How many snakes are there in Britain?
There are three native sorts of snake within the UK: adder, grass and clean snakes. All three are most energetic in heat climate, and look to hibernate within the colder months. However, with more and more gentle winters, snakes are rising as early as mid-January to search for meals.
Our skilled information explains which snakes stay within the UK, whether or not they’re harmful to people, and what to do if you happen to get bitten by a snake.
How to establish British snakes
1. Adder (Vipera berus)
A gray-brown snake with crimson eyes and attribute zig-zag markings alongside its backbone. Just 50-80cm lengthy, it’s discovered on heaths, moors and woodlands however has declined markedly up to now 30 years and is now absent from a number of Midlands counties.
The adder is Britain’s solely venomous snake, and makes use of its poison to subdue small rodents, lizards and ground-nesting birds. They have been identified to wiggle the guidelines of their tails to resemble a worm or caterpillar and thus draw a fowl nearer. This is called ‘caudal luring’.
The adder’s breeding season begins in April-May, with the young first rising in August/September. Female adders are uncommon: they incubate their eggs internally after which give beginning to stay young.
Adders emerge from hibernation very early within the 12 months and might be seen sunning themselves on south-facing slopes and hedgebanks on hotter days as early as late January.
Did you already know adders are essentially the most northerly-living snake?
Are adders harmful to people?
An adder chew might be painful and trigger an irritation, however is absolutely solely harmful to the very young, unwell or old. Adders are very shy and can normally disguise shortly from the heavy-footed method of a human. They are inclined to chew solely when stepped on, or if panicked at shut vary.
What to do if you happen to’re bitten by a UK snake
- Try to not panic – most UK snake bites will not be critical and might be handled
- Seek medical consideration
- Keep the a part of your physique that was bitten as nonetheless as you’ll be able to
- Try to recollect the color and sample of the snake
- Do not attempt to bandage or tourniquet the chew
- Do not try to suck out the venom
See nhs.uk/situations/snake-bites/ for recommendation.
2. Smooth snake (Coronella austriaca)
The clean snake is evenly smaller than an adder and superficially resembles it, however lacks the zig-zag markings alongside the again. A secretive burrowing snake confined to a handful of counties from Surrey to Dorset, with reintroduced populations in Devon and West Sussex. Hunts different reptiles, which it ambushes.It has small tooth that may inflict a gentle scratch-like chew on people however there isn’t a venom and no hazard.
This lovely however secretive creature is discovered solely in a number of websites on the sandy lowland heaths of southern England. It is notable for its pleasant dot-dash brown markings – a kind of morse code alongside its again. It takes its ‘smooth’ identify for the truth that, in contrast to the adder and grass snake, the scales that cowl and shield its physique would not have keels on them so really feel comfortable to the contact.
3. Grass snake (Natrix helvetica)
The grass snake is Britain’s longest snake, reaching as much as 150cm. It has a grey-green physique with delicate yellow ‘mask’ marking on its head. The grass snake prefers wetlands the place it hunts frogs, newts, fish and small mammals, generally swimming underwater to catch its prey. It is the UK’s most typical and adaptable snake and is usually present in gardens, notably compost heaps.
Are grass snakes harmful?
Not to people. Grass snakes have small tooth and there are few data of them ever biting people – the chew is painless.
Which British snakes can swim?
Grass snakes are usually discovered near water and might swim underwater to catch meals.
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