The smooth snake is found in the southern part of England but the adder and grass snake are both found in Somerset. The grass snake can grow up to 180cm, making it our largest snake, with females being larger than the males. If you have a pond in your garden, you will have your own grass snake but you are very unlikely to ever see it. They do not have ears and work on vibration so as soon as anyone is walking towards them, they will quickly slip away. They are incredible swimmers and feed mainly on amphibians.
It is in April/May when they have just come out of hibernation, that they tend to be sluggish first thing in the morning and can sometimes be found basking in the sunshine. This is to gain energy as a cold-blooded animal to enable them to hunt.
This story is from the July 2020 edition of Somerset Life.
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This story is from the July 2020 edition of Somerset Life.
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