"Dave Liquorice" wrote
Christina Websell wrote:

Since the compost heap has already been dismantled (or he wouldn't have
found the eggs which he could have no idea were there) I think harry has
done his best for them by doing what he has.

If the proporgator is warm enough, not too dry, not too light. Do
snake eggs need regular turning like birds eggs to to stop the embryo
sticking to the inside of the shell?

I don't expect the W&C Act exists to punish people who accidentally find
grass snake eggs in their compost heap while dismantling it.

But when you find the eggs your probably supposed to stop the task
you are doing, reinstate and leave alone. Personally I'd reinstate
then try and contact a local group that might know what to do with
them. The RSPCA would not be near the top of the list...

Personally I'd contact my local Wildlife Group, Surrey Wildlife in my case,
and ask them. Or one of the local wildlife rescue places or ...

http://www.britishwildlifecentre.co....foframeset.htm

They exist to teach children about British wildlife and breed endangered
species. Doing a good job with Scottish Wildcats and I know they have Grass
snakes and Adders.

PS.. it's worth a visit especially if you have kids or grandchildren (and if
you live within easy driving).
--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

On 28 Aug, 18:46, "Christina Websell"
wrote:
"Derek Turner" wrote in message

...

On Fri, 27 Aug 2010 23:28:08 -0700, harry wrote:

Dismantled the compost heap yesterday and found about thirty grass snake
eggs. *It least that's what I assume they are as we have grass snakes,
they regularly clear out my pond of tadpoles. I've put them in my
propagator in some damp compost. Waiting to see what happens.

The police arrest you for an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside
act? ISTR that they are protected.

Since the compost heap has already been dismantled (or he wouldn't have
found the eggs which he could have no idea were there) I think harry has
done his best for them by doing what he has.
I don't expect the W&C Act exists to punish people who accidentally find
grass snake eggs in their compost heap while dismantling it.
I'd be so thrilled if I had grass snake eggs in *my* compost heap, I doubt
it as I've never seen a grass snake in my garden but hey, I rarely dismantle
my heap, it's 100 yds away so perhaps they are there without me seeing them?
I really enjoyed reading harry's post about this and I hope he gets some
baby grass snakes hatching out in his propagator

Tina

I

I will keep you up to date. We don't often see our grass snakes.
Usually it's when we go down to the pond and they go into the water.
Good swimmers.
Every year we get lots of tadpoles and hen they'd suddenly dissappear.
Didn't realise why for a long time. We have one snake about four feet
long and anther about two feet plus a smaller one. No idea of total
numbers we only see one a couple of times a year.
I have piled some old bits of tree up here and there for our numerous
toads. Maybe they lurk in there.

I have got the propagator running at 80dfah. Apparently they like
heat. Hence compost heap.

On 28 Aug, 20:28, "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:
On Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:46:58 +0100, Christina Websell wrote:
Since the compost heap has already been dismantled (or he wouldn't have
found the eggs which he could have no idea were there) I think harry has
done his best for them by doing what he has.

If the proporgator is warm enough, not too dry, not too light. Do
snake eggs need regular turning like birds eggs to to stop the embryo
sticking to the inside of the shell?

I don't expect the W&C Act exists to punish people who accidentally find
grass snake eggs in their compost heap while dismantling it.

But when you find the eggs your probably supposed to stop the task
you are doing, reinstate and leave alone. Personally I'd reinstate
then try and contact a local group that might know what to do with
them. The RSPCA would not be near the top of the list...

--
Cheers
Dave.

Ah, I know reptile eggs need humidity because they have no eggshell. I
have been keeping the compost damped with a sprayer.
There ia local reptiles society thing, I have rung them but there was
only an answering machine.

On 28 Aug, 22:15, "someone" wrote:
"harry" wrote in message

...

Dismantled the compost heap yesterday and found about thirty grass
snake eggs. *It least that's what I assume they are as we have grass
snakes, they regularly clear out my pond of tadpoles.
I've put them in my propagator in some damp compost.
Waiting to see what happens.

You lucky devil, I'd give my eye teeth (which I still have) to have a few
snakes in my garden. *Beautiful creatures.

someone
Yes I like snakes. We went to Kenya years ago. Near to Niarobi there
was a place farmed snake venom for the antidote. It being Africa,
they'd let visitors handle all their snakes. Black/green mambas,
various vipers, the lot. They were all well used to being handled.
I have travelled extensively in S. America but only rarely seen
snakes. They always scarper immmediately. (Wife is parrot nut, we go
in the forest/jungle to see wild parrots)

On 28 Aug, 20:28, "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:
On Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:46:58 +0100, Christina Websell wrote:
Since the compost heap has already been dismantled (or he wouldn't have
found the eggs which he could have no idea were there) I think harry has
done his best for them by doing what he has.

