[McCruiskeen]

Thank you for your careful analysis of the snake's features. On balance I think it is probably a grass snake. Whilst I accepted that it could be a Montpelier snake, the fact that it was found deep in an oak forest did not ring true with me. I had always understood that the Montpelier snake fed mainly on lizards, and this is simply not their habitat. I don't think the "eyebrow" is ridged enough for it to be a Montpelier. Another factor may be that it "played dead" when disturbed, which I understand is a feature of grass snakes.