A snake in my garden!! (1 Viewer)

[amelia1730]

Such excitement!!...................

I was just looking out of the kitchen window to watch a robin sitting on my pergola trellis when I saw it staring down on the ground at something. I was surprised to see a snake slithering across the patio. Rushed and got my camera and took an unimpressive photo of my first grass snake - actually my first snake full stop! Ever!

I'm assuming it's only quite young. Very long and thin. I am so chuffed to bits that something once so common to the UK but I understand, now quite rare, chose to visit my garden. I must be doing something right!

I really love my garden and like it to look good but actively encourage all wildlife as best I can. Apart from food, I always have fresh drinking water out for the birds, a saucer set high up on top of an old chimmney pot and another shallow saucer on the patio itself for hedgehogs etc (and now snakes!!) I don't clear leaves up under the shrubs any more and made a super woodpile at the bottom of the garden. We are lucky enough to have a small brook running at the end of the garden which attracts all kinds of creatures. I realise that that is probably the greatest attraction for the grass snake but at least I'm providing a safe haven for hibernation. I guess the warm weather here today has encouraged it out foraging. I unfortunately have to spend my days at home but I never cease to get pleasure from the everyday and most of all unexpected wildlife experiences.

 

[NoSpringChicken]

Nice one Amelia. I don't get them in my garden but I've seen quite a few this year and it's always exciting. I watched one trying to swallow a frog for about half an hour and that was pretty gory.

Nice to know you are creating a good wildlife habitat. It's always a bit special when you can watch it all happening in your back garden.

Nice photo by the way.:t:

Ron

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Very jealous! You are lucky.

 

[JeffMoh]

Well done!

It's great that some people are thrilled to attract a snake into their garden. Most people hate them! Here in Texas, you do have to be careful, though; our neighbour gets one or two copperheads in his back yard/garden every year. We're luckier: We get garden snakes, toads, green anoles, tree frogs, geckoes and squirrels. We had a possum last year but unfortunately it hasn't returned.

I hadn't realized that grass snakes were not so common in the UK these days. When I was growing up (in Cumbria in the 50s and 60s), they were very common.)

I hope you get more snakes!

Jeff

 

[Accipiter91]

Good deal! It is very refreshing to find someone that actually encourages snakes in their yard! Nice photo too!

 

[MlZad]

If you could make a larger compost heap (or just a larger pile of leaves/grass) you'd also be providing an egg laying site for them. The lack of good egg laying sites is one of the chief reasons why their numbers are declining in the UK (there aren't as many compost heaps as there were before). Then you'd get a lot of adult females (100+cm, fat) in your garden once they discover the pile (they lay eggs communally) and a lot of babies when they hatch out.

Anyway, good work on keeping your garden wildlife friendly!
Nice pic!

 

[amelia1730]

Thanks for the advice MIZad. As I have a small garden - not much room for a proper compost heap (I have a large plastic compost container which is no good for wildlife) - I will make sure I form a couple of heaps from leaves and grass cuttings under a couple of thick shrubs/bushes. Might encourage him/her to hang around! I think grass snakes should be hibernating by now but as I said before, I think the unexpected warm weather at the moment is keeping them active.

 

[MlZad]

under a couple of thick shrubs/bushes

I don't think that you could achieve the proper depth that way... but it would give them moister parts to hide under during warm & dry days (and it'll attract Slow Worms)...
Concerning the compost heap, it's difficult to give exact instructions... it's best to vary the depth/width of the heap, making it shallower and narrower at one end and deeper and wider at the other. That, combined with the placing of the heap, should allow the snakes to choose the best spot in which to lay their eggs.
I have a pdf that I can send you (I got it from nuttybulldog), if you want to learn more... it's about reptiles in British gardens. It's 633 KB.

Grass Snakes should be hibernating by now (and larger adults are, at least here...), but the occasional juvenile/young is woken up by the warm weather... One of my neighbours at Vugrovec saw a young Grass Snake last week. And if the rumors of this year's winter also being mild, looks like I'll be hearing reports of snakes being seen at Vugrovec in mid December (last year they saw 2 Aesculapian Snakes and one Nose-horned Viper, somewhere around Christmas...).

Oh, I almost forgot... don't be sad if you don't see him/her for a while... Grass Snakes hold territories of 3-120 hectares (no, that's not a typing mistake....) and they move about a 100m per day in them, so it could be a while before you see him/her again. Also, Grass Snake territories overlap, so you could have a lot more than 1 come to visit your garden.

 

[amelia1730]

Yes please, I am interested in learning more. All wildlife fascinates me. I can never learn enough....... Thanks for your time. Much appreciated.

 

[MlZad]

Here's the pdf.

 

[amelia1730]

Thanks very much for the great info. I will enjoy reading it properly later.

 

[matthompson]

Fab stuff. I saw one swimming last year at a reserve in Essex. It met a little Grebe half way across, coiled up and hissed....obviously not a bird lover!

Hope you see more of this fella!

 

[gillian]

Brilliant, I would love to see one im my garden! Enjoy

 

[McMadd]

Forgive me but...A snake in the garden...would you Adam and Eve it..?