Snake picture?

[Busymum]

Don't know if the picture is displayed .... I am trying!

[Busymum]

Ooooh it worked!!

Anyone have any ideas what type of snake this is please .... will it hurt me?! I have another picture if needed!

Thanks!

[olivefarmer]

I think it is a Horseshoe Whip Snake. Completly harmless!

We get them round our Cortijo on a regular basis, the kids normally chuck in to the fields. The cats killed a big one last week well over a metre long.

Olivefarm

[chrisuk]

ah bless, you should have seen the b***** that had a go at me in South Africa, called a rattle snake or for those who know the proper name there its called a Ringkhals, I saw, it raised, I ran, it chased, I ran very fast and lived to die another day blighter was in my garage and I think it got annoyed from the car fumes or vibrations, watch those dark corners.
That looks like it maybe a common house snake, lucky its not a tree snake, deadly, you have 20min, green or red inclour, very thin but I think you only get them in Afica.......
Where is a site listing creatures all and beutiful in Spain, ah Scorpions is another favourite, use a UV light at night and they look evil

[patricia]

www.iberianature.com is a good web site on the natural history of Spain. There are also several good books you can buy which will help you identify snakes and other animals. Wildlife Spain is a good one. If you are near or if you go to any of the resorts they all seem to have English bookshops, books on trees, flowers, mammals etc can be purchased

[Busymum]

Thanks so much for the replies!

I know I am a bit of a wimp but I will be buying a book to identify these slithery friends! Chrisuk you made me laugh just when I needed it, I had nightmares last night and dreamed the little beggar came in through the air con' unit .... I know ... sad or what! The 'Towney' girl is going to have to toughen up ... or go in to training to be able run very very fast!!

Many thanks all!

Steph

[Lion]

Can anyone identify mine? - It was on our terrace last summer, our terrace door was open and it was about to enter our house until our neighbours spotted it and called us which scared it.

[olivefarmer]

Lion

Looks like a more mature version of the one busymum took a photo of, Horseshoe whip snake. They can grow up to 1.50m long.

You tend to see them early morning basking on the sun, yours may have been heading in to the cool of the house.

To remove them gentle hold the tail place in bag (or direct towards the opening of a bag) , something like a pillowcase will do and release near either vegetation or water. Handy for keeping the mouse population down.

Olivefarmer

[Lion]

I was told by someone else that it looked like a baby viper, it was thin but very long.

[Busymum]

Move it!

Hold it's tail!

Oh now I do feel ill!!

Just off to the Farmacia for some valium !!!!

[chrisuk]

Im terrified of Spiders, I cant stand the things, anything else not a problem, a mate at work where I used to work who weighed in around 20 stone was petrified of mice, one showed its head in the Cabin and he went mental, I've never seen someone so big jump on top of a chair so fast in my life, I couldnt help rolling on the floor for ages, it makes me laugh when I think of it, here I thought it was a woman thing

[Lion]

I have hardly seen any spiders here, used to get loads in the house when living in the UK, I don't recall ever having a spider in this house yet, the snakes probably eat them all

[olivefarmer]

Native Snakes of Southern Spain

I thought I would give you a run down of the local snakes.

1 Monpellier Snake up to 2m Dark Grey, young lighter grey with dark grey markings. Venom Yes, prolonged bite will cause numbness.
2 Horseshoe Whip Snake up to 1.5m Dark regular markings brown body, young brighter colour yellow orange underside.
3 Ladder Snake up to 1.6m (usually 1m) Olive green to dark strips down back. Young Dark markings forming a ladder.
4 Grass Snake up to 1.2m Iberian version uniform dark green.
5 Viperine Snake up to 1m (usually 70cm) Grey with dark bands on flanks, normally found by ponds or rivers.
6 Southern Smooth Snake up to 50cm Olive Grey, dark bands across back.

Olivefarmer
7 False Smooth Snake up to 65cm As above, but large black marking by head. Venom Yes ,but unable to use on humans.
8 Latastes Viper up to 60cm Grey body dark diamond markings, up turned nose. Venom yes As above.

This comes from years of having a father and brother who are petrified of snakes. Dad would never take me to the snake house at London Zoo. In fact he was here two weeks ago when the cats caught one nearly lost me inheritance, if he hasn't spent it all.