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Grass snake

Complete grass snake slough (discarded skin) - beside River Soar Summer 2015
Complete grass snake slough (discarded skin) – beside River Soar Summer 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Report from Beryl McDowall from the banks of the River Soar with her  photographs.

The very hot spell we had fairly recently encouraged the grass snakes (Natrix natrix) to emerge from the protection of the compost heap and rotted tree trunks which have been spiked up to encourage wildlife. One snake sloughed (or shed) its skin in the grass. I was able to disentangle the skin, and photograph it. A slough is also the name given to the discarded skin.

Grass snake slough (discarded skin) - head end
Grass snake slough (discarded skin) – head end
Grass snake slough (discarded skin) - tail end.
Grass snake slough (discarded skin) – tail end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A couple of years ago a small snake was spotted swimming across the river, and emerging from under the landing stage beside the boats. After a few minutes in the grass, it slid back into the Soar and swam (at a considerable speed!) to the cover of the tall grasses on the towpath side of the river.

Grass snake (Natrix natrix) swimming in River Soar in 2013
Grass snake (Natrix natrix) swimming in River Soar in 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last year I saw three different grass snakes on three consecutive days: one plain green one slithering across the mown grass track to the protection of the nettles; a brown one with clear patterns, on the compost heap; a plain brown one on a soil path – all well camouflaged.
Beryl McDowall, August 2015.

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