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Surrey Smooth snakes: |
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Vicar Senior Member Joined: 02 Sep 2004 No. of posts: 1181  View other posts by Vicar |
Posted: 09 Jul 2006 Popped onto the local heaths at the weekend, quite late in the day (17:30), and found good numbers of Ca, sometimes two to a tin. One question has been bugging me. Many (maybe 40-50%) appear to have some damage to the ends of their tails. This seems out of proportion when compared to Vb or Nn in the area. Any ideas? (Still mostly males being observed)
Steve Langham - Chairman 
Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group (SARG). |
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armata Forum Specialist Joined: 05 Apr 2006 No. of posts: 928 View other posts by armata |
Posted: 09 Jul 2006 Corvids  'I get my kicks on Route 62' |
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Vicar Senior Member Joined: 02 Sep 2004 No. of posts: 1181 View other posts by Vicar |
Posted: 09 Jul 2006 OK...But why would they pick on the cryptic Ca in preference to VB or Nn ? MANY more Ca tails munched that other snake Spp. Confused of Farnham. Steve Langham - Chairman
Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group (SARG). |
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Vicar Senior Member Joined: 02 Sep 2004 No. of posts: 1181 View other posts by Vicar |
Posted: 20 Aug 2006 Could have knocked me over with a feather yesterday, when I saw this basking openly on a heather bank after rain:
It was quite docile when caught (which means it wasn't happy, but didn't bite). Unfortunately, with struggling with camera settings and GPS whilst holding the snake in one hand, I failed to notice this swelling behind its head until I looked at the photograph. Any ideas ?
Viewed from another angle, its not such an obvious lump, but looks swolen overall. Sorry about limited pictures, but with the lens I had, minimum focal distance is just about the same length as my arm....so hard to get anything hand-held in focus
Steve Langham - Chairman
Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group (SARG). |
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arvensis Senior Member Joined: 15 Mar 2006 No. of posts: 445 View other posts by arvensis |
Posted: 21 Aug 2006 Nice find Steve! Yet to see one out in the open yet, even spent half hour looking at a known site for La but no luck. Anyway, back onto topic... Maybe why it was so docile and to explain for that lump is the fact it had just eaten? Or have you already discounted that as an explanation. I'm sure TP will be along shortly with an idea... Mark Hampshire Amphibian and Reptile Group. |
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Vicar Senior Member Joined: 02 Sep 2004 No. of posts: 1181 View other posts by Vicar |
Posted: 21 Aug 2006 Mark, I dunno One thing that did immediately strike me, was how pink the eye was compared to the specimens at Hankley (only a couple of miles away). Again, I'm clueless as to whether this is within normal variations or a heredited characteristic. Steve Langham - Chairman
Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group (SARG). |
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armata Forum Specialist Joined: 05 Apr 2006 No. of posts: 928 View other posts by armata |
Posted: 21 Aug 2006 What size is this snake, looks like an old male. I have had old males and females with various lumps and bumps. Could this be an infection due to a scrap with another smooth snake;? you know how ant-social they are - fight at a drop of a hat (or eat each other.)
