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Spotting Grass Snakes in the field: |
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Maculatus Member Joined: 09 May 2005 No. of posts: 2  View other posts by Maculatus |
Posted: 12 May 2005 Having seen and photographed my first adder recently, I am now eager to see a Grass snake. Does anyone have any tips on how to find Grass Snakes in the field. Do they bask as much as adders? Is it worth finding a likely pond and sitting quietly and waiting? |
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rhysrkid Senior Member Joined: 14 Nov 2003 No. of posts: 98  View other posts by rhysrkid |
Posted: 13 May 2005 Hi Maculatus Unless you know a site where they are present or popular basking locations it can be very difficult to spot grass snakes, particularly as the temperatures start to rise in summer. I find that grass snakes can spend a lot of time basking in the early and late months of the year but they do tend to move off much more quickly than adders! However, picking a site where there is good wetland habitat and associated amphibian populations together with suitable grassy and scrubby areas near by is a good idea. Try looking on south facing slopes which have good cover e.g. bramble patches etc and you may get lucky. Picking a good day also helps - patchy sun is often good as they need longer to warm up than on really bright days. I find mid morning (8:00 - 10:00) and again in the afternoon (around 16:00) the most successful times. You could also contact your local Reptile and Amphibian Group to see if they have any trips planned to known sites. Hope this helps and good luck - donĘt forget to submit any finds to your local recorder or alternatively on this website. Rhys |
- Spotting Grass Snakes in the field |