If the proporgator is warm enough, not too dry, not too light. Do
snake eggs need regular turning like birds eggs to to stop the embryo
sticking to the inside of the shell?

I don't expect the W&C Act exists to punish people who accidentally find
grass snake eggs in their compost heap while dismantling it.

But when you find the eggs your probably supposed to stop the task
you are doing, reinstate and leave alone. Personally I'd reinstate
then try and contact a local group that might know what to do with
them. The RSPCA would not be near the top of the list...

--
Cheers
Dave.

My method of dismantling the compost heap is to tip the whole box over
& shovel up. It's got "shovel holes" in the side but I never use
them. I think if I had been, the eggs might have got chopped up.

In article ,
harry wrote:

Ah, I know reptile eggs need humidity because they have no eggshell. I
have been keeping the compost damped with a sprayer.

That's amphibians - reptile eggs DO have a shell, but it is usually
leathery. Many of them need dry conditions to hatch, but grass
snakes are aquatic creatures, and so lay their eggs near water or
in similar places.

But I know nothing about how best to care for the eggs - the above
is just background.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:36:11 +0100, Pete wrote:

Surely - by his subsequent action, he has behaved in a protective
manner. After all - he did not deliberately interfere with the eggs
initially.

Oh dear, I really should have put a smiley in my post: never thought
anyone would take it seriously

On Sat, 28 Aug 2010 21:13:38 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


I have no time for the RSPCA. Some may have better experiences than mine,
though. IMO, they are a waste of donations.
Tweed



Their late night helpline told me to put the stray cat in the boot of
a car and drive it a long way away.
--
http://www.bra-and-pants.com
http://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

On 29 Aug, 10:00, Derek Turner wrote:
On Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:36:11 +0100, Pete wrote:
Surely - by his subsequent action, he has behaved in a protective
manner. After all - he did not deliberately interfere with the eggs
initially.

Oh dear, I really should have put a smiley in my post: never thought
anyone would take it seriously

Huh. You never can tell these days.

On 28/08/2010 22:15, someone wrote:
wrote in message
...
Dismantled the compost heap yesterday and found about thirty grass
snake eggs. It least that's what I assume they are as we have grass
snakes, they regularly clear out my pond of tadpoles.
I've put them in my propagator in some damp compost.
Waiting to see what happens.

You lucky devil, I'd give my eye teeth (which I still have) to have a few
snakes in my garden. Beautiful creatures.

someone



Very chuffed to find a Slow Worm ( legless lizard actually ) recently
and then, today, a baby version only a few inches long. All this is
suburban London.

Paul

--
CTC Right to Ride Rep. for Richmond upon Thames

"harry" wrote in message
...
On 28 Aug, 20:28, "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:
On Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:46:58 +0100, Christina Websell wrote:
Since the compost heap has already been dismantled (or he wouldn't have
found the eggs which he could have no idea were there) I think harry
has
done his best for them by doing what he has.

If the proporgator is warm enough, not too dry, not too light. Do
snake eggs need regular turning like birds eggs to to stop the embryo
sticking to the inside of the shell?

I don't expect the W&C Act exists to punish people who accidentally
find
grass snake eggs in their compost heap while dismantling it.

But when you find the eggs your probably supposed to stop the task
you are doing, reinstate and leave alone. Personally I'd reinstate
then try and contact a local group that might know what to do with
them. The RSPCA would not be near the top of the list...

--
Cheers
Dave.

My method of dismantling the compost heap is to tip the whole box over
& shovel up. It's got "shovel holes" in the side but I never use
them. I think if I had been, the eggs might have got chopped up.


We had eggs in our heap once. I discovered this when turning the compost
and I stuck the fork through an egg which hadn't made it.

The stench was strong enough for the people across the road to complain :-}

--
Kathy

Christina Websell wrote:
"Derek Turner" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 27 Aug 2010 23:28:08 -0700, harry wrote:

Dismantled the compost heap yesterday and found about thirty grass snake
eggs. It least that's what I assume they are as we have grass snakes,
they regularly clear out my pond of tadpoles. I've put them in my
propagator in some damp compost. Waiting to see what happens.
The police arrest you for an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside
act? ISTR that they are protected.

Since the compost heap has already been dismantled (or he wouldn't have
found the eggs which he could have no idea were there) I think harry has
done his best for them by doing what he has.
I don't expect the W&C Act exists to punish people who accidentally find
grass snake eggs in their compost heap while dismantling it.

