I'm a new user as I only found the site yesterday. just found this lovely girl 4 feet up a hornbeam overhanging a foot path. photo by Lily, age 6!

yellowhammer Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Member Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 22	Post Options Post Reply Quote yellowhammer Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 13 Jun 2006 at 6:37am
	Another picture by Lily, who is angry because I left her age off the last post - she is 6

administrator Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Status: Offline Points: 10	Post Options Post Reply Quote administrator Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 13 Jun 2006 at 7:14am
	Hi Yellowhammer, Was the observation in the evening? I would be interested to know if the grassie was foraging in the hornbeam or trying to catch the last rays of the sun. Excellent piccies from Lily by the way! Edited by GemmaJF

yellowhammer Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Member Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 22	Post Options Post Reply Quote yellowhammer Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 13 Jun 2006 at 9:17am
	Spot on, we found her at 18.30, after a particuarly hot day. air temperature at the time was about 20 degrees with no breeze so I don't think the snake was basking. This is the second grassie I've found up a tree, and both of them were next to water bodies containing large populations of marsh frogs (north Kent marshes) so food supplies aren't short. Has anybody else come across this before?

administrator Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Status: Offline Points: 10	Post Options Post Reply Quote administrator Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 13 Jun 2006 at 2:18pm
	I've only seen grass snake enter low bushes a handful of times, each time they were foraging, clearly examining different aspects of the bushes - this also was near to ponds, perhaps a diet of frogs gets tedious after a while! I would be interested to hear from anyone else who has seen grass snakes in trees and bushes and the behavior observed also Yellowhammer.

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: 13 Jun 2006 at 5:20pm
	Gemma/Lily/yellowhammer, you'll be pleased to know that Grass snakes do frequent trees and Ive seen it on several occasions and maybe thats another reason why they are missed by people searching. In the pics Ive sent you for the post, this adult was barely visible 15ft up in a rotten trunk. There was an old nest in the top so maybe it was after baby birds. I only spotted it by sheer fluke, but now I know to always look up! Sorry the quality is not great but no tripod that day. Cheers Rob
	RobV

administrator Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Status: Offline Points: 10	Post Options Post Reply Quote administrator Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 13 Jun 2006 at 6:06pm
	Robs piccy, excellent stuff! Hope you don't mind me adding another arrow to show where he was in the first image Rob. I remember falling asleep at Hindhead commons, when I awoke apart from being surrounded by adders there were two grassies foraging in low bushes.. glad I'm not the only one to see them in trees and bushes

yellowhammer Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Member Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 22	Post Options Post Reply Quote yellowhammer Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 17 Jun 2006 at 7:50am
	yeah, lovely stuff. how on earth you spotted that I'll never know. I have enough trouble finding them on the ground! 'My' grassie didn't seem to be hunting but I didn't really watch for too long.