Natrix - the longest!

And just as a reminder to all those hunters out there - you wished!

Hi Folks, been meaning to post an update on this for ages....

I checked out the place rumoured to have the monsters and whilst I did see a snake it was well within the normal size range... I also spoke to a local who lived near to the spot where allegedly the monster had been run over and she knew nothing about it and had never even seen a snake herself in the 20 plus years she had lived there 

This, in part, has led me to the conclusion that the stories of snakes being run over on a track with their head over one side and their tail over the other etc are more than likely cobblers! However, I do now know that very large grass snakes do exist....

In the summer on the Mendips I came across the largest grass snake I have ever seen. I stepped over a bank and there it was coming towards me, heading for the cover to my left. It was VERY fast and took me completely by surprise - even though it was coming at me I only managed to grab its tail - I had two hands on it but the rest of the snake was in the undergrowth and she was pulling very hard, so hard in fact that I was worried I might hurt her I had to let her go.

Now what is interesting is that I don't know how long it was - I mean I know more about grass snakes than the average Joe Public and I'm pretty good at estimating the length of the typical grassie within a few inches, but this one was in a different league and one which I have no experience of. Had the snake been stretched out straight (like they do when they get run over) I could have made an educated guess but whilst on the move it is VERY difficult to say, it was chunky and certainly "over 4 feet"...

I joined my local RAG recently (don't know why I haven't joined before!?) and was very pleased when the chairman (Andy Ryder) told me he had a large natrix slough that had been handed in - measuring a tadge under 6 feet !!

This got my attention and I just had to see it!

What was strange is that although I saw it laid out on the desk in front of me and we measured it at 5 feet 10 inches (see below) - it didn't look as big as I thought it would! It wasn't as thick and the head was smaller than I had anticipated (although the head wasn't in great shape). Now don't get me wrong it is VERY impressive and I was chuffed to bits to see it - my conclusion is that either I've read too many of Rob V's posts or maybe the one I saw on the Mendips was bigger than I thought  (or perhaps this was “just” a male!!)