RAUK - Archived Forum - Photo ID of grass snakes

Hi all, I'm planning a population study of grass snakes at a site in Flintshire by capture and identification using digital photos. Can anyone tell me which type of shots would be most useful, head, neck or belly, or a combination of these? Have any studies of grass snakes using photo ID been published?

On one of my first visits to the Forum I noticed a topic on the subject but havn't been able to find it again since tolook at in detail. Can someone point me in the right direction, or was I dreaming?

Mick,

good idea mate. It was my study that you saw on here. I'll come back to you with the strand as it was a while ago!

I had a group of about 20 individuals and yes it does work. When you catch Nn, its best to do both profiles as they are not symetrical on both sides. i was taking head and necks down to about the 19th ventral (belly) scale. One of the guys on here was asking about it last year and I sent him a profile sheet with about fourteen faces on (left profiles) and asked him if he could see any the same. needless to say both were picked out. Once you've been logging them for a year or two (and getting very smelly in the process) you can actually see similarities between juveniles out of the same clutch etc. it is painstaking but fascinating work. i wished that I was paid for it.

if you want i'll let you have an example sheet by email attachment but go through the private messenger for it.

cheers

Robert  

Mick, ps. Scroll down to the bottom, click on page number. It is on page three and its called grass snake id in the field. there are others but I think they're further back. ok? Let us know how you get on.

R

Clicky for the thread Rob is referring to.

Rob

Thanks for that and, yes, please email me your example sheet. How long has your study been running? Have you had any indications of any adverse effects on the population? I have a slight concern that repeated disturbance and handling over a number of years could drive some snakes away from their optimum habitat.

Best wishes

Mick

Gemma

Thanks for the lead.

Mick

Mick,

my study had been running since 1994, way before decent and inexpensive digitals came out so I had to rely on pot luck for the 'right moment' photos. The fact that I recorded many of the same faces year in and year out each spring would seem to suggest that those initial years of capture didn't leave a lasting impression on them. Only the larger females remained angry and hissing for more than a few seconds.

Unfortunately, a couple of years back, some bright spark decided (without any consultation that I know of) to start grazing about 10 long horn cattle each year on the site and embark on scrub clearance each march!!! That disturbance has largely driven the group away.

i would say that after about year seven/eight, you will know where the mature adults are likely to be from March to may/June. After egg laying, when the the grasses etc get too high, fleeting glances of them becomes pot luck but try to set up near a lake so that you can still snap a few in the water from June onwards.

I may be wrong but I dont think pics will go through private messenger (gemma will no doubt correct me if I'm wrong) so you'll ahve to supply your email via private messenger if you want me to send you the profiles.

Cheers

Robert 

Robert

That's encouraging to know that I am unlikely to scare them off. Unfortunately there is a proposal to graze the site to increase floristic richness. I'll discuss it with the site manager!

I'll send you my email through PM.

Mick