As boys my friends and I ranged around the area where I lived and we never saw a snake. They were confined to places slightly further away as I later discovered when working locally as a young man. Certain people took great delight in killing them 
I still get angry thinking of one instance.
Now I am finding them occasionally around here in those places that are less disturbed and have a southerly aspect. Slow worms and adders are sighted but not grass snakes. I probably would not recognise a smooth snake although by deduction would assume any sighting un-usual.
I know that all these are quite common in the north of this county as I have often seen them sunning themselves when I have been on tree tours.
As the ground, in this part of the Chilterns, rises to over 800 ft I can point to global warming as the main reason for more local sightings and possibly local development pressure too.
It is a pleasure to see them what ever the circumstances.
Swyn.
I still get angry thinking of one instance.Now I am finding them occasionally around here in those places that are less disturbed and have a southerly aspect. Slow worms and adders are sighted but not grass snakes. I probably would not recognise a smooth snake although by deduction would assume any sighting un-usual.
I know that all these are quite common in the north of this county as I have often seen them sunning themselves when I have been on tree tours.
As the ground, in this part of the Chilterns, rises to over 800 ft I can point to global warming as the main reason for more local sightings and possibly local development pressure too.
It is a pleasure to see them what ever the circumstances.
Swyn.
