snakes as pests...

There are only three species of snake found in this country and they

are all protected by law. They are;

Ringed or Grass Snakes

Natrix Natrix

Ringed or grass snakes are greenish-brown or olive-grey with an

irregular series of unjoined darker dots along the body and are the

species most likely to be confused with the adder. It usually has two

bright yellow markings, bordered at the back by a black crescent

shaped marking. Occasionally grass snakes do not have these

markings, so look for the greenish colour and irregular unjoined dark

spots.

It is usually 70 - 100 centimetres in length, and is the largest species

of British snake. It is found in England and Wales.

Unlike the adder and smooth snake that give birth to live young,

grass snakes lay eggs. These are laid in piles of vegetation, sawdust

and manure heaps, where they are incubated by the heat of

decomposition.

Grass snakes eat small mammals,

amphibians and some fish and

consequently are often found in

damper areas or near ponds.

Grass snakes go into hibernation

during October and awake in

March / April.

Smooth Snake - Coronella

Austriaca

The smooth snake is our rarest snake. They are found in the

heathland areas of Dorset, Hampshire and Surrey and may still exist

in parts of Berkshire, Wiltshire and West Sussex. They are a similar

colour to adders, being generally greyish-brown to red-brown but

again have a series of unjoined darker spots or short cross bars along

the back, with a secondary series of dark spots on the sides.

Smooth snakes are generally up to 55 centimetres long and eat

lizards, mice, voles and spiders. They inhabit dry sandy hillside

heathland sloping down to a marshy valley for water.

Adder or Viper - Vipera Bereus

Young adders and females have a background colour of brown or

reddish brown, with a thick, bold, continuous darker brown zigzag

marking along their backs. Mature males are grey or silvery-grey with

similar thick charcoal grey markings. They usually grow to about 60

centimetres in length.

The adder is found throughout Britain but is most abundant in the

southwest of England and parts of Scotland.

Adders prefer dry sandy heathland, which is adjacent to wet, even

boggy, valley bottoms, where they like to spend the summer months.

The adder is Britain's only venomous snake, but bites are rarely fatal.

The adder has, unfairly, gained a bad reputation in the public's mind

because it is venomous. It is actually a timid creature and bites to

people and domestic and farm animals are uncommon; the majority

of people bitten have either picked up an adder or have accidentally

trodden on one. In the unlikely event of being bitten, it