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Old 12-05-2005, 06:14 PM
Sally Thompson
 
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Default First grass snake of the year

Saw our first grass snake of the year today up near our stream.
Hadn't seen one since the year we were building, despite the helpful
piles of dried grass around with "vacant" signs. Fabulous! You can't
beat it. I have been amazed at the fact that some people have never
seen such things in the wild - we even had some people staying who had
never seen real frog spawn - only on television. Sad, isn't it. We
feel very blessed.
It must finally be getting warmer...

--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
bed and breakfast near Ludlow: http://www.stonybrook-ludlow.co.uk
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Old 12-05-2005, 09:43 PM
Phil L
 
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Sally Thompson wrote:
:: Saw our first grass snake of the year today up near our stream.
:: Hadn't seen one since the year we were building, despite the
:: helpful piles of dried grass around with "vacant" signs.
:: Fabulous! You can't beat it. I have been amazed at the fact that
:: some people have never seen such things in the wild - we even had
:: some people staying who had never seen real frog spawn - only on
:: television. Sad, isn't it. We feel very blessed.
:: It must finally be getting warmer...

I stumbled upon an adder when I was a kid...walking along some seatop cliffs
in N Wales, young me finds a 'rabbit' hole and peers down it, an adder
(about 4ft 6 long and two inches thick!) shot from behind me, between my
open legs and down the hole....this is the only wild snake I've ever seen in
the UK.

--
If God had intended us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs.


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Old 12-05-2005, 10:01 PM
Kay
 
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In article , Phil L
writes
Sally Thompson wrote:
:: Saw our first grass snake of the year today up near our stream.
:: Hadn't seen one since the year we were building, despite the
:: helpful piles of dried grass around with "vacant" signs.
:: Fabulous! You can't beat it. I have been amazed at the fact that
:: some people have never seen such things in the wild - we even had
:: some people staying who had never seen real frog spawn - only on
:: television. Sad, isn't it. We feel very blessed.
:: It must finally be getting warmer...

I stumbled upon an adder when I was a kid...walking along some seatop cliffs
in N Wales, young me finds a 'rabbit' hole and peers down it, an adder
(about 4ft 6 long and two inches thick!) shot from behind me, between my
open legs and down the hole....this is the only wild snake I've ever seen in
the UK.

That's too large for an adder! Or is it just that adders, like
everything else, shrink when you're a grown-up ;-)
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

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Old 12-05-2005, 11:47 PM
Phil L
 
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Kay wrote:
:: In article , Phil
:: L writes
::: Sally Thompson wrote:
::::: Saw our first grass snake of the year today up near our stream.
::::: Hadn't seen one since the year we were building, despite the
::::: helpful piles of dried grass around with "vacant" signs.
::::: Fabulous! You can't beat it. I have been amazed at the fact
::::: that some people have never seen such things in the wild - we
::::: even had some people staying who had never seen real frog spawn
::::: - only on television. Sad, isn't it. We feel very blessed.
::::: It must finally be getting warmer...
:::
::: I stumbled upon an adder when I was a kid...walking along some
::: seatop cliffs in N Wales, young me finds a 'rabbit' hole and
::: peers down it, an adder (about 4ft 6 long and two inches thick!)
::: shot from behind me, between my open legs and down the
::: hole....this is the only wild snake I've ever seen in the UK.
:::
:: That's too large for an adder! Or is it just that adders, like
:: everything else, shrink when you're a grown-up ;-)

It was big to me...or maybe I was smaller? - that's probably more likely!
After a brief google, it was an adder and a female one at that, mostly sandy
beige with a zigzag effect.....I remember my dad saying at the time, "stop
panicking, it's more frightened of you, than you are of it" and me thinking,
"not bloody likely".


--
If God had intended us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs.


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Old 13-05-2005, 06:39 AM
Paul Taylor
 
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On Thu, 12 May 2005 20:43:07 +0000, Phil L wrote:

t must finally be getting warmer...

I stumbled upon an adder when I was a kid...walking along some seatop cliffs
in N Wales, young me finds a 'rabbit' hole and peers down it, an adder
(about 4ft 6 long and two inches thick!) shot from behind me, between my
open legs and down the hole....this is the only wild snake I've ever seen in
the UK.


I ran over a grass snake on my bike when I was a kid - it was a bit of a
shock at the time as it just appeared from the bushes. I looked around but
it had gone. Not sure what damage I would have done to it. That was also
in N Wales!

--
Remove _rem_ before replying by email.



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Old 13-05-2005, 11:52 AM
Jaques d'Alltrades
 
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The message
from Sally Thompson contains these words:

Saw our first grass snake of the year today up near our stream.
Hadn't seen one since the year we were building, despite the helpful
piles of dried grass around with "vacant" signs. Fabulous! You can't
beat it. I have been amazed at the fact that some people have never
seen such things in the wild - we even had some people staying who had
never seen real frog spawn - only on television. Sad, isn't it. We
feel very blessed.
It must finally be getting warmer...


In my mid teens I was rarely without a pet snake. I had an adder when I
was about fifteen: all I had to do was to open his vivarium and put my
hand in, and he's come and wrap himself amongst my fingers. (I told the
parents he was a grass-snake...)

On the rifle range we used to use, adders abound. It's heathland beside
and in front of forestry, and all sorts of interesting wildlife appears.
It's not unusual to see a silver-studded blue there.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/
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Old 13-05-2005, 11:59 AM
Jaques d'Alltrades
 
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The message
from "Phil L" contains these words:

I stumbled upon an adder when I was a kid...walking along some seatop cliffs
in N Wales, young me finds a 'rabbit' hole and peers down it, an adder
(about 4ft 6 long and two inches thick!) shot from behind me, between my
open legs and down the hole....this is the only wild snake I've ever seen in
the UK.


Sorry to disappoint you - adders are small snakes (up to about 18", I
think) and don't grow that long. A grass snake might, and I think the
rare smooth snake can be even larger.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/
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