Will"the snake"get our girls???

[di]

We've just found out there's a snake living under our lottie neighbours shed!
Although we're still pretty certain it's just a grass snake,the chap who's shed it's under is convinced it's an adder!(double)
Could it pose as a threat to our chooks?

[vicky]

No! The chickens are far too big - chicks maybe, chickens no. They eat small stuff - mice, frogs, slugs and will be beneficial to the lottie.

[lynda66]

oh it's at the lottie i thought it was at home ....... i think they eat eggs, but a chook is prob too big, but might give them a big scare

Grass Snake

Adder

RSPCA || FAQs

[lynda66]

Grass snake - Natrix natrix - Natural England

[di]

It can keep it's little fork tongue off of my frogs!!!!but the rat in the shed seems to have miraculously disappeared!!
If I knew it was a grass snake then I would be fine about it(O.K...so I'd probably still be just a little bit of a big girls blouse,but just a little!)....but adders are venomous!!I'll prob have a chat with the sec tomorrow & find out if we can sneak onto neighbours plot to identify(Andi's pretty knowledgable about snakes)& take it from there.

[lynda66]

i definitely think identification would be a good idea, but then it may be asleep now till march

[di]

I'd feel (only just a tiny bit!) more comfortable identifying it while it was sleeping!!!~Each morning when I see to the chooks I kick the bag of straw in the shed several times before reaching in to get refill for nest boxes!!(in case of rats!)think I may use the rake tomorrow!!

[lynda66]

we used to have snakes in greece they loved sleeping in the hay bales, was scary moving the bales and coming face to face with a nasty hissing thing

[di]

Thanks love!!!

[lynda66]

no worries ...... any time hunny these were nasty evil snakes though lol

[snakeshack]

if it's green with a yellow and black collar then its a grass snake and eats frogs and fish,if its an adder it will be silvery grey with a black diamond pattern down it's back or black with a silver diamond pattern and piercing amber eyes.Adders will eat mice and small rats,grass snakes have a very musky fishy smell and will poo on you as a defence.They are both difficult to approach and will attempt to leave rather than bite,they are both also protected by law.Are you sure it's not a slowworm (anguis fragilis)? these are a legless lizard usually 12-15 ins long when fully grown and either coppery brown with longways stripes or plain grey sometimes with small blue scales scattered over the front half.Slowworms are the best thing you can have as they eat vast quantities of slugs,the name sloworm comes from old english meaning slugworm these too are protected by law,hope this helps.
by the way all thes species hibernate ,slowworms love compost heaps

[lynda66]

god i hate snakes *shudders*

[digthatchick]

Don't forget, both species are protected under the wildlife act (as is the much rarer smooth snake) They wont harm your chooks or you (Adders very rarely bite only when roughly handled or trod on ) If you get a chance to peek - you are very lucky, they are beautiful creatures with a bad PR agent

[di]

Well!!We've as yet to seeit...but the chap who's shed it's under claims it to be a greenish brown colour with reddish coloured splodges on it's back????

[di]

Don't forget, both species are protected under the wildlife act (as is the much rarer smooth snake) They wont harm your chooks or you (Adders very rarely bite only when roughly handled or trod on ) If you get a chance to peek - you are very lucky, they are beautiful creatures with a bad PR agent

Rest assured I would never do no harm to it....& if I were assured it would pose no risk(bearing in mind we also have 2 young kiddies)would try my upmost to actually enjoy it's presence!