Snakes in the UK

[priveet]

How many types of snake are there in the UK , do any bite humans and are any of them poisonous ?

[sddsddean]

There are 2 snakes in Britain, the Adder and the Grass Snake. Any snake will bite if provoked, so its best to leave it alone if you spot one. Only the Adder is poisonous, but only mildly so compared to snakes in the Tropics. Put both these into http://www.google.co.uk and you will find loads of info.

[Squirrel]

There's also the slow worm, but apparently, because of some slight anatomical discrepancies, it is classed as a lizard and not a snake. And it turns out there is a town called "Adderley" in Shropshire, but maybe that wasn't what you were looking for.

Slow worm pictures:

' http://www.ringelnatter.net/_images/bs1.jpg

' http://www.whitwell-it.i12.com/cheshire-biodiversi
ty/images/slow%20worm%20head.jpg

It does look a lot like a snake, though.

[Cetti]

There is another British snake to add to the Adder and the Grass Snake - the Smooth Snake. Rarely seen, and found only on the heaths in southern England.

As sddsdean has said the Adder is the only venomous one, rarely life threatening - but they are all protected species under the Wildlife Act.

[xyzzy@bok]

Seen an Adder, basking; seen a Grass snake crossing the road.. so can confirm these two. Ireland apparently, has no snakes. :-)

[treaclefight]

slow worm is indeed a lizard, the similarity they share with lizards being that they can shed their tails if caught by them and then grow a new one, they are legless lizards as opposed to snakes. grass snakes and adders are the only native snakes, but due to the increase in numbers of people keeping snakes as pets there are some more species now living wild but hopefully not in enough numbers to breed. there have been a couple of harmless corn snakes found locally to me (london) and someone we know has 'lost' a small python...its a jungle out there

[Phantaxus]

I think the smooth snake is another name for the slow worm which is a lizzard not a snake.

[willprentice]

I hope no-body will take offence to this but i think the largest and most deadly snake in the UK has got to be....Tony Blair......(sorry tony please don't have my house bombed)

[Cetti]

Phantaxus - The Smooth Snake is not another name for the Slow Worm - it's a totally different species. In fact it's the rarest and most endangered snake in Britain. Found mainly in the New Forest, N Hampshire/Surrey border and Dorset (where I live) heaths. It prey is Slow Worms, Sand Lizards, baby birds as well as insects. The pattern is similar to the Adder's - but it's a bit slimmer in appearance.

Grass Snake (Natrix natrix) - Adder (Vipera berus) - Smooth Snake (Coronella austriaca).