I love all of your videos as i'm also a reptile enthusiast, and keen fisherman. I also live in central Buckinghamshire, and would love to know where this nature reserve is please? The only reptile i've ever been lucky enough to see in England (apart from my collection) Is a hatchling grass snake a few years ago, i'd love to be able to see some slow worms/grass snakes or maybe even an adder!
@OlgaTheBrownFox Hiya mate. It's not illegal to keep them as pets, but they are harder to keep than most think. They mainly eat small slugs and although you may find plenty of large ones, the smaller ones can be difficult. I'd rather see them in the wild, study them and watch them return.
where i do a spot of fishing in south west scotland up the hills in a dam ive been told there is a lot of slow worms and adders about in the long grass and marshy land at the dam, ive never seen one but if i did i want to know if there harmless or if they would take a bite at you.
suppose midges are the worlds worst for biting lol
@phonicsfan1 Hiya mate. Sounds like my perfect fishing spot! Adders are venomous, but if you don't suffer from bee stings, then you have nothing to worry about if one bites you. However they are very very shy and even in hotspots, I often don't see them, let alone have them slithering around my feet. So either way, you're quite safe. Slow worms are completely harmless and very beautiful up close. Let me know if you see any. Thanks,
omg ur lucky then :D i have always ben interested in slow worms (and other reptiiles) but after actually finding one i fell in love with them :D WANT to find more :D but its far from my house :(
i have found the grass snake adder and the smooth snake in suffolk :) first year fild herping and very happy do you have any uk meeting were you all go fild herping if so let me know when i might pop along
Hmmm, a smooth snake in suffolk? im pretty sure that smooth snakes are only found in Hampshire, Dorset and surrey, and, i think a small area in west sussex, i think they were once found in wiltshire but havnt been recorded there in a long time.
If you are sure they are smooth snakes you should seriously get some photgraphic evidence and report it to any herpetological society, eg the HCT (herpertological conservation trust) as this could be a pretty important if they really are smoothies.
Aah wow! thats excellent mate, nice 1!! Did you see a smooth snake? Yer the herps have been a bit late this year because of the crappy weather. I think april will be when most come out of hibernation tho, so woohooo!! Cheers mate for the update,
Hey Ben.... Everyone in my family has seen a grass snake near where I live without try - obvioulsy(by my name) you can tell I love herps and I look every year for grass snakes and cant find them! any suggestions on where to look? what time of year etc?
Well mate, you asked me at the right time of year!! As I'm sure you know, our reptiles will be out on the prowl in the next couple of weeks. I think there is a cold snap this next week, but the week after, should be all go! You want to have a quick search on the internet to see if there are any reserves or parks near you with a grass snake population, then head out on a few suuny and warm forecast days between 9 and 11am is the best time. Look near water or patches of good sunlight. Cheers,
Ah ritey, cool cool. Well their favourite food is slugs. I think its great to keep a few small wild creatures inside for a couple of days, but you defo did the right thing, releasing him or her after having a good look.
cheers man, i live in east hampshire and again i will b doing some research on british reptiles in the following year, with college and uni, and (bit of a long shot but) try to incorperate that with research, if any, from zoos, as we are visiting loads of zoos through college in the next few months!
when did u start gaining some solid experience with british herps as far as like finding them etc and how did u go about that?
, cause i tried finding them this year ( without a car so i was limited to where to go lol) , and saw 1 adder and the odd slow worm, toad n frog, and i think the tail of a viviparious as it jumped away,
Heya Gary. Thanks for the comment. My experience has been a combination of research, local knowledge, persistance and luck. If you want to find more herps around you, then I'd reccomend researching local nature reserves on the net and then spending several days just walking slowly around them. Thats all i do really. I've also been doing some slow worm research for Cardiff university. But the key is be observant and patient. Where abouts do you live? Cheers, Ben
Heya mate. Yes, there is a good and vitally important population in the New Forest. But ofcourse, no touching, so didn't make a video of it. The New Forest would definately be my tip for that species though mate. Good luck! Cheers
Well mate, adders and grass snakes are both in decline in the UK. Generally, the further south you go, the better. Dorset and Devon are great for adders in the heathland there as is the New Forest. Grass snakes can be found in most quiet, moist, undisturbed nature reserves, across the uk..again, the New Forest is a particular hotspot...hope that helps a little. You should be able to find a grass snake or 2 near you,
Ahh, hey mate, thanks alot, that goes straight to my heart. I just love my animals and this countryside, especially my reptiles and just want to share them with people, thats all and really glad people like it. Cheers mate,
Can You Do A Video About Britain Scorpions Coz Im Not Lieing I Saw A Very Small Scorpain In My House, It Was Brownish And You Can Tell It Was A Scorpian And I Live In London REPLY
Heya mate, hows it going? Thanks for the comments. I'm lucky enough to live in a pretty good area for British herps and I have infact found all the animals in my videos in one day, but I filmed them over about a month. As regards scorpions - there have been a few european species found in a couple of areas of southern england, which were accidental inrtoductions, but we also have native 'false scorpions' which have no stinger and are usually less than a cm long! Does that help mate? Cheers,
Great informative vid Ben,I just found one of these intwined in a bush in my garden,next to my water feature,great that they eat slugs,will they stay if undisturbed?
