For those who see a snake in the wild in Britain, Patrick says, 'The best advice would be: don't aggravate it. It's safe to observe them respectfully from a distance, but just don't go picking them up and they will leave you alone. An adder won't chase you - there are stories, perhaps fanciful, of black mambas in Africa pursuing people, but the adder is not like this. It is not an aggressive snake, but quite shy and reclusive.
Antivenom is rarely needed but should be considered in severe cases. Visit the NHS website for more native and exotic snakebite advice.
British snakes are usually solitary, shy animals that prefer to flee than fight. Adders are mainly found on heathlands, commons and woodland. More bites occur in the summer as British snakes hibernate through winter, when people are also less active and wearing heavier clothing and footwear. The body temperature of snakes is regulated externally by sunning or retreating to cool. They need to be warm in order to be active. But if you find them, they'll often slither away rapidly and are likely to strike out only if provoked or picked up.
Adders, also known as European vipers, have distinctive features that make them identifiable next to other British snake species. Adders have stocky bodies, reaching a maximum length of approximately one metre. They vary in colour: males are usually grey and females reddish, although there are some that are entirely black melanistic form.
They have a distinctive, darker zigzag pattern down the middle of their backs and a clear V or X marking on the top of the head. These snakes have a slit pupil similar to a cat's instead of a round one.
They also have keeled scales - rather than being smooth, they have a raised ridge down their centre. Victims of a snakebite should seek immediate medical attention and try to remember a description of the snake seen to help medical professionals identify the species - but don't try and catch it.
Patrick says, 'Using a tourniquet to isolate the bite to some may feel sensible but in actual fact will probably only make matters worse. It will lead to the venom concentrating in one part of the body and could end up destroying the flesh in that area. Two other species of snake are native to Britain: the grass snake Natrix helvetica and the smooth snake Coronella austriaca. These are both non-venomous. Grass snakes are the largest in Britain, reaching up to approximately 1. They have a round pupil and have a green back with dark bars.
These snakes have a black and cream or white collar at the base of the head and are also proficient swimmers. Smooth snakes are very rarely encountered, confined to the heathlands of Dorset, Surrey and Hampshire. They have similar colouration to the adder, but the dark pattern on their back is not as distinctly zigzagged as the venomous snakes.
Additionally, smooth snakes have polished unkeeled scales and a round pupil with a golden iris. Britain's fourth species of snake is non-native and has two known populations, in North Wales and in the Camden area of London.
These Aesculapian snakes Zamenis longissimus are also non-venomous and feed on rodents. Slow worms are often mistaken for snakes but are actually a type of legless lizard.
The quickest way to tell a snake from a slow worm is to see whether the animal blinks. Lizards have eyelids, snakes don't. These reptiles vary in colour from grey to bronze. Patrick says, 'In my experience, slow worms tend to be far less elusive than snakes in the wild.
They can reach around 45cm and unlike snakes, they have eyelids. They're typically shades of grey or brown, and some males have blue spots. If you see a native British snake in your garden or the wild, please leave them undisturbed. You only need to contact us if the snake is injured or wounded.
If you find a non-native species of snake, please keep your distance and call our advice line on What to feed your local wildlife and how to keep their habitats safe. Information on keeping a non-domestic animal as a pet, plus care sheets for more common species. Share this The three native snake species in the UK are: Adder Vipera berus - widespread but declining across the UK and the only venomous species Grass snake Natrix helvetica - widespread in England and Wales, including gardens Smooth snake Coronella austriaca - localised to southern English heaths How to identify the UK snake species Adder The adder has a distinctive zig-zag pattern down their back, with red eyes and a vertical pupil, and can grow to around 70cm.
Grass snake Grass snakes are usually an olive green colour, with large eyes and round pupils and can be over a meter long. Read more. The grass snake is usually greenish in colour - although this can vary.
They have a yellow and black collar, pale belly, and dark markings down the sides. They are our longest snake and can grow up to cm. They are usually spotted in wetlands and grasslands but can be seen in gardens too.
They can be attracted to compost heaps where they sometimes lay their eggs. Similar in appearance to the adder, the smooth snake can be distinguished by its more slender body, round pupil and less well-formed dark pattern on its back. It is usually grey or dark brown in colour and around cm in length.
The rare smooth snake can only be found at a few heathland sites in the UK. At first glance, the slow worm might be mistaken for a snake, but it's actually a legless lizard! The slow worm is much smaller than a snake, with smoother, golden-grey skin.
The head is a similar width to the body and seems to flow seamlessly into it, whereas our snakes have a slightly broader head that looks more distinct from the body. On closer inspection, slow worms also have eyelids and can be seen blinking snakes do not , and they can shed their tail if threatened. As a charity we rely on memberships.
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