Adders, Grass snakes in my garden

[Jesse]

My garden boarders my self home grown cover and wood piles and wood chip piles, cover is now about 10 years old and has just reached canopy closure, mixed evergreen and deciduous trees, very diverse species mix of trees, I also maintain a variety of different grass heights where it still grows, the range of wildlife is now vast, Owls, Fox, Badger , Deer, Small lizards, lots of snakes. Last year was the first time I had noticed them with possibly 20 to 30 sightings , this year starting this month its reached the point that I now have to be very careful when walking outside, they are fantastic but could they kill a Jack Russel, Found one again just now while out with one of me dogs , dog did not see it and the Adder (i think) was eating a Toed so had it mouth full. Sent some photos to another member and hopefully he will post. Great to see them but why so many or is it just one or two that i keep seeing.

[LeBucheron]

Now hang on, is everyone 100% certain that the snake i photoed is a Grass snake as some of the ones do have the strong diamonds, even the photo's its got a pattern, but this one is a dull green.

 

Absolutely a grass snake. Without a doubt. You could have both present but they are quite different. Look for their distinctive collars. Adders are vipers and as such are shorter and fatter. They also stay immobile whereas grass snakes tend to sliver away quickly when you're about. Grass snakes exude a truly foul substance when handled and also play dead, which is quite convincing.

[Rich2484]

No the hissing and striking out is the adder. They will only nite as an absolute last resort. A hiss and strike is normally enough to scare anything away.

 

They are tarvellers. They don't generally set up in a garden. They just travel through. When you see one track ther movements around the garden or the path they use, this will give you a good idea if they are just passing through or setting up at the back of the garden.

 

A well used area will not be inhabited.

 

I kow out of this as I have done a good bit of research to try and overcome my fears. Hasn't worked tho.

[Jesse]

No the hissing and striking out is the adder. They will only nite as an absolute last resort. A hiss and strike is normally enough to scare anything away.

 

They are tarvellers. They don't generally set up in a garden. They just travel through. When you see one track ther movements around the garden or the path they use, this will give you a good idea if they are just passing through or setting up at the back of the garden.

 

A well used area will not be inhabited.

 

I kow out of this as I have done a good bit of research to try and overcome my fears. Hasn't worked tho.

No one ventures into my garden any more, or the cover, only me unless i bring them to look at a snake, the ones i have had to move could hold a good portion of there body , head and 3rd off the ground and strike, hissing . It doesn't mater if i'm over run with Adders but hopefully i can now distinguish the two. I will post more photos as and when.

[arbmark]

great thread guys - I found a petit ménage of two slow worms and a grass snake under a bit of tin edging my woodchip pile last year. Infact that might be why I got Tom to do the shovelling to fill bags for mulching!

 

(hey, btw I didn't put that accent there - it just appeared - ok which of the mods is a French grammar stickler!?!?!)

 

Always good to hear wildlife stories - there ought to be a dedicated thread really

 

Jesse I have a similar sounding bit of land over here - try and keep a full range of successional habitats going

[GardenKit]

I have learned a lot from this thread and also found that I have the perfect habitat only a dozen paces from my back door. Its a large compost heap sort of thing where I have dumped grass clippings, prunings, branches, pampas grass stalks etc for the last 20 yrs on the edge of a small wood.

 

Am I going out to look for some? NO!

 

Why? Because, like Rich, I am terrified by them. Its irattional I know, but I cant help it.

We may have to move house now to escape them.

[paullen]

My garter gave birth, they looked like little worms with big heads. Kinda miss having them around now, and shame the missis won't tolerate them!

[Jesse]

great thread guys - I found a petit ménage of two slow worms and a grass snake under a bit of tin edging my woodchip pile last year. Infact that might be why I got Tom to do the shovelling to fill bags for mulching!

 

(hey, btw I didn't put that accent there - it just appeared - ok which of the mods is a French grammar stickler!?!?!)

