Readers may remember a while back I posted a picture (below) of a skin a snake had sloughed at Ogden, which was passed on to Hugh Firman who kindly passed it on to me. I sent it to Matt Wilson, a Herpetologist with Manchester Museum, but his disappointing verdict is below.
At least one exotic snake has been photographed by a golfer on the course there. (an American Pine Snake I believe.)
EMAIL FROM MATT.
Hi Steve,
"I received the snake skin in the post today and I've
had a chance to have a close look at it. It is very
difficult to tell because there is only a small part intact
and this is around the ventral scales which doesn't give too
much to go on.
However, it is certainly not an adder, nor do I think
it is a grass snake. Adders have very obvious keels on their
scales when examined closely and so usually do grass snakes.
There is a small chance it could be grass snake because
looking at some skins I have from Yorkshire show that not
all of the scales are keeled, particular those surrounding
the larger belly scales. But I can say with about 90%
certainty that it is likely to be some kind of common North
American species, likely a large example of a Corn snake.
Pity as I was really hoping it would turn out to be an
adder.
Still don't rule out adders being up at Ogden. "
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