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smooth snake in Poland: |
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Stanislaw Member Joined: 08 Mar 2008 No. of posts: 32  View other posts by Stanislaw |
Posted: 22 Jul 2008 Hi A few pics od smooth snake, made in south east Poland. This species is very rare in our country, we don't know well its distribution in Poland and some of its states become destroyed before somebody discoveres them. Smooth and aesculapian snake (I don't have its photographs, but I have seen it in nature) are in danger of extinction in Poland. This second speciec lives only in south Poland and we have only about 100 individuals of zamenis, so it is critical situation.     I apologize for my english :-) |
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armata Forum Specialist Joined: 05 Apr 2006 No. of posts: 928 View other posts by armata |
Posted: 22 Jul 2008 Those extended parallel markings are so typical of continental smooth snakes. That first specimen is extremely boldly marked, bet its a male. Can you describe the habitat for us? As you may know the smooth snake in the UK is confined to lowland heath in a few southern counties. Thanks for this, very interesting. Oh, are there laws in Poland to protect these animals? I may be going to Poland in the sometime future, my son is marrying a Polish girl. They will have a traditional Polish/Welsh wedding so it seems. 'I get my kicks on Route 62' |
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tim hamlett Senior Member Joined: 17 Dec 2006 No. of posts: 572  View other posts by tim hamlett |
Posted: 22 Jul 2008
tim |
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Stanislaw Member Joined: 08 Mar 2008 No. of posts: 32 View other posts by Stanislaw |
Posted: 22 Jul 2008 Thony you are talking about markings from the back of the head?  Yes this is male. Can you write somenthing about sexual dimorphism in colouration and pattern in this species? We have law that protect smooth snakes and their habitats, but it doesn't work. People are killing snakes and destroying their habitats and nobody cares it. We have only few herpetologist who are doing something to save this species. There are only 2 conservation programmes in some parts of country and it is to small. One of the problem are snake hunters, that are searching for snakes, catching and selling them (illegal of course). How to stop them? Noone of these hunters were seen during this proceder, so how to prove that he or she should be punished for breaking law? Some our populations of aesculapin snake almost extinct because of illegal hunting. Habitat of snake from photo is rocky place, very warm and dry, not a lot flora, I can write something more if you need, see this pics of this specimen habitat:   In Poland smooth snakes lives in lowlands, rocky places like this, dry meadows and forest edges, pine forest and other habitats, usually habitat of this species is warm and dry. What part of Poland will you be visited? Invite to Bieszczady mountains in south east Poland, a lot adders and grass snakes live here, and maybe some aesculapian snake  I apologize for my english :-) |
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armata Forum Specialist Joined: 05 Apr 2006 No. of posts: 928 View other posts by armata |
Posted: 22 Jul 2008 Many thanks for that, looks kind different to what we are used to. Dimporphism between smooth snakes is rather subtle, males have a slightly larger head and tend to be more brownish, and often more boldly marked, but the latter is not set in stone. Would really like to meet you in Poland, don't know where or when I will have to ask my future daughter in law Agata. I attach photo of her with my son, you may know her
'I get my kicks on Route 62' |
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armata Forum Specialist Joined: 05 Apr 2006 No. of posts: 928 View other posts by armata |
Posted: 22 Jul 2008 OOps! I've lost my son Sean and to be daughter in law Ms Agata Kupis - here they are - I hope!  'I get my kicks on Route 62' |
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Stanislaw Member Joined: 08 Mar 2008 No. of posts: 32 View other posts by Stanislaw |
Posted: 23 Jul 2008 it would be wonderfully I don't know her, your son is lucky (polish women cook very good) In place from the photos I found 6 smooth snakes. 3 males, 2 females and 1 young (about 40 cm length, don't know female or male). One female was gravid and here is my question: how to search juvenile smooth snakes? And how big are they when they are sexually mature? Any advice about smooth snakes searching and observations would be helpfull I apologize for my english :-) |
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AGILIS Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 694  View other posts by AGILIS |
Posted: 23 Jul 2008 HI STANISLAW GLAD TO SEE YOUR SMOOTH SNAKE PICS ARE THEY FROM HEATHER CLAD HEATHS ? WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS HERE WITH THE PUBLICS IGNORANCE TOWARDS SNAKES AND NATURAL HABITAT  KEITH
LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID |
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Stanislaw Member Joined: 08 Mar 2008 No. of posts: 32 View other posts by Stanislaw |
Posted: 27 Jul 2008 Those smoothies are from habitat on the photo, there was no heaths there (I don't know whether well I understood you) one pic more:  I apologize for my english :-) |
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Suzi Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 No. of posts: 860 View other posts by Suzi |
Posted: 27 Jul 2008 The supposed last smooth snake in Devon was killed in a place not disimilar from the habitat in Stanislaw's photo - rocky cliffs/undercliff vegetation. This was near Branscombe on the coast. I am going back a long long time but maybe it shows heaths have become the last stand habitats for a lot of snakes whereas once they perhaps were in other places. Suz |
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Stanislaw Member Joined: 08 Mar 2008 No. of posts: 32 View other posts by Stanislaw |
Posted: 04 Oct 2008 the rarest polish snake - Zamenis longissimus; pics made this year sometimes agressiv     and juvenile  I ask again, how to search juvenile smooth snakes? Any advice about smooth snakes searching and observations would be helpfull
I apologize for my english :-) |
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Mark_b Senior Member Joined: 26 Jun 2008 No. of posts: 79 View other posts by Mark_b |
Posted: 04 Oct 2008 That juvenile looks like it has a grass snakes collar .. interesting! 
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Stanislaw Member Joined: 08 Mar 2008 No. of posts: 32 View other posts by Stanislaw |
Posted: 07 Oct 2008 that's why many people thinking that they see grass snake when they see juvenile aesculapian
I apologize for my english :-) |
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Vicar Senior Member Joined: 02 Sep 2004 No. of posts: 1181 View other posts by Vicar |
Posted: 08 Oct 2008 [QUOTE=Stanislaw]sometimes agressiv [/QUOTE]Only sometimes?? :P - they're the most evil-tempered snake I've come across!  .Steve Langham - Chairman 
Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group (SARG). |
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Stanislaw Member Joined: 08 Mar 2008 No. of posts: 32 View other posts by Stanislaw |
Posted: 08 Oct 2008 you are wright, that juvenile also tried to bit me but individuals that live near human are often less agressiv than others, synantropisation is quite common in this species in sout-east Poland bite mark  I apologize for my english :-) |
- smooth snake in Poland |
that first snake really is beautiful.