He called London Zoo to let them know one of their reptiles was missing, only to be told not to worry, and that the snake he’d seen was merely a harmless Aesculapian with just as much right as any of us to use the park.) (A friend of the son of our editor, Mark Hedges, came across a 6ft specimen in Regent’s Park just the other week, in fact. There is also a wildcard among them: the Aesculapian snake ( Zamenis longissimus), a non- native immigrant that is non-venomous, feeds on rodents and can be found in North Wales and in the Camden region of London. The species found in the UK are grass snakes ( Natrix helvetica), adders ( Vipera berus) and smooth snakes ( Coronella austriaca). They are known as cold-blooded or ‘poikilothermic’ animals, but their relationship with the climate is intimate - it literally controls their ability to function. As a result, they hide before becoming sleepy and, finally, stop moving altogether, falling into a state of torpor until the weather gets warmer. In cold weather, they lack the heat and, therefore, the energy to move. If they get too hot, they dive into undergrowth or a pond to cool down again. Some of us like to lie in the sun and feel the heat revive us, but snakes really need to sunbathe - they absorb heat to convert to energy, which winds them up long enough to mate or kill prey. Despite being paired with evil throughout history, they have also represented good and are twinned with healing, fertility and rebirth. In our increasingly fragile ecosystem, why, then, should we be willing to share resources with our slithery friends? They may not be cuddly or cute, with dry scales, tiny heads and forked tongues, but the snakes of the UK are worth a second look. In Greek mythology, Medusa had snakes for hair and eyes that turned people to stone, a trait shared with the basilisk of the ‘Harry Potter’ series, which brings the link between snakes and evil into present-day storytelling: the personification of evil who appears more snake-like than human, Voldemort unleashes ‘pet’ python Nagini on his victims at Hogwarts. In the Bible, the smooth-talking serpent was the cause of the downfall of Mankind as Eve succumbed to temptation, committing the first sin. Let’s face it - these elongated reptiles have a negative reputation, exacerbated by folklore, literature and religion. The thought of snakes rarely produces warm, fuzzy feelings in fact, most people shudder or flinch. Country Life's Top 100 architects, builders, designers and gardenersįorever associated with sin, these elongated reptiles are much misunderstood contributors to our ecosystem, believes Annemarie Munro. As a last resort, if they’re handled, they can also release a foul-smelling liquid from their vent. If they don’t have an escape route, they may play dead and roll onto their back with their tongue hanging out. They’re very shy creatures and will quickly slither away if they are disturbed. The young snakes are pencil-sized and hatch in August and September. They lay 30-40 eggs in warm, sheltered places like piles of rotting vegetation and compost heaps. Grass snakes are our only egg-laying native snake. They’re excellent swimmers and regularly feed on fish, frogs, toads and newts. Grass snakes can be found across England and Wales, in areas with long grass often near water, including garden ponds. They have dark eyes with round pupils, whereas adders have elliptical pupils in their bright red eyes. They're usually a grey-green colour and most easily recognised by the black and yellow collar behind the head. The grass snake is our longest snake, growing to well over a metre.
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