snake identification

[MrsJ1]

We found a small snake in our house today. it was about 9 inches long, quite thin and had a yellow marking around it's neck. My husband put it in a glass and took it outside. As we were all trying to identify it, it started to carwl up the glass and he panicked and threw it over the fence. Does anyone know of a good site with photos that would help us identify it or can suggest what it might have been? We live in the UK and I know it wasnt a grass snake, an adder or a slow worm.

[AutomaticGal]

smooth snake perhaps?

[MrsJ1]

Nope - tried that one! It was black apart from the yellow marking around the neck

[AutomaticGal]

was it black on top with a yellow belly and a yellow ring around its neck?

[AutomaticGal]

i think you may have seen a ring-necked snake...


http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/wildlife/pdf_fil es/nongame/snkwebview.pdf

hope its helpfull

[Cetti]

This is an excellent site for Reptiles:

http://www.herpconstrust.org.uk/animals/uk-rep tiles.htm

[MrsJ1]

The ring neck snake looks similar but the ring didnt go all the way round. and I'm a little confused as we live in the UK -didnt look like anything we usually have here. Do you thnk we should have reported it? Is it venomous?
Thanks for the answers so far - I knew I could rely on you!!

[webbo3]

sounds like a grass sbake to me.

http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/grass_snake.htm

[Cetti]

It does sound like AutomaticGal is right and what you had was an American Ring-Necked Snake. It probably escaped from a private collector.

From what I can find it was non-biting and non-venomous - although you did right not to get too near - just in case!

Here's a flash movie of the beast.

http://www.kcma.net/snakes/Flash_Movies/southe rn_ringneck_snake.swf

[MrsJ1]

Thanks guys - looks like the ring neck snake is the culprite! My next question is what was it doing in my dining room!! I guess the cats brought it in through the catflap.

[Thunderbird+]

Are you sure it's not a grass snake ? from your description it sounds like one and they are commonly mistaken for other snakes.

[stuartpeter2]

Do not know. But I have seen one today in my garden in Kent. What is it?

[timallard]

We also found a similar snake of about 6 inches in our garden (East Kent) yesterday. Whilst we see grass snakes regularly this one was completely different. Apparently grass snakes, just prior to shedding their skin, look very dark with a distinct collar. However, I should have said that the collar and dark colour was too pronounced on our snake to have been a grass snake. In addition it was dark all round therefore suggesting it was not a ring neck snake.

[squidman34]

i believe that was a ring neck snake

[paulandrew]

Sorry to add to this debate but today I was fishing and a snake swam towards my border terrier, Max, who was tethered to a post next to me. I expected the snake to see the dog and swim elsewhere but it didn't. It was a very fast swimmer. It came ashore and slithered into the undergowth. It was black or nearly black with a bright yellow ring round its neck. No other markings. I can't see it was one of the snakes common in the UK. Maybe it swam from MrsJ1's house.

[MrsJ1]

Well, I certainly dont have it any longer! It does sound very similar, although I never saw it doing breast stroke.