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Garden grass snake

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Suzy View Drop Down
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    Posted: 24 Jun 2012 at 10:09pm
Was chuffed to bits yesterday when my husband came running indoors saying he'd seen a grass snake in one of the compost bins. I went to have a look but I knew it would have already moved off. He said it was 18inches to 2ft in length (sorry not metric) and was curled up with several slow worms under the black plastic which I keep over the heaps specially for slow worms to bask under.
I was out early today looking for it but it rained first thing and then was sunny later, when I was away from home, so no sightings.
It's some years since I had a grassie sighting here, but this year I've made a few changes, possibly snakey improvements, in leaving a metre wide strip of unmown grass along the garden edge on one side and widening the unmown area at the bottom of the garden to 5 yards from about two, and slightly increasing the unkempt area around the compost bins. I know these areas are busy with frogs, toads, slow worms and newts at times.
Suz
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tim hamlett View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tim hamlett Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jun 2012 at 10:37pm
great news suz. get a pic if you can. would love to see it.

tim
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B Lewis View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote B Lewis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jun 2012 at 12:24am
Suzy,

I would suggest that you don't do anything with your compost heap for a couple of months at least because it may well have been a female, and she may have deposited eggs, or possibly checking out a suitable site in which to do so..! It could also just as easily be a snake taking advantage of a good sheltering spot but let;s keep our fingers crossed for you.
________________________________
Brett Lewis
Consultant Ecologist | Wildlife Photographer | DICE, University of Kent | Kent Reptile & Amphibian Group
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Suzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jun 2012 at 12:45am
Thanks for the messages guys.
Yes Brett I try to leave them alone for slow worms  and I immediately wondered if this grassie might be scoping out an egg laying site. Will leave the heaps alone now.
Will try for a photo Tim but you need 6 arms or several people, what with peeling back the plastic etc. and as you all know grassies are like grease lightning! Early morning might be best but I don't want to disturb it too much - that is if it's still about!
Suz
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GemmaJF View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GemmaJF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jun 2012 at 12:41pm
Great news Suz, fingers crossed for some little moving 'bootlaces' towards the end of the summer. I remember our first garden grassy sighting, I was thrilled to bits Thumbs Up
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Suzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Jul 2012 at 11:47pm
Just a grassie update. The snake was not visible for more then a week so I thought it had gone. Then I saw it again 2 days ago so I was pleased. When I've had them in the past I've found they disappear for a few days at a time and I wonder if they are hunting and then spend a day or two digesting whilst lying under the plastic sheeting. 
Suz
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GemmaJF View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GemmaJF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Jul 2012 at 11:55pm
That would make a lot of sense Suzy, I'm very sure if they could find artificial heat such as the plastic sheeting when digesting they would use it. Many of my adult grass snake sightings under ACO are either animals preparing to shed or digesting a meal. Way back when I kept captive grass snakes they would always retreat for several days to the hottest area of the vivarium (provided by underfloor heating) until they had digested most of the meal. The optimum temperatures were surprisingly high which has made me wonder if adult grass snakes would seek things such as muck heaps and compost heaps to help digest their meals as well as for egg laying?
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Suzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jul 2012 at 11:46pm
Got a sheet of black coroline today which my local shop kindly cut into four pieces. I then brought them home and laid them around the garden. I know they'll take a while to bed in but I'm hoping the grass snake might use them and possibly bring a few friends along as well.

Suz
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GemmaJF View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GemmaJF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jul 2012 at 11:49pm
Should work great Suzy particularly for young snakes.
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Suzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jul 2012 at 10:50am
Had a look for the grassie at 10 am today in its usual spot. The compost heaps don't catch any sun till about 11 am so I wondered if I wasting my time. However I was thrilled to find two next to each other on the surface under the black plastic cxovering!
The coroline pieces I put down are still bedding in but one had slow worms under it from day two. There are at least 7 last year's young and several adults each day.
Suz
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