Snake in my Greenhouse - ? relocation; advice please

[Hobjob]

Late on Sunday I was busy spraying the ground elder on the ground in my greenhouse, when a large (diameter 3cm) snake beat a hasty retreat from my nearly bare feet.

Now I am rather snake phobic (but less than I used to be and less than Boddie!) so in my hasty retreat I shut the door and broke a pane of glass!

I did not see its head or length. I have then been away / too busy to do more than peer in the door. My Missus, who is not much of a naturalist, did see it today and says it is over 3 feet, and saw no dorsal makings, no particular head shape, but did not note a yellow collar.

I'm on very sandy soil, and although in centre of small town, it is only about 600 yds to very sandy fields and the common - where adders are rife. There is an easy garden / sports field wildlife corridor. We have no ponds and know of none in the next few gardens. We do have a large, untidy compost heap and heaps of natural hidey holes in the garden.

In two weeks we have an invasion of kids, 5 months to 9 years.

I can, I think, find enough courage to remove the mass of junk that fills the greenhouse - which needs doing anyway - and catch the blooming thing.

My local reptile recorder just thinks I should open the door and let it go (not that it is trying to get out), but I'm not prepared to do that until I am sure it is not an adder and had extra advice.

If it is a grass snake and has had babies - do grass snake babies need their mum to survive?

Am I allowed to translocate it?

If it is an adder I will want it removed and think I have a contact who will do that, but what is the legality?
(and to avoid confusion, I have no wish to kill it)

what does the panel advise?

[Kayleigh]

You need a positive ID as it could be an escaped pet..
Can you get a pic or a better description.
when you know what it is then you will know the habitat it requires have you got a compost heap close by that it could have come from.

Good luck..

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by Hobjob

If it is a grass snake and has had babies - do grass snake babies need their mum to survive?

Am I allowed to translocate it?

If it is an adder I will want it removed and think I have a contact who will do that, but what is the legality?
(and to avoid confusion, I have no wish to kill it)

what does the panel advise?

No they dont need their mother after birth.

You can legally relocate adders as long as you dont, kill, harm or try to sell it which you arnt going to do. A sports field is a break in typical adder habitat so would not act as an efficient corridor, they dont like crossing large bare areas due to risk from predators.

[Hobjob]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

You need a positive ID as it could be an escaped pet..
Can you get a pic or a better description.
when you know what it is then you will know the habitat it requires have you got a compost heap close by that it could have come from.

Good luck..

Oh thanks a bunch Kayleigh; hadn't thought of an escape, but I know what I will dream about to-night

[Hobjob]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

No they dont need their mother after birth.

You can legally relocate adders as long as you dont, kill, harm or try to sell it which you arnt going to do. A sports field is a break in typical adder habitat so would not act as an efficient corridor, they dont like crossing large bare areas due to risk from predators.

Thanks - I presume then that I can legally relocate and grass snake too?

And yes, we have a large messy compost heap, well two really.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Hobjob

Thanks - I pre
sume then that I can legally relocate and grass snake too?

And yes, we have a large messy compost heap, well two really.

Sorry didn't want to give you nightmares...my bet is on a grass snake from the compost heap..
best to make sure though.

[Za]

This sounds like a job for Super Boddie!!

Za

[The Woodman]

At that length and the fact you have a couple of compost heaps the probablity is on grass snake. There is an outside chance it could be a non native escapee or release as your wife couldn't see the distinctive yellow and black collar. I doubt it was an adder at over three feet.

Going off topic, I was shown a large compost heap a couple of days ago that hosts good numbers of grass snake. There were five shed skins wrapped around the vegetation growing on the top of it. They regularly get entangled in the green mesh covering strawberries and have to be cut out.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by The Woodman

At that length and the fact you have a couple of compost heaps the probablity is on grass snake. There is an outside chance it could be a non native escapee or release as your wife couldn't see the distinctive yellow and black collar. I doubt it was an adder at over three feet.

Going off topic, I was shown a large compost heap a couple of days ago that hosts good numbers of grass snake. There were five shed skins wrapped around the vegetation growing on the top of it. They regularly get entangled in the green mesh covering strawberries and have to be cut out.

Grass snakes don't always show the distinctive collar.

[The Woodman]

I did think about that as soon as I'd typed it and I knew I'd be corrected!

I would say that on the whole they do show a collar of distinction.

There's one thing about wildlife - you can never say never - always something to trip you up, especially when you're busy with other work and haven't got ages to type the perfect comprehensive answer.

That comment doesn't refer to you Kayleigh - just a general observation