SNAKES OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
A list of resident and non-resident snake species that are established and breeding in the United Kingdom, including interesting facts about each species.
EUROPEAN ADDER
Vipera berus
Found over much of Western Europe and parts of Asia in a large variety of habitats, the European Adder is the most widespread species of Viper.
Adders are front-fanged and venomous and bites can be painful and on rare occasions, fatal.
It is a rather timid snake which would much rather flee and avoid confrontation, but will bite when cornered.
The European Adder is a diurnal snake which reaches an average length of 2 feet but can occasionally get close to 3 feet long.
The Adder has adapted to living in colder climates such as the UK by hibernating for up to half the year.
The diet of the European Adder includes mice, voles, lizards, amphibians and occasionally baby nestling birds.
European Adders don't lay eggs and give birth to up to 20 live young.
GRASS SNAKE
Natrix natrix
The Grass Snake is a non-venomous, egg-laying colubrid snake that can be found throughout England and Wales, and small areas of southern Scotland. It is usually found within a short distance of water, where it hunts amphibians and fish. It is also found in other European countries.
The Grass Snake is Britains largest native reptile, reaching an average of 3 to 4 feet in length, although up to 6 feet is possible for this Water Snake.
Grass Snakes are not poisonous and rarely bite in self defense. They are more likely to spray foul smelling fluids from their anal glands, flee or even play dead.
Grass Snakes are a protected species in England and it is illegal to cause them harm.
SMOOTH SNAKE
Coronella austriaca
The Smooth Snake is a rare and harmless colubrid that can only be found in the South of England in the UK, but it can also be found in some other European countries.
The Smooth Snake is the smallest of the British snakes, measuring an average of just 20 inches in length.
Prey items for the Smooth Snake include small lizards, rodents and invertebrates. It is the only constrictor native to Britain.
The Smooth Snake gives birth to live young.
It is illegal to harm or even handle a Smooth Snake in the UK.
AESCULAPIAN RAT SNAKE (Non-native species)
Elaphe longissima
In the UK the Aesculapian Snake can only be found in a small area of Wales where it has been living and breeding succesfully since the seventies.
The British ancestors of these snakes are thought to be escapees from a zoo which kept Aesculapian Rat Snakes that were imported from Italy.
Like the other species in the UK, its range covers much of Europe.
The Aesculapian Rat Snake is an egg-laying constrictor that averages 5 feet in length and preys on small animals such as rodents, birds and lizards.
