Rare snake photographed in the South Hams

An albino grass snake has been photographed in the South Hams.

Alex Farleigh, owner of the Dittiscombe Equestrian Centre, found the snake in their car park and took some photos of it.

Alex Farleigh

The grass snake (Natrix helvetica), according to the Wildlife Trust, is “our largest snake” and “is particularly fond of wetland habitats, but can also be found in dry grasslands and in gardens, especially those with a pond nearby.

“During the summer, grass snake can be spotted basking in the sun near their favourite ponds or swimming in the water.

“They hunt amphibians, fish, small mammals and birds. Females lay 10 to 40 eggs in rotting vegetation, such as compost heaps, incubating them until they hatch in early Autumn. Like all reptiles, grass snake hibernate, usually from October to April.”

I couldn’t find much information about albino grass snakes, so they must be pretty rare! Thank you to Alex for allowing us to share these photos!