A Celebration of Snakes

By Kerry Williams
Communications Officer - Conservation
It's the start of Lunar New Year, an annual tradition celebrated across several countries in Asia. Each year is represented by one of twelve animals of the zodiac, 2025 being the year of the snake.
Snakes can get a bad rap; historically vilified in culture and the media, from sinister biblical omens to raising hell on a plane with Samuel L Jackson. The UK has three species of snake, all of which can be found in Sussex, are legally protected, and we LOVE. Like all reptiles, snakes are ectotherms, or cold-blooded. This means their body temperature depends on that of their external environment, rather than generating heat from within their bodies, like humans. Snakes are therefore often spotted basking to absorb vital heat from the sun, or a nicely warmed rock.
Snakes also hibernate, slowing their metabolisms and escaping harsh winter weather in burrows or secluded areas of vegetation. Typically, this happens between October and March, although there have been sightings later in the year due to our warming climate causing seasonal shifts.
With them all engaging in similar snakey behaviour, here’s how to identify the three species you might be lucky enough to spot in Sussex.
Grass Snake
Our largest snake, the Grass Snake (pictured above) prefers wetland habitats but can also be seen on grassland and in gardens, and you might spot it swimming in rivers. Not a venomous species, and entirely harmless to humans, the Grass Snake relies on ambush tactics to catch its prey of amphibians, fish, small mammals and birds.
Grass Snakes have a distinctive yellow and green colouration, and keep your eyes peeled for a particularly helpful yellow and black collar around the base of the head. Unlike other UK species, which incubate eggs internally, giving birth to live young, the Grass Snake lays and incubates eggs, often in rotting vegetation such as compost heaps.
Adder
Adders are smaller and stockier than Grass Snakes, adorned with recognisable red eyes and a dark zigzag pattern down their back. Males are silver-grey, females have a light or red-brown colouration, and all black, or melanistic, versions having been recorded. In spring, males conduct a duelling dance to fend off competitors.
The UK’s only venomous snake, the Adder immobilises its prey of lizards, small mammals, and ground-nesting birds. Although shy and secretive creatures, an Adder may bite to defend itself if aggressively disturbed, for instance if trodden on during a woodland or heathland walk. An Adder bite can be painful and cause inflammation, but typically doesn’t pose any further risk to humans. Having said this, if bitten, it is advised to seek medical attention.

Smooth Snake
Our rarest species, the Smooth Snake is only found at a handful of heathland sites across the UK, a few of which are in West Sussex. At first look, this species is similar to an Adder, but the Smooth Snake is thinner and with less prominent back markings, and notably no zigzag pattern or red eye.
Typically, Smooth Snakes are grey or dark brown and, unlike the Adder, are not venomous. Instead, the Smooth Snake is a constrictor, winding its body around and crushing its prey of lizards, insects or nestlings.

Slow Worm – not a snake!
Although snakey in appearance and mentioned in this blog about snakes just to further confuse you, a Slow Worm is in fact a legless lizard. You can find more information on Slow Worms at the above link.

