Gravid Dice Snake: |
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chas Member Joined: 30 Jan 2005 No. of posts: 27 View other posts by chas |
Posted: 10 May 2005 I was showing a group of foreign visitors around a wildlife site in southeast London in July 2003 when a group of nervous looking ladies in the party inquired if there were any snakes on the site. I assured them that none had ever been seen on the site. I then lifted a log and out sprang a large, near-black snake hissing furiously. It took me another 10 minutes to regather the group together. It turned out to be a female dice snake (Natrix tassellata) 3'4" long and very gravid. The snake was removed from the site - as it was clearly alien - and laid 24 fertile eggs two days later. Reports I gathered from birdwatchers later suggested that there were at least two other dice snakes in the area which would account the fact that the snake had been fertilised. So for no more have been spotted in 2004 or spring 2005. Charles Snell |
- Gravid Dice Snake |