 

Always good to hear wildlife stories - there ought to be a dedicated thread really

 

Jesse I have a similar sounding bit of land over here - try and keep a full range of successional habitats going

 

My habitat range is vast, the planed habitat is a little predictable, but i also have little scrap areas, unimog tiers on there sides which hold water pockets on the inside, tree pits which have not been filled in and hold water, a sloping water table, top cover dry now, lover cover water filled, historical wood chip piles every where , buried wood , dead wood ground level, suspended dead wood to see what happens, weed control by hand for Netal ,Ragwort and thistle, other wise organic. none organic, few areas of ruble, stone and sand that by now must be well washed and salt free, barns, batts in my loft, Common Pips, Badgers in the top mixed wood chip and ruble pile, red dear in the middle but only now and then, we are sandwiched between the m5 and a38 and my left alone island now provides one of the only long grass thicket, covers around, nearly all the surrounding land is cultivated.

[agg221]

No one ventures into my garden any more, or the cover, only me unless i bring them to look at a snake, the ones i have had to move could hold a good portion of there body , head and 3rd off the ground and strike, hissing . It doesn't mater if i'm over run with Adders but hopefully i can now distinguish the two. I will post more photos as and when.

 

Grass snakes will also try rearing up, hissing and striking when startled or cornered. We had one sunning itself under the bottom ledge of the front door last year. When my wife opened the door the snake rolled in and was a bit surprised! It reared up, hissed and struck at her - daughter (then 3) came and found me to tell me there was a snake in the house and helped me get it out with a stick as I didn't fancy being covered in the foul stinking musk (edit - that doesn't read right. Daughter helped and we used a stick, not I made my daughter do it because I wanted her to get covered in the musk rather than me! She helped because she wanted to - haven't quite reverted to sending her up chimneys...).

 

The snake was persuaded in the direction of the doorway and made its exit down the side of the house. Fairly young one - about 18" or so. Apparently they're pretty stupid, but not so stupid as to try things like that more than once so it hasn't been back.

 

Alec

Edited June 15, 2013 by agg221

[arbmark]

My habitat range is vast, the planed habitat is a little predictable, but i also have little scrap areas, unimog tiers on there sides which hold water pockets on the inside, tree pits which have not been filled in and hold water, a sloping water table, top cover dry now, lover cover water filled, historical wood chip piles every where , buried wood , dead wood ground level, suspended dead wood to see what happens, weed control by hand for Netal ,Ragwort and thistle, other wise organic. none organic, few areas of ruble, stone and sand that by now must be well washed and salt free, barns, batts in my loft, Common Pips, Badgers in the top mixed wood chip and ruble pile, red dear in the middle but only now and then, we are sandwiched between the m5 and a38 and my left alone island now provides one of the only long grass thicket, covers around, nearly all the surrounding land is cultivated.

 

think you just about covered it mate! Coolest thing I think I have is dormice. Only found a nest in the brambles so cant be sure, just seems likely. Its a good habitat for them. Oh otters pass up the river. same re surrounding cultivation - must be an oasis some parts of the year. Lots of buzzards on the telegraph poles. Meadow flora could be better (its ok - pignut, bf trefoil, red and white clover) and hogweed is on the march - I need to get some grazing regime in place.

Deadwood all over the place, although I haven't thought of burying any!?!?

[Jesse]

think you just about covered it mate! Coolest thing I think I have is dormice. Only found a nest in the brambles so cant be sure, just seems likely. Its a good habitat for them. Oh otters pass up the river. same re surrounding cultivation - must be an oasis some parts of the year. Lots of buzzards on the telegraph poles. Meadow flora could be better (its ok - pignut, bf trefoil, red and white clover) and hogweed is on the march - I need to get some grazing regime in place.

Deadwood all over the place, although I haven't thought of burying any!?!?

 

Yuo got the same ideas, i will never have Otters but do get once a year Stoats, they are a treat, they have very poor eye sight , a bit like me, but if i stand at the foot of the top wood pile, still for ages, first you hear them cheeting, then they will run out around your feet, in and out of the logs. Chasing the sent of the Rabbits.