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Snake in Boat - Advice Needed: |
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TimL Member Joined: 03 Jul 2010 No. of posts: 6  View other posts by TimL |
Posted: 03 Jul 2010 While we were out in our open boat on the Thames today, I looked idly down at the floor boards and wondered why one of the ropes was moving, until I realised it was a snake! I'm 99% sure it's a grass snake. It must fallen into the boat earlier in the week, when I put the boat on my next-door-neighbour's mooring while we had a visitor here. It's now hiding in the bilges at the bottom of the boat, and we're trying to figure out how to get it out! Here's a picture:  The snake is about 50 cm long. In the photo, the grey panel on the left is about 25 cm across. I have to admit that I'm not very keen on snakes! Can anyone offer me any advice on the best way to remove it, as I don't think it will be able to get out on its own. -- Tim L |
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Vipera Member Joined: 02 Jul 2006 No. of posts: 11 View other posts by Vipera |
Posted: 03 Jul 2010 You are correct that its a grass snake, they are harmless so if you know anyone who doesnt mind snakes just ask them to pick it up and move it to a suitable habitat, it might make a horrible smell but it can be washed off! Maybe it could get out on its own, snakes can ussualy get out of anywhere they can get into! if it is hiding in the boat perhaps you could try to attract it out by placing something like some a square of roofing felt, the grass snake might decide to warm up under it as the roofing felts get warm when exposed to the sun. Hope you manage to remove it somehwre and set it free |
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TimL Member Joined: 03 Jul 2010 No. of posts: 6 View other posts by TimL |
Posted: 03 Jul 2010 Many thanks, Vipera I'll try the roofing felt trick and see what happens. After I took the photo, the snake crawled off and has hidden itself somewhere. I don't think it will be able to get out on its own as the inside of my boat has vertical smooth fibreglass sides. My neighbour's landing stage is higher than the sides of my boat, so I think the snake must have climbed or fallen in from above. Currently I have put a shoe box with some grass in it on its side in the bottom of the boat, in the hope that the snake might be tempted to settle there. I've also rested a bamboo stick near it, as a friend once told me that he used to clear adders out of his swimming pool by putting a stick in and letting the adder curl round it - I don't know if that works with grass snakes. Anyway your confirmation that it is a grass snake is reassuring. I'm now off to cut up a bit of roofing felt. -- Tim L |
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TimL Member Joined: 03 Jul 2010 No. of posts: 6 View other posts by TimL |
Posted: 04 Jul 2010 As at 19:30 BST on Sunday 4th July, the snake is still on the boat! We've seen it briefly twice today, but as soon as I approached it hid itself in an inaccessible spot again. It's been cloudy here most of the day, and I'm guessing it hasn't been sunny enough for the piece of roofing felt to become attractive. Any further ideas for enticing the snake out of hiding would be welcome. -- Tim L |
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Vipera Member Joined: 02 Jul 2006 No. of posts: 11 View other posts by Vipera |
Posted: 05 Jul 2010 Could you place some objects by the side of the boat so the snake can use them to get out, maybe even some rope might work |
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TimL Member Joined: 03 Jul 2010 No. of posts: 6 View other posts by TimL |
Posted: 05 Jul 2010 Thanks again, Vipera The problem with that is that I won't know if the snake has got out or is still in the boat. The boat's still in shade at the moment, but I'm hoping the snake will show itself again when the sun comes round. -- Tim L |
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herpetologic2 Senior Member Joined: 15 Jun 2004 No. of posts: 1369  View other posts by herpetologic2 |
Posted: 05 Jul 2010 It is probably a safe bet that the snake will find its way out - hopefully J Vice Chair of ARG UK - self employed consultant - visit ARG UK & Alresford Wildlife |
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herpetologic2 Senior Member Joined: 15 Jun 2004 No. of posts: 1369 View other posts by herpetologic2 |
Posted: 05 Jul 2010 though by the look of it in the photo its head looks abnormal in some way possibly ill J Vice Chair of ARG UK - self employed consultant - visit ARG UK & Alresford Wildlife |
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Jonathan Senior Member Joined: 08 Sep 2009 No. of posts: 68 View other posts by Jonathan |
Posted: 05 Jul 2010 Looks dead and emaciated to me. The head has been mauled. "England Expects" |
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TimL Member Joined: 03 Jul 2010 No. of posts: 6 View other posts by TimL |
Posted: 05 Jul 2010 Well, it's not dead. It was out in the sun just now, but I took my eye off it for a few moments and it crawled back into a hiding place. The head looks OK to me, but then I've never been this close to a grass snake - or indeed any snake - before. It probably sounds silly to you herpetologists, but I've got a bit of an aversion to snakes! I'll go back and watch out for it and report back later. |
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TimL Member Joined: 03 Jul 2010 No. of posts: 6 View other posts by TimL |
Posted: 05 Jul 2010 Success! The snake came out to sunbathe again this afternoon, and my wife managed to get hold of it. It's now coiled up under the long vegetation on our riverbank. We don't mind it in the garden, and at least it can go where it wants now. There did seem to be something odd about the skin behind its head - a little bit was stuck up, as if it had been torn. Could it be starting to shed its skin? Thank you all for your advice. -- Tim L |
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Vipera Member Joined: 02 Jul 2006 No. of posts: 11 View other posts by Vipera |
Posted: 05 Jul 2010 Thats good news! the skin may have been torn a bit from some injury, the eyes turn a milky blue colour when it is about to shed. It should be happy by the riverbank as they like to swim and hunt for frogs and toads |
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Robert V Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 717 View other posts by Robert V |
Posted: 07 Jul 2010 From the photo (maybe the angle) the head looks to be smashed in to such an extent the collar has gone. Don't think shedding / sloughing would look like that. RobV |
- Snake in Boat - Advice Needed |