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Snake in the street

ADGSADGS
edited July 2013 in Local discussion
About midnight last night, at the base of Charteris Road, I saw a snake crossing the path in front of me. Skinny, smooth, maybe a little over a foot long, yellow and orange horizontal bands. Quite sluggish. I've not been able to identify it - clearly it's not one of the British natives - so no idea whether it's dangerous. Felt this sighting was worth reporting mainly in case anyone has lost one.
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  • yagamuffinyagamuffin
    Maybe a <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=corn+snake&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=J8HbUa_HH8OphAfbvICwAg&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1304&bih=683">corn snake</a>? Not native to the UK as you say, but often kept as pets.
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  • ADGSADGS
    Hmmm - those all look scalier, and the bands are at once less regular, and have a darker line along them which I didn't see. 
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  • ChangN4N6ChangN4N6
    Hope it gets some of the rats!!
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  • vetskivetski
    @ADGS, worth calling ZSL to see if they can identify it from your description?
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User]
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
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  • StellaStella
    It could be a lot, albino corn snakes look like that, yellow/orange.<br><br>Other than that it could be a milk snake. Both are harmless. It was sluggish because it was too cold. Corn snakes are nocturnal mostly. Often people keep albino pythons, they are yellow/white-ish. <br><br>I agree with vetski: call them or maybe my vet, who's been dealing with reptiles for the past 25 years. Worth a shot. Here's their number: 020 8876 9696<br><br>If you haven't already, google yellow/orange snakes, you may find an answer. Shame I wasn't there, I would have tried to catch it. <br>
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  • sandrine75sandrine75
    Here I was walking along the Parkland walk the other day, thinking how nice it is that there are no snakes about. I shall now be fearful walking along the street.
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  • miss anniemiss annie
    There probably are at least grass snakes, if not adders, on Parkland Walk. Snakes are sensible and tend to do a runner (slither?) as soon as they sense people coming. You'd be unlikely to see them unless you were hunting for them.
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  • odd stewartodd stewart
    Sounds like a milk/king snake to me, if the corn snake doesn't fit. Escaped pet. If it was only a foot long it may be cat food by now.
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  • sandrine75sandrine75
    That's what I keep telling myself , if you see someone stomping along, it will be me trying to scare the snakes away. T<span style="font-size: 10pt;">he presence of grass snakes and adders is  generally mutually exclusive, so I shall keep telling myself that there are only grass snakes. </span><div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div>
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  • odd stewartodd stewart
    Grass snakes like water. They swim a lot. Adders don't like built up areas. I don't think there are either on the parkland walk but it would be cool if there were. There are slow worms apparently, but I've never seen one there.
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  • sandrine75sandrine75
    If I remember correctly there are three places in London where you can find adders, as they are a protected species the locations have not be released. 
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  • ADGSADGS
    There are slowworms on Parkland Walk for sure, not technically a snake but they look like 'em. <div><br></div><div>I tried Googling the colour scheme first off, but none of the results looked like the fellow I saw. ZSL is a good idea, though - I was wondering about the RSPCA but didn't know if it was quite their area.</div>
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  • odd stewartodd stewart
    I'm pretty good on snakes, had a childhood passion that has lasted decades. There are a lot of 'designer' snakes now, crossed to give particular colours. Some of these are albino types that often have yellow and orange tones.<br><br>I still think a corn snake (or other rat snake) is most likely. A small one like that is a very popular choice of starter snake for a child. There are most likely more of them around in cages that are not secure enough than any other snake. Definitely not a corn snake?<br>
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  • ADGSADGS
    There's sufficient support for the corn snake idea that, unless I see a picture which looks exactly like the one I saw and it's something else, I'm prepared to accept corn snake as a working identification.
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User]
    <p>Re Adders in London. Back in the 60's there used to be quite a few on Hampstead Heath down to Parliament Fields. As child I saw them from time to time as I rode my bike. </p><p>Also rare, Cherry Tree Woods was one of the last places to ever have Red Squirrels.</p>
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  • tosscattosscat
    I've seen a slow worm on Granville Spinney.
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  • miss anniemiss annie
    Epping Forest, Walthamstow side, used to be home to adders and grass snakes too when I was little. My uncle caught one and brought it home to show my Nan - who was not exactly thrilled.
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