I found a dead grass-snake on the road the other day. This is the first
sign of them I've seen in the locality, and I've been here since the
mid-'seventies.

I'd be so thrilled if I had grass snake eggs in *my* compost heap, I doubt
it as I've never seen a grass snake in my garden but hey, I rarely dismantle
my heap, it's 100 yds away so perhaps they are there without me seeing them?
I really enjoyed reading harry's post about this and I hope he gets some
baby grass snakes hatching out in his propagator

So do I.

I suppose they couldn't be snails' eggs, though?

--
Rusty

Christina Websell wrote:

I've had experience with the RSPCA sniffing around when two dogs of mine had
a fight about food when I was away visiting a friend in hospital. Thanks
to my neighbour for reporting that to the RSPCA when I was away for a few
hours.

Ah, neighbours! What would we do without them?

When there's a test match, one of my neighbours mows his substantial lawn.

Without fail.

Today, I was going to do something in the garden and he was trimming his
substantial leylandii hedge with a petrol-driven hedge cutter.

Other times he has some infernal tape machine regaling me with Dolly
Parton, Jim Reeves, etc, and '50s rock. Hell! He's even older than I am,
and, would you believe, rather more than slightly deaf.

Today also, his neighbours the other way were treated to thick
grey-brown smoke from one of his frequent bonfires.

Neighbours?
theme tune
All you need is **&$£&! neighbours!
/tune

Same neighbour that got my very elderly cat put down. Cat had never put
her
foot outside for years, 25 yrs old. but when she was outside looking for me
when I got hospital emergency admission she was collected up by someone
passing by, put down before I could rescue her.
I was gutted.

There's a law against that.

--
Rusty

Christina Websell wrote:
"Jake" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 28 Aug 2010 19:05:10 +0100, "Ian B"
wrote:

Christina Websell wrote:
"Derek Turner" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 27 Aug 2010 23:28:08 -0700, harry wrote:

Dismantled the compost heap yesterday and found about thirty
grass snake eggs. It least that's what I assume they are as we
have grass snakes, they regularly clear out my pond of tadpoles.
I've put them in my propagator in some damp compost. Waiting to
see what happens.

The police arrest you for an offence under the Wildlife and
Countryside act? ISTR that they are protected.

Since the compost heap has already been dismantled (or he wouldn't
have found the eggs which he could have no idea were there) I think
harry has done his best for them by doing what he has.
I don't expect the W&C Act exists to punish people who accidentally
find grass snake eggs in their compost heap while dismantling it.
I'd be so thrilled if I had grass snake eggs in *my* compost heap,
I doubt it as I've never seen a grass snake in my garden but hey, I
rarely dismantle my heap, it's 100 yds away so perhaps they are
there without me seeing them? I really enjoyed reading harry's
post about this and I hope he gets some baby grass snakes hatching
out in his propagator

Just hope there's no RSPCA inspectors, or the type of people who
like phoning them up, reading this newsgroup...

I've had experience with the RSPCA sniffing around when two dogs of
mine had a fight about food when I was away visiting a friend in
hospital. Thanks to my neighbour for reporting that to the RSPCA
when I was away for a few hours.

Same neighbour that got my very elderly cat put down. Cat had never
put her foot outside for years, 25 yrs old. but when she was outside
looking for me when I got hospital emergency admission she was
collected up by someone passing by, put down before I could rescue
her. I was gutted.

I think I might have murdered my neighbour if that had happened to my cat.


Ian

harry wrote:
On 28 Aug, 22:15, "someone" wrote:
"harry" wrote in message

...

Dismantled the compost heap yesterday and found about thirty grass
snake eggs. It least that's what I assume they are as we have grass
snakes, they regularly clear out my pond of tadpoles.
I've put them in my propagator in some damp compost.
Waiting to see what happens.
You lucky devil, I'd give my eye teeth (which I still have) to have a few
snakes in my garden. Beautiful creatures.

someone
Yes I like snakes. We went to Kenya years ago. Near to Niarobi there
was a place farmed snake venom for the antidote. It being Africa,
they'd let visitors handle all their snakes. Black/green mambas,
various vipers, the lot. They were all well used to being handled.
I have travelled extensively in S. America but only rarely seen
snakes. They always scarper immmediately. (Wife is parrot nut, we go
in the forest/jungle to see wild parrots)

In my teens, before it was illegal to molest them (indeed, it was common
practice to kill them on sight) I had a pet adder.

I could handle her without gloves. Probably could have done from the
start, as she never actually bared her fangs, though to begin with she
did 'strike' against my gloved hand, just touching it.

--
Rusty