Did the swelling appear hard or soft. If you have the facility could take a blood sample (caudal puncture) sh*t forgot you need HO licence in the Uk for that, anyway I am assuming you still have the snake. Difficult to say unless I saw it first hand. I would say male on male punch up was the best guess; but that is what it is - a guess. If I have got the sex wrong, same could apply via over amorous male. Also - did you look inside the mouth? the lump could be a secondary infection. 'I get my kicks on Route 62' |
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Vicar Senior Member Joined: 02 Sep 2004 No. of posts: 1181 View other posts by Vicar |
Posted: 21 Aug 2006 Tony, I think it was an old male, very large snake with mottled ventrals and a distinct penial swelling. I let it go after logging position and taking the snaps, as the swelling wasn't very noticeable until I saw the images. I did think the overall girth of the snake was a little on the large side. No oral examination, but on the bottom image there maybe scarring adjacent to the lump, adding credence to your hypothesis. Cheers Steve Langham - Chairman
Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group (SARG). |
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armata Forum Specialist Joined: 05 Apr 2006 No. of posts: 928 View other posts by armata |
Posted: 21 Aug 2006 BTW Mark, Overall I have found app 35% of smooth snakes in the open; this also includes mosaic basking. Gravid females right now should be a prime time - but go around 0800-0900. This was Dorset mind you, so a bit more abundant there. Other adults may well be in damp area, molinia/sphagnum type habitat; habitat often neglected by surveyors.(for smooth snakes anyway) A lot of adult males will be coming up to moult; so may well be under cover (tin etc). Nobody answered by query about reptiles sticking on roof felt; ot whether anyone has tried lino tiles yet. Got two Acontias meleagris (cape legless skink) under one last week; so must be good for slow worms at least! 'I get my kicks on Route 62' |
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arvensis Senior Member Joined: 15 Mar 2006 No. of posts: 445 View other posts by arvensis |
Posted: 21 Aug 2006 Tony, Well I wouldn't notice a basking Ca(or any other reptile) even if I was virtually treading on it! Seriously, on my site in East Hampshire I don't think that Ca are there in abundant numbers but I could be wrong - it is a fairly big site and I haven't explored all of it yet. You've had many more years experience than I so in time, I'm sure I'll notice things that I wouldn't have before. I had a female Af underneath a piece of plywood at work yesterday during a brief look yesterday. As for the lino tiles, I don't have tiles as such, but if I get hold of some lino and cut it up to a suitable size(say 2ft x 2ft) then I'm willing to give it a go. Mark Hampshire Amphibian and Reptile Group. |
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Vicar Senior Member Joined: 02 Sep 2004 No. of posts: 1181 View other posts by Vicar |
Posted: 17 Mar 2007 They're out !   Steve Langham - Chairman
Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group (SARG). |
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armata Forum Specialist Joined: 05 Apr 2006 No. of posts: 928 View other posts by armata |
Posted: 18 Mar 2007 Early for Surrey about av for Dorset, Nice one  a male of course'I get my kicks on Route 62' |
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*SNAKE* Senior Member Joined: 16 May 2004 No. of posts: 220  View other posts by *SNAKE* |
Posted: 18 Mar 2007 nice one steve PAUL SMITH |
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herpetologic2 Senior Member Joined: 15 Jun 2004 No. of posts: 1369  View other posts by herpetologic2 |
Posted: 18 Mar 2007 Great I think I may pop up to Lightwater Country Park considering the high density of smoothies up there should be a dead cert - I will post the head photos for comparison with your photos TP & GS Regards
JC Vice Chair of ARG UK - self employed consultant - visit ARG UK & Alresford Wildlife |
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Vicar Senior Member Joined: 02 Sep 2004 No. of posts: 1181 View other posts by Vicar |
Posted: 02 Aug 2008 One from Hankley this morning.  Steve Langham - Chairman
Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group (SARG). |
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Vicar Senior Member Joined: 02 Sep 2004 No. of posts: 1181 View other posts by Vicar |
Posted: 27 Jul 2009 I managed a flying visit to our most eastern Ca site yesterday. Conditions were perfect, and although I only had time to check 8 tins...I recorded 7 Ca, two basking openly. One was blade-basking like an adder. First time I've seen this in Surrey.   Steve Langham - Chairman
Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group (SARG). |
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Suzi Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 No. of posts: 860 View other posts by Suzi |
Posted: 27 Jul 2009 What is blade basking? Is it lying long and straight like a blade of grass, like the one in the photo? Suz |
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Vicar Senior Member Joined: 02 Sep 2004 No. of posts: 1181 View other posts by Vicar |
Posted: 27 Jul 2009 Ooops, To me it's when the snake lays relatively straight, and flattens itself to gain the most sunlight. Reminiscent of a sword's blade. The Ca pictured was flatter when first seen, it got wind of me and rounded up  .Steve Langham - Chairman
Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group (SARG). |
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Suzi Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 No. of posts: 860 View other posts by Suzi |
Posted: 27 Jul 2009 Thanks Steve. Yes I've seen adders do it but not as stretched out as your smooth snake. Ah sword blade not grass blade! Suz |
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armata Forum Specialist Joined: 05 Apr 2006 No. of posts: 928 View other posts by armata |
Posted: 29 Jul 2009 Whats this I hear about 10 smooth snakes being released in Devon? 'I get my kicks on Route 62' |
- Surrey Smooth snakes |
. (I so need a 90mm macro lens!).
. It was an option that occurred to me, by looking again at the pics, the 'lump' appears to be offset onto the snake's left side a little. I remember Tony mentioning head deformalities at one site, but don't know what sort of deformation.