Watch out now for snakes in the grass

Wednesday 24 June 2015

The Environment department is on the hunt for volunteers to help track down Jersey’s rarest reptile.

They are working to save our local grass snake from extinction and need field assistants to go out and about radio tracking them this summer.

Scientist Rob Ward, who’s studying at the University of Kent, is leading their campaign to boost numbers.

He needs a team of people with a bit of herpetology experience who are happy to work outside at least one day a week for the next three months hunting for and building up a better picture of the harmless reptiles.

The Environment department say they have very little information on its ecology and the size of the local population and hope that their ‘Think grass snake campaign’ will give them a better idea of whether there's a need for intervention and species recovery.

But there's lots gardeners can do to help too by keeping an eye out for the little snakes and staying away from their compost heaps for the next few months.

Grass snakes like nesting in warm humid places like compost and manure heaps to incubate their eggs and the department wants to stop people disturbing them until October when any eggs should have hatched. At the moment they are helping to treat one injured snake that looks like it's already been caught in a strimmer.

Mr Ward said: “This is one of the most important times of year for grass snakes, as the next generation's chance of survival depends on finding the best conditions. As humans have modified landscapes and habitat over centuries, grass snakes have come to be largely dependent on man-made piles of rotting vegetation, such as compost and manure heaps, to provide the perfect incubation chamber for their eggs.

“Any information from the public, no matter how small or insignificant, is extremely valuable and will make a real contribution to the protection of Jersey’s grass snakes. It all helps build a clearer picture of where they’re living and nesting and how to protect them, and will contribute towards a study which aims to stop the decline of these native reptiles.’

The Environment department has set up a “spotline” so that you can record sightings of the snakes and so that Mr Ward can build a clearer picture of where they are living and nesting, and how to protect them.

The dedicated number is 441628 and you can also report sightings of egg shells, grass snakes and slow-worms on the Think Grass Snake campaign website here and if you want to volunteer your time to go looking for them you can contact Rob Ward by emailing rjw53@kent.ac.uk or call him on 07829968303.