Great find! Must be one of the only decent days for reptiles all summer so far!! well done and its great to know that you have a garden thats quiet and protected anough to support these guys. Yes he/she/they should stay in the vicinity if left undisturbed. Breeding season is pretty much over but next year you should find even more! Nice 1 and thanks for commenting,
hey ben the other day i was in my garden and hade to move a huge sheet of black polytheane and my and my freind cought 27!! got a picture of it how can i send itto u
yaaaaaa! at last i've seen what a slow worm looks like! I'm a snake nerd from Australia and have heard poms talk about slow worms but it's not easy to much on them. Really well done video too.
I have a tribe of 14 in my garden!!...more may be hiding. They live in my compost bins, perfect environment for them...I pick slugs off my plants and give them to the tribe!!
i used to seem them iron fences in the marshes wen i used to go out snake searching, only found slow worms under them though. extremely difficult to find snakes here in the south east
Thanks again Toby, i know there are several differing schools of thought surrounding this subject. I guess we'll ever know for sure, however, as you say, new and intriguing species/links are being found to give us a better idea. Thanks for your comments mate,
Nice video, showing the habitat and all, but in fact slow worms are not a primitive version of the snake, but simply unrelated legless lizards that don't resemble snakes in any way but their leglessness.
Hi, thanks for your comments mate. I think you may have misuderstood me tho. I said they are primitive, but not a version of a snake. One of the main evolutionary schools of thought is that aquatic lizards left the oceans and invaded the land, loosing their limbs as they did so, and becoming snakes.
i saw one this morning it must have been one of these under a piece of bogwood next to my pond! was lovely i enjoyed its company!
deepskanker 8 months ago
Hi ben,
I love all of your videos as i'm also a reptile enthusiast, and keen fisherman. I also live in central Buckinghamshire, and would love to know where this nature reserve is please? The only reptile i've ever been lucky enough to see in England (apart from my collection) Is a hatchling grass snake a few years ago, i'd love to be able to see some slow worms/grass snakes or maybe even an adder!
Keep up the good work mate. :)
1234goodwin1234 8 months ago
@OlgaTheBrownFox Hiya mate. It's not illegal to keep them as pets, but they are harder to keep than most think. They mainly eat small slugs and although you may find plenty of large ones, the smaller ones can be difficult. I'd rather see them in the wild, study them and watch them return.
Thanks,
Ben
benwaddams 10 months ago
where i do a spot of fishing in south west scotland up the hills in a dam ive been told there is a lot of slow worms and adders about in the long grass and marshy land at the dam, ive never seen one but if i did i want to know if there harmless or if they would take a bite at you.
suppose midges are the worlds worst for biting lol
phonicsfan1 1 year ago
@phonicsfan1 Hiya mate. Sounds like my perfect fishing spot! Adders are venomous, but if you don't suffer from bee stings, then you have nothing to worry about if one bites you. However they are very very shy and even in hotspots, I often don't see them, let alone have them slithering around my feet. So either way, you're quite safe. Slow worms are completely harmless and very beautiful up close. Let me know if you see any. Thanks,
Ben
benwaddams 1 year ago
omg ur lucky then :D i have always ben interested in slow worms (and other reptiiles) but after actually finding one i fell in love with them :D WANT to find more :D but its far from my house :(
FooootballFreak 2 years ago
i have loads in my back garden. i get like 10 per week in the summer!
kashmunky1 3 years ago
i have found the grass snake adder and the smooth snake in suffolk :) first year fild herping and very happy do you have any uk meeting were you all go fild herping if so let me know when i might pop along
mikesherps 3 years ago
Hmmm, a smooth snake in suffolk? im pretty sure that smooth snakes are only found in Hampshire, Dorset and surrey, and, i think a small area in west sussex, i think they were once found in wiltshire but havnt been recorded there in a long time.