Comments
Excellent article!
29 Jan 2025 19:00:00
Ihave not seen a snake in a long time and I walk everyday. Is the adder poisonous to my dog if it bites him
30 Jan 2025 11:30:00
Sussex Wildlife Trust:
Hi Alison, this is a good question and one best answered by a vet as dogs can react differently, and it can depend on whether you dog is allergic to the venom. The best advice is to always seek immediate veterinary attention for your dog if you suspect they have been bitten by an Adder. The best way to avoid this happening is to keep your dog on a lead if you are walking in possible Adder territory.
What a wonderful article as an introduction to British snakes and the photos are superb. Thank you.
30 Jan 2025 12:05:00
I was a Landscaper/Gardener and many a time digging holes for fence posts we would come across Slow worms this was in Seaford how on earth did they get into the hard ground 18” down we did move them just 6” away dug a hole and put them in there another time up in Frant on a 6 acre property 3 acres grass, mowing coming back down the next row I looked down the one that had just finished saw this adder making use of the sun over the years working in this garden with adders and one or two Grass snakes there seem to be less of both that’s over a period of 30 years until 2019 when I retired another time when I lived at home in Somerset me and Dad where talking to the Railway staff by the rail line looked at train coming along and saw this adder gosh what a size we think it was about 3’ long and very big body never forget that also this was in the mendip hills there was a rock along the side of the path that was covered in adders looked like a black rock with them on it
30 Jan 2025 12:43:00
Excellent Kerry! I remember a boy bringing a grass snake into the classroom when I was about 11 and it was extremely stinky – a defence mechanism I think!
30 Jan 2025 13:27:00
Sussex Wildlife Trust:
Thank you David. Yes, Grass Snakes can emit a pungent smell as a defence mechanism - some say it smells like garlic!
An informative article, I didn’t know that Smooth Snakes are constrictors. We have slow worms in our garden and we used to see Grass Snakes in and near our pond, but recently there have been very few Frogs and no sign of Grass Snakes either.
30 Jan 2025 15:25:00
An excellent, concise and enjoyable article, thank you.
30 Jan 2025 16:21:00
Brilliant article – thank you so much! Funnily enough, I was doing some clearing on our allotment today and it crossed my mind as to what I might do if I came across a snake. Not knowing (then) the difference between a grass snake and an adder, I think I would have probably run a mile if I had of seen one!
30 Jan 2025 17:12:00
We often see slow worms in our garden near Horsham. I have also found empty snake eggs in our compost heap and a large shed skin. Once I disturbed probably a grass snake in our woodland, and also uncovered a baby ?smooth snake curled up under corrugated iron. So privileged.
30 Jan 2025 17:22:00
Yes, I love snakes too! Well written with just the right amount of information and beautiful clear photos. I didn’t know a smooth snake was a constrictor either.
We have lived here 40 years and the grass snakes breed prolifically in our compost heaps and swim in our pond. We have a half acre wildflower meadow that we established when we came. There is obviously plenty of food for grass snakes. One memorable time was lifting the lid of a wooden compost bin and seeing 5 adult grass snakes trying to make a quick exit. A magic moment!
30 Jan 2025 17:26:00
Brilliant information 👏 thank you 😊
30 Jan 2025 17:28:00
Great article, thank you
30 Jan 2025 18:59:00
I saw an adder basking on the bank in the vehicle access point between exceat and friston a couple of years ago.
30 Jan 2025 19:07:00
A lovely article, with great photos. Really informative and interesting. I’m still waiting to see my first Adder; I have a clearer idea of what to look for.. thanks so much for posting this.
30 Jan 2025 21:56:00
Nice article, thank you. I think I’ve see adders and slow worms sharing the same space (under a sheet of wood on heathland). Given a slow worm is a lizzard, do they get eaten by adders?
31 Jan 2025 07:19:00
Sussex Wildlife Trust:
Thanks Angela. Yes, Adders will eat Slow Worms. It might be that when you saw them they were in a hibernation stage, or maybe the Adder had not long eaten!
Sadly, snakes are vigorously deterred by developers. Local to me, rough grassed areas of paddocks and small fields which have planning applications pending, are regularly disturbed and bramble patches are cut. This is to disturb and repel any reptiles. We have adders, grass snakes and slow worms living here. Disturbance is common, just before ecology surveys are done. Developers then state that there are no habitats for snakes, on site.
31 Jan 2025 08:17:00
Thank you for this
31 Jan 2025 09:12:00
Thank you Kerry for this fascinating article. I live in Brighton and often see Slow Worms in our garden. The most exciting Snake sighting I’ve ever had was while sailing on the Norfolk Broads. There was something in the water. My husband thought it was an old bike tyre until it moved and swam quickly across the river in front of us to the bank and then up into the field. A Grass Snake I think. The Latin name translates as ‘Water Snake’.
31 Jan 2025 09:32:00
A very informative insight into the snakes that inhabit our countryside. We had a Grass Snake swimming in our pond last year. Our pond is kept naturally and has newts and dragonfly larvae in it.
31 Jan 2025 11:00:00
Adders are protected, we have quite a few around here : how can we protect them better?
We’d like to attract more slow worms in our garden, what can we do?
31 Jan 2025 11:56:00
We have slow worms in our garden, and though they look like little snakes they are legless lizards, others are often frightened because they think they are snakes, and like snakes might, they often nest in our compost heaps. We also see newts, frogs and toads.
31 Jan 2025 13:56:00
Excellent information, especially the photos which are most useful
31 Jan 2025 16:08:00
I agree with many of the others – super article , thank you. Don’t tend to see too many in the low weald grasslands which i MTB over a bit. With increasing ground water levels, just wondered if this was affecting numbers as hibernation with all this water must be a challenge.
31 Jan 2025 17:39:00
A lovely article, with great photos. Really informative and interesting. I’m still waiting to see my first Adder; I have a clearer idea of what to look for.. thanks so much for posting this.
02 Feb 2025 09:49:00
Such a clear explanation of all our slinky friends / really helpful. Thanks.
02 Feb 2025 10:16:00
Thanks for the concise information on our wonderful snakes. It’s worth checking compost heaps carefully before raking them out. I grew up in on the North Downs heathlands and saw my fair share of adders. I came across one upside down on a path and decided to push it it to one side with a stick and got the fright of my life when it suddenly turned over and shot off. Apparently they can “play dead”. A farming friend had an adders nest and we would visit the nestwe lay down and put your finger up they would raise up and dance with you when you moved your finger to and fro. Enchanting and very privileged to have this memory.
03 Feb 2025 22:36:00
Nice explanation. Thanks. Got to love them!
07 Feb 2025 11:42:00
Thanks for the piece on snakes. I am currently restoring a 2ha area of heathland near Rotherfield and in anticipation of the better weather I’d like to know what reptiles eat so I can provide the environment that suits them.
07 Feb 2025 11:49:00
Wonderful to see these interesting snakes, and thank you very much for excellent photographs, informative science, and a window into their world.
Valuable to me, because here in New Zealand we do not have any indigenous snakes at all.
Unlike our nearest neighbour, Australia, which has many snake species.
While I believe there are some snakes still remaining in our various NZ Zoos, it is unlikely that I will ever see a live snake moving freely around a garden or farm.
08 Feb 2025 09:57:00