The UK has three native snake species and as it's #WorldSnakeDay we' wanted to share a little bit of information about each of them. You can also find out more at www.arc-trust.org/snakes 🐍 Grass snakes (Natrix helvetica) UK's longest snake, growing to over a metre in length. Grey-green in colour with a distinctive yellow and black collar and black bars down the sides of the body. Found throughout England and Wales. Usually around grassland, heathland and woodland near bodies of fresh water – occasionally swimming in ponds! Sometimes, they lay their eggs in compost heaps! Favourite foods are fish, frogs, toads and newts. Fun fact: If they are cornered they play dead, turning their bodies upside-down and releasing a foul smelling liquid. Yucky but clever! 🐍 Smooth snakes (Coronella austriaca) More slender than other British snakes, usually only growing to 60-70cm in length. Grey or brown in colour with a heart-shaped “crown” marking on top of the head. The smooth snake’s name comes from the fact that its scales are flat and smooth. Found naturally only on heathlands in Dorset, Hampshire and Surrey and living in habitats varying from dry slopes to more humid and wet areas. Smooth snakes mainly feed on small mammals and lizards. Fun Fact: Smooth snakes are the UK's rarest and most secretive reptile. They are really well camouflaged against the stems of heath plants where they live making them experts at hide and seek! You are very lucky if you ever spot one! 🐍 Adder (Vipera berus) Growing to around 60cm in length with a stocky appearance. Recognised by a dark, continuous 'zig-zag' stripe along its back with a background colour of grey-white in the adult male to shades of brown in the adult female. The adder is the most northerly member of the viper family and is found from the south coast of England to the far north of Scotland. Adders like open habitats such as heathland, moorland, open woodland and sea cliffs. Favourite foods include rodents, lizards and young birds. Fun Fact: The adder is the UK’s only venomous snake but adder bites are rare. In fact you are more likely to be injured whilst loading the dishwasher than by being bitten by an adder! (fb)

ADD TO OUR PEBBLE SNAKE 🐍🖌️🎨 Hop Spots, a youth project to inspire children and young people to protect native species, recently visited Shaftesbury Millie College to teach students all about native reptiles and make colourful pebble snakes. Now, to celebrate World Snake Day on 16th July, a community pebble snake is popping up on Parley Common in Dorset! Visit the car park at what3words: driven.dream.cherry, paint a pebble, and add it to the snake. It’ll be there for several weeks, so there’s plenty of time to take part. Help us celebrate our beautiful snakes — get painting! Find out more about the project 👉 https://www.arc-trust.org/hop-spots-inspiring-children-and-young-people-to-protect-native-species #HopSpotsProject #CommunityArt #ArtForNature #WorldSnakeDay #HeritageFundUK The National Lottery Heritage Fund (fb)