RAUK - Archived Forum - Help me with Grass Snake

Hi i'm sure i am going to upset some people now, but I have a lovely pond in my garden with several very young fish (as in this years hatchings) and a grass snake, is there any way i can discourage the snake from my pond? Also (and now I sound wimpy) i have such a phobia of snakes (yes i know they are not cold and clammy), that I feel i can no longer enjoy my garden with the snake there, I have 4 young children as well. I know that grass snakes are not dangerous, i have bought up in the country, I don't want to hurt it - just deter it.

Thanks for any help

Hi,

You can find the answers regarding how to deter snakes in the English Nature publication 'Reptiles in your Garden', this can be downloaded at:

http://www.english-nature.org.uk/pubs/publication/PDF/Reptilesingarden.pdf

Or orded from EN.

In short no compost heap, short grass, no pond i.e. an 'anti wildlilfe garden' is the only real answer, removing individual snakes is futile, as others will be sure to come if you are close to a good population or good habitat.

I'm conversly waiting for the first grass snakes to visit my garden :0)

I know it is silly to have such a phobia (especially when I know the snake is harmless), but it actually makes me feel physically sick to stand in my garden. As for you waiting for your first visit, i know just where there is a snake i'm sure would like your garden much better than mine! I don't have a compost heap and I have short grass, so the draw must be the pond, and unfortunatly i get too much enjoyment from it to fill it in, I suppose this is one way of overcoming my fear, having a visitor for the summer - just roll on hibernation- lol.

Thanks anyway

There are many factors such as proximity of good habitat and local population size that will affect the likelihood of grass snakes being a permanent feature of the garden. The other side to the story is that grass snakes are surprisingly mobile and this individual may just be passing through the area.

The good news is I have just seen the snake out of the water and it doesn't appear to be as big as I originally thought, bad news is I think it is living under my waterfall, as that is where it was heading, which on an overcast day like today, would be perhaps where it would take refuge, as it is sheltered and probably has some weeds under it - would that assumption be correct?

I did stand and watch it yesterday swimming in the pond thinking that the longer i stood there, the less aprehensive I would feel - it didn't really work.

I would like to thank you for your help, I really am trying to get through this , but finding it difficult, (not easy admitting that you are scared of something harmless - but then again they say everyone is scared of something)

It could well be using the waterfall for refuge. If it comes to it you may want to contact one of the local ARG groups to see if someone can come to remove it as Alan has suggested he would be prepared to do in another thread. Contacts can be found at:

http://froglife.hostwith.me.uk/HGBI/ARGs.htm

(If you happen to be in Essex just email me and I'll move it for you)

I have a phobia of house spiders so I do understand how it feels!

Snakes do not feed very often, estimates suggest once in 20 days for an adult grass snake, even less for the females as they are thought to fast or at least reduce intake whilst gravid.

Grass snakes like calm bright sunny weather, they are less sophisticated in their thermoregulation than say adders that can often be seen on overcast and quite windy days.

I have to admit I am more interested than I thought I would be, still scares me though, but I do find myself wandering out into the garden to see if it is there! (something I never thought I would do). The kids are also very interested and a little disappointed they haven't seen it for a couple of days.  Is there some really interesting child friendly facts that I can tell them about grass snakes - may as well not pass my phobia onto them! Like maximum length, eating habits apart from frogs - I have gathered that, hibernation times etc

Thanks

Sarah