Snakes alive!!!

[Lynda]

It must have been hot if the snakes are going in the sea to cool off. We were anchored in shallow water in Poole adjacent to Brownsea and Furzey. Had a picnic on the beach - very peaceful. I walked back to boat to get more supplies from the cooler, when I got back in the water I thought there was an eel trying to slither up the side of the boat, on closer inspection it was a snake!!

Much waving and shouting to Tracie to get the camera, (don't think she believed me at first when I said there's a snake in the water) anyway, it very obligingly followed me back the shore where Tracie was waiting with the camera. Took a couple of pictures and then it came onto the beach and disappeared into the gorse.

Does this happen often, and anyone know what it was?

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[gonfishing]

hi
we only have 2 indiginous species of snake.
1) grass snake tends to live in areas where there is plenty of water ie marshes etc
2) viper /adder likes the dry scrub type enviroment and our only poisenous snake

so not knowing the area you will have to decide as to which one it might have been !!what colour was it?? and did it have any distinctive markings at the head region ? if it have "V" type markings it was a viper!! it it was greenish in colour grass snake.
however it may also have been an escaped pet quite possibly an American corn snake did you get a photo if so post it on here i will identify for you

regards
julian

<hr width=100% size=1>WHAT??? more petrol!!!

 

[Lynda]

Yes did get picture of it, but didn't use digital camera as battery had gone!

When the picture comes back i'll post for you to see, it definitely wasn't an adder, no V on the back it's head. But also not green, it was dark brownish in colour, about 2 feet long small diamaond markings.

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[Jimmy20V]

Sounds like an adder to me...

Check out this link http://www.reptiletrust.com/reptile_care/care_sheets/british_reptiles/images/adder2.jpg

Thats the adder indigywhatsit to the uk

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[Johnjo]

But isn't there a third called a " Smooth snake "
found in very dry places, but getting very rare these days. obviously non venomous
but not adverse to nipping !
not a expert so could be wrong, more than likely wrong !....

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[jhr]

Probably an adder - there are lots of them in the scrubland behind Shell Bay and Studland.

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[gonfishing]

actually you are correct in a way, you are referring to the slow worm which isn't a true snake in the sense of things but very snake like and as you said getting increasingly rarer

julian

<hr width=100% size=1>WHAT??? more petrol!!!

 

[Johnjo]

No not a Slowworm,
This is a snake not a legless lizard, as I said before a pretty rare snake these days!

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[cliffdale]

Snake eh? I reckon it was a novelty condom with a small fish trapped inside it, washed up from Studland area.

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[Bejasus]

Lynda, adders are very commom to both Brownsea and Furzey Islands. I beleive by your description, that this was definitely an adder. When I used to work on the oil rig on Furzey, a study of the adder population there was an ongoing thing with regular inspections taking place. There was great concern about them being disturbed by the operations taking place by the oil company(BP).

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[ArthurWood]

A 4ft snake fell out from under or barbie grill the other night. Put me off cooking dinner. Turned out to harmless variety.
Few months back, came home from month way to be met by 4ft snake resembling cottonmouth outside our bedroom. Wifey had a fit, but policeman was there in about 4 min after I called and eventually - after about 45 min chase around my study - caught it and let it go in the street outside. Illegal to kill them here in Florida. Still not sure what it was but it wasn't very happy when caught in the officer's noose device. We carefully inspected our bed before retiring in case its friends had been partying while we were away.

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[cliffdale]

You luck dog living in Florida. Makes me want to throw up with envy. I can only manage it for 2 weeks every other year. I expect your going to tell us how glorious the weather is at the moment.

My barbi is so rusty that the bottom fell off last week. Its persisting with rain, hang on while I go to the toilet...............WHOOSHHHHHH!!!!

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[ArthurWood]

Cliff - Well, I can tell you that it is sunny and around 87F, but humid. I went down to our boat about an hour ago - it's 5 min walk, but I drove. I spent 5 min on the boat doing the following: removed part of cockpit cover, lifted engine hatch to take a look at some work I have to do on the genset, put it all back and I was soaking wet with perspiration. I think I'll go back to it early tomorrow before the TV coverage of the Tour de France begins at 8.00. I get thru 3-4 shirts a day! This evening I'll do a 20-mile bike ride and lose 3lb from sweating. This is soon replaced by a few (non-American) beers. You get used to it, and just have to move slowly. I am now comfortably at home with the AC and ceiling fans blasting away

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[petem]

Was it brown and about 8 inches long? If so, it was probably a turd, not a snake.

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[cliffdale]

Soaking wet shirts or not, When I was in Florida I noticed that the boats on the local quay didn't bother putting glass in the windows. Sickening! My shirt gets wet about three times a day, rained on going to the car, rained on at lunch and usually drenched coming home.

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[ArthurWood]

Ours is warm rain, at least for most of the year.

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[Bergman]

A few years ago at a bit of a loose end SWMBO, daughter then about 7years old and self decided to try for a drink at a local yacht club. Never been there before but it seemed a decent place.

Fairly quiet, just a few people sat around so the 3 of us took our drinks and sat down. At the next table were a group of 4 or 5 chaps and we exchanged a few pleasantries with them.

For no apparent reason one of them asked my daughter if she would like to see his snake.

She of course was taken with the idea and before I could do anything she jumped up and trotted to his table, whereupon he began to unfasten the lower buttons of his shirt.

I leapt into action, fearing the worst. And there it was, sticking out of his waistband. Black with gold rings, beady little eyes, flicky little tongue and all.

I mean what sort of a loony goes to a respectable yacht club with a snake round his belly.

I just stared in amazement. Until I realised that everyone else in the place was staring - not at the snake - at me. Or more precisely at the Kaliber bottle I had poised ready to brain the idiot.

Never been back there

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[Guest]

Pete, unless you've eaten something really dodgy, turds very rarely crawl about on their own...

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[jhr]

Floaters or crawlers?

<<turds very rarely crawl about on their own... >>

...unless they're the species that inhabit the Palace of Westminster......

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