Grass snake sites in and near Southampton

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   Hi all,

Before anybody mentions it, I'm aware that herping sites are treasured by those who frequent them and are seldom shared, however I have recently befriended Ophiuchus and Arvensis from here and have herped with them on several occasions (and hope to do so again soon!) so I am sure that they both can vouch for me in the sense that I'm a responsible field herper that is passionate about seeing reptiles in their natural habitat.

I have only seen one grass snake in the wild, and this was a few years ago where I caught the tail end as the animal was slithering away while I was out fishing, so I am not going to count that one as actually making a field observation. So, that one aside, I have seen five out of the six native reptile species, and I want to make it six this season. I am wondering if anybody can give me some sound advice on where to look around my area. I know Lakeside has a small population, but with the amount of people that are there on a daily basis this time of year, I fear that they would be even more difficult to find.

Do I need to be looking in the same way as Adders, on the edge of cover, etc? And are there any tins/felts at said sites?

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated, by PM or otherwise.

Best regards,

James.

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JamesM Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 12 Mar 2011 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 89	Post Options Post Reply Quote JamesM Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Grass snake sites in and near Southampton Posted: 25 Mar 2012 at 2:03am
	Hi all, Before anybody mentions it, I'm aware that herping sites are treasured by those who frequent them and are seldom shared, however I have recently befriended Ophiuchus and Arvensis from here and have herped with them on several occasions (and hope to do so again soon!) so I am sure that they both can vouch for me in the sense that I'm a responsible field herper that is passionate about seeing reptiles in their natural habitat. I have only seen one grass snake in the wild, and this was a few years ago where I caught the tail end as the animal was slithering away while I was out fishing, so I am not going to count that one as actually making a field observation. So, that one aside, I have seen five out of the six native reptile species, and I want to make it six this season. I am wondering if anybody can give me some sound advice on where to look around my area. I know Lakeside has a small population, but with the amount of people that are there on a daily basis this time of year, I fear that they would be even more difficult to find. Do I need to be looking in the same way as Adders, on the edge of cover, etc? And are there any tins/felts at said sites? Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated, by PM or otherwise. Best regards, James.

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: 25 Mar 2012 at 10:53am
	James, it's not so much about 'known' sites its about getting out there and scouring I'm afraid. While it's always good to know where to go, the real treasure is in finding populations that are not so well known. Are there any bodies of water near you with good ground cover especially a mix of bracken, bramble and young birch, heather maybe, with sunny spot clearings in between. Spend a few days looking at the inclination of the sites. Imagine you are a snake (or a wise old Tom cat) and look for small, well protected sunny pockets that form inlets into bramble banks for instance, or where small clumps of holly (Grassies love a Holly root for diving into) offer protection. Try also (like you say) to find an area away from stomping, and regular disturbance. This may mean taking a day off when its a sunny day and looking in the week - that often produces results when a weekender has blanked. Walk in the direction opposite to the direction of the breeze. And move at a snails pace. They could be right there in fornt of you and only if you stop and let your eye pick details along the path can you check thoroughly before moving forward. It's a knack that anyone can learn. happy hunting. R
	RobV

Ophiuchus Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 04 Jan 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 83	Post Options Post Reply Quote Ophiuchus Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 25 Mar 2012 at 1:41pm
	That is some pretty sound advice James, you could combine your walking exercise that we were talking about with searching for possible reptile localities, you must know places which you think has good habitat that could support reptiles, get out there and start looking!
	Ophiuchus ~the serpent bearer~

JamesM Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 12 Mar 2011 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 89	Post Options Post Reply Quote JamesM Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 25 Mar 2012 at 4:23pm
	Cheers Rob. The only water body that is close to me is along the Itchen River (the fresh side). It wouldn't surprise me if they hung out around there! Going to do some research and get out and have a look. Thanks again, James.