![]() In addition, we have the opportunity to glean basic ecological information, like when they mate, where they lay their eggs, and where they choose to hibernate over the long winter months. ![]() "With the data we collect we can understand how much space they use, when they are most active, and determine which habitats are important to them. Have you ever seen a snake in North Wales? Let us know where in the comments section We implant radio transmitters in the snakes, allowing us to track them down multiple times per day. One part of the study involves radio tracking individual snakes. "I am studying the population, along with masters student Lauren Jeffrey, as part of my PhD research at Bangor University. Any wildlife introductions should be undertaken by professionals, with clearly defined aims and objectives, and after the proper consultation, within the limits of the law. Of course, simply introducing them may have unintended consequences for our native wildlife, and this should be discouraged. "If climate change becomes as dramatic as expected then many species from mainland Europe would be able to survive here. Tom and fellow researchers are studying Dave and his kin (Image: Dr Wolfgang Wüster) They are native to countries like France and Germany, which share a lot of the same animals as the UK, so it seems unlikely they would become a damaging invasive species. "There have not been any obvious negative effects of the snakes so far. They are constrictors, squeezing their prey to interrupt blood flow to the brain. "The snakes are harmless to people and pets. They were native in the UK, in Southeast England, until they went extinct naturally around 150,000 years ago. "The snakes are native to central and southern Europe, with a wide distribution from France all the way east to the Balkans. They are now a wild population of approximately 70 adult individuals." He added. "The snakes escaped from the Welsh Mountain Zoo, and were found to be breeding in the wild in the early 1970s. It is likely that Dave had eaten a mouse and was basking to reach a warmer temperature to help him digest his food. As cold blooded animals, snakes bask in order to regulate their body temperature. The video was taken on a residential street in the Colwyn Bay Area, and it shows Dave basking in the sun hidden among some ivy in a residential area. "We have been radio tracking him and recording his movements and behaviours ever since. Dave was originally found basking in a field in May 2022.ĭave, 4-6, from Conwy, often found in hedges beside a road (Image: Nathan Russell) Dave is part of an ongoing radio telemetry project by Tom Major and Lauren Jeffrey at Bangor University, supervised by Dr Wolfgang Wüster and Dr John Mulley, and in conjunction with the Welsh Mountain Zoo. Tom spoke about this fascinating project with North Wales Live: "Dave is an adult male Aesculapian snake ( Zamenis longissimus, he measures about 1.4 m long. Read more: issues Covid test scam warning to all UK travellers ![]() He has been studied by Tom and fellow biologists at the University for some time, who are working together on a radio telemetry project. It appears the snake, of the Aesculapian type, is no stranger to Conwy either, apparently "shocking" local residents when they first found out about the population.ĭave is the particular snake in question, caught on camera basking in the sun without a care in the world and unnerved by who notices him. Incredible footage captured by Tom Major, a PHD student at the University of Bangor, shows a snake clearly in view bustled in a hedge just off a road in Colwyn Bay. Did you hear about the snake that escaped the Welsh Mountain Zoo in the 1970's and later bore 70 wild offspring that roam North Wales to this day? No, neither did we.
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