The 2-metre-long Aesculapian snake is native to warmer parts of Europe
Szymon Bartosz/Alamy
Britain has only three native snakes but a fourth species, the 2-metre-long Aesculapian snake, is breeding in the wild in at least two places – by exploiting the warmth of buildings and compost heaps.
Tom Major at Bournemouth University in the UK and his colleagues have been tracking these newcomers to understand how they are surviving in this non-native habitat.
“The use of buildings for shelter and vegetation piles for egg laying appear to be…
Article amended on 18 October 2024
This article has been changed to correct the number of places the Aesculapian snake is known to be in Britain.
