Yet another exciting and unexpected encounter. I saw this tiny grass snake swimming in a sheer-sided moat in a garden in Northamptonshire. It was swimming up and down and trying unsuccessfully to escape from the green water.
I managed to scoop it out without falling in and without injuring it so it kindly agreed to a few photos before being released into the grass where it belonged.
This little snake was only about 20-25 cm long so will have hatched last summer. With luck (and if it doesn't fall in again) it will eventually reach a length of over a metre and live for up to 25 years.
The grass snakes in this country are Natrix helvetica, also known as Western European grass snakes or barred grass snakes. They were recognised as a separate species only two years ago after genetic analysis studies. Prior to that they were considered to be a subspecies of Natrix natrix but that species is now confined to the east of the River Rhine in Germany.
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