A surprise hiding in UK Gardens: Discovering Britain's new 6.5ft snake species
A new snake species has been quietly making itself at home in Britain — and while some may be unsettled by the idea of a new creature hiding in their gardens, scientists say there's little cause for concern.
The Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus), a 6.5-foot non-venomous reptile that typically eats rodents, is usually found in central and southern Europe, reaching as far as northern France. However, researchers say two accidental introductions — one in north Wales and another in London — have led to small 'thriving' populations in the UK.
The introduction of any non-native species in the UK tends to spark debate — but a new study on these snakes has ignited conversation around the way climate change is affecting them.
Typically, grounded species, like reptiles and mammals, cannot disperse through habitats split apart by roads and other human-made obstacles, or cross natural barriers like the Channel. This limits their ability to find suitable living conditions making them vulnerable to extinction.
However, Dr Tom Major, a postdoctoral research fellow in herpetology at Bournemouth University, has been studying the new Aesculapian snake population in north Wales. He and his team tracked 21 snakes over two summers and found they were coming up with interesting ways to combat Britain's climate and landscape — including camping in spots much closer to home.
“We found they were frequently entering buildings while digesting food or preparing to shed their skin,” he writes in The Independent. Compost bins, he explains, were also a favourite, acting as handy incubators for their eggs.
The research also found many residents were unaware they were sharing their gardens (and even homes) with the snakes, and those who did know weren’t particularly concerned. “They keep such a low profile, typically hiding in attic corners,” Dr Major explains. Unlike some non-native species that disrupt ecosystems, Aesculapian snakes appear to blend in without causing harm.
Interestingly, the Aesculapian snake isn't completely new to the UK — it disappeared during a previous ice age and has probably been absent for about 300,000 years.
But, while this new snake population seems to be doing well in the UK, recent surveys in the southern parts of its range in Europe have discovered a rapid decline, potentially due partly to climate change.
What's more, despite their low-impact presence in the UK, according to The Conversation the species might soon be added to the government’s list of ‘alien species of special concern’— which could mean efforts to remove them.
"It would be tragic if species like this, which are declining in their natural range, were eradicated just because they're outside their historical boundaries," Dr Major added.
It also raises further questions. Dr Major adds: "Should we consider conserving species that have moved, or been moved, outside of the native ranges that existed before industrial society and its greenhouse effect? Should we even consider deliberately moving species to conserve them? Introduced species that have established just outside of their native ranges, in slightly cooler climates, offer a glimpse of the likely consequences."
"Conservation within the silos of national boundaries is an increasingly outdated way of trying to maintain the diversity underlying global ecosystems.
"Instead, conservationists may need to accept that the rapidly changing environment necessitate shifts in the ranges of species. And perhaps, even assist those species incapable of moving on their own."
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