If you are sure they are smooth snakes you should seriously get some photgraphic evidence and report it to any herpetological society, eg the HCT (herpertological conservation trust) as this could be a pretty important if they really are smoothies.
HAHAHADIIIIIIIIIIVE 3 years ago
i know i was not looking for it but i found one in my nans garden. have got some pics i will upload
mikesherps 3 years ago
Aah wow! thats excellent mate, nice 1!! Did you see a smooth snake? Yer the herps have been a bit late this year because of the crappy weather. I think april will be when most come out of hibernation tho, so woohooo!! Cheers mate for the update,
Ben
benwaddams 3 years ago
Hey Ben.... Everyone in my family has seen a grass snake near where I live without try - obvioulsy(by my name) you can tell I love herps and I look every year for grass snakes and cant find them! any suggestions on where to look? what time of year etc?
Herper666 4 years ago
Well mate, you asked me at the right time of year!! As I'm sure you know, our reptiles will be out on the prowl in the next couple of weeks. I think there is a cold snap this next week, but the week after, should be all go! You want to have a quick search on the internet to see if there are any reserves or parks near you with a grass snake population, then head out on a few suuny and warm forecast days between 9 and 11am is the best time. Look near water or patches of good sunlight. Cheers,
Ben
benwaddams 4 years ago
thanks a lot! will probably go out in a week or 2!
there is a healthy population of grass snakes near me you find shed skin all the time and all you see is amphibians so I know they can thrive
Herper666 4 years ago
u shouldnt tell them were to find they will more than likely just try to capture them and destroy them
lewisyoules1964 4 years ago
I agree. I never say exactly where, just the general region, unless people are genuinely interested and have a chat with me offline. Cheers,
Ben
benwaddams 4 years ago
Beatiful creatures.
Found quite a few of these, i have kept one in captivity for two days, then i let it go as i was afraid of killing it lol.
Fed it grass, woodlouse etc lol
Joe1507 4 years ago
Ah ritey, cool cool. Well their favourite food is slugs. I think its great to keep a few small wild creatures inside for a couple of days, but you defo did the right thing, releasing him or her after having a good look.
Ben
benwaddams 4 years ago
Cool, it kept on borrowing into the dirt, is that common?
Didtnt give it any water because i didnt know how they drank, but i sprayed the grass with a mist bottle to keep it quite wet
Joe1507 4 years ago
cheers man, i live in east hampshire and again i will b doing some research on british reptiles in the following year, with college and uni, and (bit of a long shot but) try to incorperate that with research, if any, from zoos, as we are visiting loads of zoos through college in the next few months!
gaz
garyburgess 4 years ago
when did u start gaining some solid experience with british herps as far as like finding them etc and how did u go about that?
, cause i tried finding them this year ( without a car so i was limited to where to go lol) , and saw 1 adder and the odd slow worm, toad n frog, and i think the tail of a viviparious as it jumped away,
garyburgess 4 years ago
Heya Gary. Thanks for the comment. My experience has been a combination of research, local knowledge, persistance and luck. If you want to find more herps around you, then I'd reccomend researching local nature reserves on the net and then spending several days just walking slowly around them. Thats all i do really. I've also been doing some slow worm research for Cardiff university. But the key is be observant and patient. Where abouts do you live? Cheers, Ben
benwaddams 4 years ago
Ben have you ever seen a Smooth Snake?
sonnyzk 4 years ago
Heya mate. Yes, there is a good and vitally important population in the New Forest. But ofcourse, no touching, so didn't make a video of it. The New Forest would definately be my tip for that species though mate. Good luck! Cheers
Ben
benwaddams 4 years ago
Thx Benwaddams I hope You do more video Good Luck :)
sonnyzk 4 years ago
were will u more likly to find grass snakes and adder
sonnyzk 4 years ago
Well mate, adders and grass snakes are both in decline in the UK. Generally, the further south you go, the better. Dorset and Devon are great for adders in the heathland there as is the New Forest. Grass snakes can be found in most quiet, moist, undisturbed nature reserves, across the uk..again, the New Forest is a particular hotspot...hope that helps a little. You should be able to find a grass snake or 2 near you,
Ben
benwaddams 4 years ago
Thx Benwaddams your the best, and i like your videos coz your the only person ive ever seen that show what reptiles your can find in england Cheers
sonnyzk 4 years ago
Ahh, hey mate, thanks alot, that goes straight to my heart. I just love my animals and this countryside, especially my reptiles and just want to share them with people, thats all and really glad people like it. Cheers mate,
Ben
benwaddams 4 years ago
Can You Do A Video About Britain Scorpions Coz Im Not Lieing I Saw A Very Small Scorpain In My House, It Was Brownish And You Can Tell It Was A Scorpian And I Live In London REPLY
sonnyzk 4 years ago
Heya mate, hows it going? Thanks for the comments. I'm lucky enough to live in a pretty good area for British herps and I have infact found all the animals in my videos in one day, but I filmed them over about a month. As regards scorpions - there have been a few european species found in a couple of areas of southern england, which were accidental inrtoductions, but we also have native 'false scorpions' which have no stinger and are usually less than a cm long! Does that help mate? Cheers,
Ben
benwaddams 4 years ago
benwaddam How Long Did It Take You To Find All These Snake And Stuff, And Are They Rare.
I Love You Videos There Great REPLY
sonnyzk 4 years ago
Great informative vid Ben,I just found one of these intwined in a bush in my garden,next to my water feature,great that they eat slugs,will they stay if undisturbed?
vinylmasakist 4 years ago
Great find! Must be one of the only decent days for reptiles all summer so far!! well done and its great to know that you have a garden thats quiet and protected anough to support these guys. Yes he/she/they should stay in the vicinity if left undisturbed. Breeding season is pretty much over but next year you should find even more! Nice 1 and thanks for commenting,
Ben
benwaddams 4 years ago
hey ben the other day i was in my garden and hade to move a huge sheet of black polytheane and my and my freind cought 27!! got a picture of it how can i send itto u
darrenhatfield 4 years ago
Wow!! I know its breeding season...but 27!! Thats great. I'll send you a message with my hotmail address on it, would love to see the pic, thanks.
Ben
benwaddams 4 years ago
yaaaaaa! at last i've seen what a slow worm looks like! I'm a snake nerd from Australia and have heard poms talk about slow worms but it's not easy to much on them. Really well done video too.
billflowers 4 years ago
Hey, thankyou very much mate! Yup they´re really beautiful little lizards. Cheers,
Ben
benwaddams 4 years ago
I have a tribe of 14 in my garden!!...more may be hiding. They live in my compost bins, perfect environment for them...I pick slugs off my plants and give them to the tribe!!
lauraglory 4 years ago
Haha, great stuff!! Wish I could do that. Thanks for the comment, you should try and get some video of that? Cheers, Ben
benwaddams 4 years ago
ur videos are quality, ive always wanted 2 find some reptiles but cant, so seeing them here on these videos is a treat
thehudd69 4 years ago
Thanks alot mate :) you'll find them! All you need is heathland, then your set! Good luck, cheers mate,
Ben
benwaddams 4 years ago
i used to seem them iron fences in the marshes wen i used to go out snake searching, only found slow worms under them though. extremely difficult to find snakes here in the south east
Heatseeker872591 4 years ago
dino, when the earless monitor was discovered they realised that slow-worms and other legless lizards are primitive form of the snake
Guitarbite12227 4 years ago
I know snakes are related to monitor lizards (sam long forked tongue), but as far as I know anguidae are not related to monitor lizards.
dino44211 4 years ago
Thanks again Toby, i know there are several differing schools of thought surrounding this subject. I guess we'll ever know for sure, however, as you say, new and intriguing species/links are being found to give us a better idea. Thanks for your comments mate,
Ben
benwaddams 4 years ago
Nice video, showing the habitat and all, but in fact slow worms are not a primitive version of the snake, but simply unrelated legless lizards that don't resemble snakes in any way but their leglessness.
dino44211 4 years ago
Hi, thanks for your comments mate. I think you may have misuderstood me tho. I said they are primitive, but not a version of a snake. One of the main evolutionary schools of thought is that aquatic lizards left the oceans and invaded the land, loosing their limbs as they did so, and becoming snakes.
benwaddams 4 years ago
The slow worm and glass lizards of North America are examples of what these animals may have looked like during that epoch. Hope that helps mate.
Cheers,
Ben
benwaddams 4 years ago
Wooo, Ive found a few of these before =]
Not this year though.
Great Vid!
2dead2die 4 years ago