Found an adder basking in the garden yesterday. I think it has set up home between the greenhouse and strawberry patch. Which is fine…. Except we have hens and for the adder’s safety I’d quite like to relocate it (if there was an adder vs hen encounter i’d put every penny on the hens). I’ve also got a 3 yr old nephew who loves picking strawberries.

So, what’s the best way of catching it? I like snakes and am calm and comfortable around them so my priority is not to harm it. I’ve got two ideas: funnel it into a drainpipe, or go Irwin-style and pin the head and pick it up behind the head then deposit in pillow case. Any herpetologists care to advise?

It was a big one so it’s possibly a female ready to pop and our garden isn’t a safe place for baby adders!

Quick call to the RSPCA?

where are you?

if you are anywhere near the malverns there’s a chap you can get in touch with

Called the RSPCA and they said leave it unless it’s distressed. It will be distressed if my hens spot it! Am in Hampshire and sure there are local people who can move it. But quite happy to do it myself, just don’t want to stress or injure it.

Look up your ARG (Aphibian & Reptile Group) on http://www.arguk.org/, or your County Ecologist. They’ll have someone who’ll be willing to pop round and advise you.

RSPCA are a waste of time to be honest – if there’s an Adder knocking about in your garden, its could be in every garden up and down the street until someone takes its head off with a shovel. The ideal would be to relocate it to somewhere more suitable.

I wouldn’t bother DIYing it, and I used to do this kind of stuff for a living. FWIW, if you repeatedly disturb it (and it will be in gardens), chances are it’ll go somewhere quieter. It’s very unlikely that it’s confined to your garden, and if there’s a garden on the street that backs onto some heathland or wasteground, then that’s where it’ll scoot off to.

Thanks for that link Tron. Will check. There’s a nature reserve a 10 min ride away that I think would be perfect habitat.

ttiuwp

It’s hiding from the rain (or watching the Tour like me). Will liveblog if anything happens after the finish.

The other option is that it’s not an Adder at all – did you get a decent look? If you’ve got a compost heap, it could well be grass snake looking for somewhere to lay eggs.

I’ve got a Green Tree Python in my kitchen!!!!!!! Oh it’s alright, it’s mine hehe

You need to take that Green Tree Python back to shop Hadge – tell’em you wanted a green one.

Yuk – that python is the same colour as this revolting Red or Dead bike 😆

hey i used to have a snake like that….then it died………now we have Amazon tree boas…2 of them….. its very rare in the uk for them to breed but we are living in hope it mite happen one day… 😉

Pop it on the local heathland (assuming there is still some left) near where you live

I knew my colour blindness would be my downfall one day!!!! He he. That’s the colour of youngsters until they change to this

The change takes place over a few days as well so I’m hoping get some nice pictures when it happens. Cool about the Boa’s, they’re a bit more snappy than GTP’s and with longer teeth so hope you don’t get tagged as from what I’ve read and been told it’s quite painful.

Hadge that’s a very cool pet. Pity all snake owners are weirdos 😛

RJ pmsl – that’s almost true! I must admit MOST owners are of the “weird” variety and it seems you have to have numerous tattoo’s and lots of body piercings. I have non and I’m a 49 year old who just likes snakes – and spiders!!!!!!!

Hadge, that’s a really beautiful snake. I’ve always wanted one of those, I love the way they drape themselves over a branch, and the colour is exquisite. Lovely creature.