What kind of snake?

[Abedy 0]

During our trip to England we spotted a snake wriggling away from us on a sandy footpath near the beach towards the shrubs lining the footpath (near Burton Bradstock, Dorset).
The snake about one and a half feet and was black and had a continuous row of white squares on its back.
The way it moved away from us showed it was more afraid of us than we were of it. Its salient appearance made me think it should be a venomous one but once home, I only could find it looked like an adder but they should have darker squares on their back? So has anyone of British fellows here an idea? Unfortunately I didn't have a camera handy so I can't provide a photo.

The sky is not the limit. The ground is.

The Society of Skydiving Ducks

[shropshire 0]

We only have 3 (I think types) of snake in the U.K :-

Adders - the male and female are different colours - so it could have been one of these.

Grass Snakes

found the 3rd .... Smooth Snake

or and Slow Worm - which looks like a snke

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Abedy 0]

TA, mate Seems it was just an adder not that typically coloured.
I've ruled out the other two types (used the wildlifebritian.com website as well).
BTW: We also saw several slow worms, almost trod on one (somewhere in Dartmoor). Bugger if I had, poor creature only wanted its fair share of warmth on the footpath

The sky is not the limit. The ground is.

The Society of Skydiving Ducks

[jumpsalot-2 2]

Is this what you saw ?.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRpGC4MXFKE&feature=related.......It could have been imported, then set free, or escaped.





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Life is short ... jump often.

[Abedy 0]

Woohoo, video was both interesting and kinda scary. ;-) TA!

The snake didn't look like the king snake and I think it was smaller. I think it was an adder but with a less common pattern on its back.

The sky is not the limit. The ground is.

The Society of Skydiving Ducks

[Meso 38]

Haha 3 families of snakes in the UK?! Man that's few.

Do you only have one species of adder in England? Odd.

Here you get several adders: Puff Adders, Berg Adders, Night Adders, Horned Adder etc.

The pattern on the back of an adder is sometimes what differentiates the species if one can't get a look at much of the details. But if there's only one species of adder there, then it should be done and dusted.

[piisfish 135]

Quote

Do you only have one species of adder in England? Odd.

Here you get several adders: Puff Adders, Berg Adders, Night Adders, Horned Adder etc.

but UK has the Black Adder

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[shropshire 0]

Quote

Haha 3 families of snakes in the UK?! Man that's few.

Do you only have one species of adder in England? Odd.

Here you get several adders: Puff Adders, Berg Adders, Night Adders, Horned Adder etc.

The pattern on the back of an adder is sometimes what differentiates the species if one can't get a look at much of the details. But if there's only one species of adder there, then it should be done and dusted.

We also got Politicians, bankers and 2nd hand car salesmen

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[oldwomanc6 38]

Quote

Quote

Haha 3 families of snakes in the UK?! Man that's few.

Do you only have one species of adder in England? Odd.

Here you get several adders: Puff Adders, Berg Adders, Night Adders, Horned Adder etc.

The pattern on the back of an adder is sometimes what differentiates the species if one can't get a look at much of the details. But if there's only one species of adder there, then it should be done and dusted.

We also got Politicians, bankers and 2nd hand car salesmen have Cheaters, cheaters, and cheaters

FIFY

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[wolfriverjoe 1,352]

Quote

Quote

Haha 3 families of snakes in the UK?! Man that's few.

Do you only have one species of adder in England? Odd.

Here you get several adders: Puff Adders, Berg Adders, Night Adders, Horned Adder etc.

The pattern on the back of an adder is sometimes what differentiates the species if one can't get a look at much of the details. But if there's only one species of adder there, then it should be done and dusted.

We also got Politicians, bankers and 2nd hand car salesmen

I think the snakes are insulted by that.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[shropshire 0]

Yeah sorry

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome