To ask a question about a snake, don't reply to this post, go to the forum home page and start a new post. Your question will get a lot more exposure. Please give us an idea of where you live, as reptiles can often be identified only by locality!

Please do not place messages about killing a snake, and asking what kind it is you have killed! That is like going onto a message board about dogs and telling about torturing one to death, and asking what kind of breed it was. You will likely get "flamed", and likely by the forum owner, depending on his mood that day.

A note about head shape in snakes: Head shape is a totally useless character for identifying a snake, and has nothing to do with whether the serpent is or is not venomous (poisonous). Many harmless snakes, especially when young, have rather large heads. Please describe color, pattern, markings, and habitat where the snake was found. The shape of the head will not help us in any way. Thank you.

Re: Identification required (if possible) please

Posted by Wilf Cockburn on May 13, 2005, 3:23 pm, in reply to "Re: Identification required (if possible) please"
84.65.136.177

Mike, Many thanks for your interest but I have it sorted. It was in fact a SLOW WORM which is not a snake but a legless lizard and is indiginous to mosy parts of the British Isles. However, to have the colouration described it would be less than 4 weeks old and known as a NEONATE which is why I was tricked into thinking it was something a little more exotic. I have seen adult slow worms in the area before but had no idea they started life quite as well coloured. Take a quick look at www.onewildworld.co.uk/reptiles and you will see what I saw (except the colour won't be as good). Many thanks for your interest, sorry to have been a timewaster. Kind regards, Wilf Cockburn, Tiverton, Devon, UK. ps. I did release it into an area of long grass near a stream at the back of our garden so it has a good chance of survival. W. --Previous Message-- : : : --Previous Message-- : Small, almost certainly baby snake : discovered in my garden in Mid Devon, : England looking like none of our native : species. (We have only four). : Bearing in mind a live cornsnake was : recently discovered in a box of : breakfast cereal this one could come : from anywhere. : Desciption:- : Length: approx. 4"/10cm. Obviously : a baby. : Colouring: underbody, black or very : dark changing very precisely to a : golden coloured upperbody with a very : thin and precise black line running the : length of the spine starting at the : head with a small diamond like shape. : Anybody any ideas please? : : : Doesn't sound like anything I've ever : heard of. You should send it to me. :

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Message Thread: Identification required (if possible) please - Wilf Cockburn May 11, 2005, 3:59 pm Re: Identification required (if possible) please - Mike Fedzen May 12, 2005, 2:50 pm Re: Identification required (if possible) please - Wilf Cockburn May 13, 2005, 3:23 pm Re: Identification required (if possible) please - Alex, forum owner May 13, 2005, 8:55 pm Re: Identification required (if possible) please - Alex, forum owner May 13, 2005, 9:05 pm Re: Identification required (if possible) please - Wilf May 15, 2005, 5:27 am « Back to thread

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