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weird grass snake stuff |
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will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
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Posted: 13 Oct 2012 at 3:36pm |
Thought I'd go to a local site for perhaps the last chance to spot a reptile this year; with temps of 10degC and occasional sun I was thinking perhaps a juv common lizard at best. But first I found a stone cold grass snake in a bush...
and then, closeby, a speckled individual, also very cold... I then decided to turn a nearby tin, also stone cold, and found a male and female grass snake entwined as if having mated or preparing to mate... circumstantial, I know, but I can't fathom why else they would be under a stone cold tin twined together |
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JaySteel
Senior Member Joined: 07 May 2010 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 157 |
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Hi Will. I'd already given up on the hope of finding any Grass Snakes still about now that the weather has turned colder. That speckled specimen is great. I've never seen one like that before.
Jason
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will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
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Hi Jason
yes, me too - but they're evidently still out and about. I've not seen one speckled like this before, with the front half liberally flecked with duck-egg blue, fading to the tail. However, twenty years ago at the same site, I found a specimen which had whitish speckles along the whole body, and took a slide of it (remember slide photography and slide projectors?! I regularly used a projector which overheated and melted my prized slides...) So, here's a photo of the speckled one from yesterday from above, and below this is a copy of the old slide of one of its possible ancestors from a couple of decades ago: |
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GemmaJF
Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 Location: Essex Status: Offline Points: 4359 |
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Brilliant Will, that is amazing with the pictures 20 years apart. I couldn't even afford a camera 20 years ago let alone a slide projector! I've never seen either of these colourations before.
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JaySteel
Senior Member Joined: 07 May 2010 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 157 |
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Amazing Will. Thanks for sharing those. I love seeing colour and pattern variations in our snakes.
Jason |
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will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
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Thanks both! Gemma - I inherited the projector from my grandparents (strictly a 1950s model!)
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Noodles
Senior Member Joined: 05 Dec 2010 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 534 |
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I had a similar day late last week in that it was apparently too cold and overcast for natrix. At best I was hoping to record adder and the usual pre-hibernation natrix sloughs in bracken. As well as several adder and half a dozen natrix sloughs i also recorded four active grass snakes (two at the hibernaculum), including one male and female entwined (not apparently mating or within close range of a potential hibernation site). The weather really was poor (no sun all day) and a brisk cool wind was whipping through the site with occasional drizzle (no tins at this site). I found it notable as a strange day of herping
Interesting markings though Will, i would love to see something like that Worryingly perhaps??I am still finding gravid Slow-worms at another site. What happens to these/or their offspring if the mother goes into early brumation? Do the mothers ingest them, force birth/abort them or, dare i say, postpone the birth until spring? |
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will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
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Very interesting - sounds just like my experience, right down to the grass snake 'pair'. Also interesting about the slowworms; along with adder and smooth snake I wouldn't be suprised if they do, at least occasionally, overwinter when gravid, and produce their young in the spring (perhaps especially so this year, given the awful weather...)
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JaySteel
Senior Member Joined: 07 May 2010 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 157 |
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I just got back from checking one of my woodland sites that has both small adder & grass snake populations. No sign of any snakes today unfortunately. There were no adders visible at their hibernaculum either. I did see an adult female slow worm slithering over damp leaves on the edge of the woods. I picked her up to see how cold she was and she was very cold indeed. She could barely move. I surprised she was out when there was no sun in the sky to warm her up.
Jason
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AGILIS
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1689 |
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Well spotted Will ,and Gemma couldnt afford a camera I couldnt afford a roll of film.keith
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LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
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