Grass Snakes.

[RedSided]

I HATE YOU ! not literally, but I have searched endlessly for grass snakes and they are something that I would realy love to keep.They are the closest thing we have to garters in UK and I would dearly love to find one.

If you could get a breeding pair keep me in mind , I would pay through the nose for some grass snakes.

[adamanteus]

Much as would love to help you, in the UK it's illegal to sell any native species. You can collect for "your own use" but you are not permitted to trade them. I'm afraid you'll have to collect your own. I believe there are quite a few spots in Wales where Grass Snakes (Natrix natrix helvetica)can be found. We have a few Welsh members on the forum, you could post a thread in the "Wanted" section, I'm sure someone could point you in the right direction.

[adamanteus]

So, after keeping this snake for a month I've decided to let him go. He's doing fine, very healthy and so on but even so I think it's time I released him.

In the past I have always collected a pair, bred them and then released the babies when they hatch. This time I was only able to find the one, and somehow it doesn't seem right to take him from the wild for no productive reason.

Besides which, this evening I was watching him cruising his viv, only twice his body length, and I remembered the vast, wild area I had taken him from. I guess I had something of a "Road to Damascas" moment! So tomorrow he's free, in the exact spot I caught him.

There are plenty of captive bred snakes out there that I want. I've come to a decision.....I will still hunt for snakes, I'll catch them and photograph them, but from now on nothing comes home with me.

I'm not going to judge anyone who collects from the wild. If no one did it, non of us would have any snakes to keep at all!

So I have an empty viv! What's available guys?

[Stefan-A]

So I have an empty viv! What's available guys?

Didn't you already order 1.2 radix from someone?

[adamanteus]

Haha! So I did!

[Sputnik]

Good on you, James. I always feel a little sad about wild caught snakes.

My sons and I saw a grass snake swimming across our local river recently. It was absolutely amazing! I had never seen a snake in the wild before.The occasional slow worm, but no snake. I took a couple of bad photos which I'll dig out tomorrow.

[chloe]

I have a pair of captive bred natrix natrix, i bought in Hamm. I can buy some more when i am next over there if anyone is interested.

[adamanteus]

Which sub-species do you have , Chloe?

[Sputnik]

Sorry, slightly off topic, but are you planning to go over in September, Chloe? I might be going with a friend. Ironically I'm in Germany the following weekend, too, for my sister's wedding.

[Thamnophis]

Good thing you released the grass snake, James. Respect!!!