France in Focus

Not my bed, on Sherlock's bed this morning. Can anyone let me know if it's poisonous please in case it bit Sherlock or worse, Sherlock tried to eat it

Poisonous - if Sherlock has tried to eat it - I am not sure any snake meat is poisonous besides it doesn't look like any bits are missing.

Venomous - if Sherlock was bitten - I think it is/was a grass snake - so no. Can you see two puncture marks? Is he looking sick?

Have a look at Chris Luck's site - http://www.planetepassion.eu/SNAKES-IN- ... rance.html

The whole site is a mine of information.

From there:

Snakes are a protected species in France, you should report Sherlock to the authorities.

@Vallie
I would say it's probably a male Smooth Snake which is non-venomous and harmless. It's perfectly understandable that Sherlock wanted to play and eat it ...

oooeeeerrr how did it get there I wonder?

Sparkle wrote: ↑Sun Jun 12, 2022 11:08 am oooeeeerrr how did it get there I wonder?

That's what I want to know

I think only poisonous snakes have slitty eyes...?

My wife found this one under our bed in March. Too early for snakes to be around, so it had probably been looking for somewhere to hibernate last autumn. It didn't get any further, as it was transfixed on the sticky label which had fallen off the mattress.

manonthemoon2 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 12, 2022 11:23 am

Sparkle wrote: ↑Sun Jun 12, 2022 11:08 am oooeeeerrr how did it get there I wonder?

That's what I want to know

And are his parents likely to come looking for him?

Jeez, @Nomoss , that's the stuff of nightmares!

We think we heard a snake slithering about in the space between the kitchen ceiling and upstairs rooms. Mr Bayleaf did all the renovations to that side of the house, so wonders how the heck anything can get in there as he sealed it all so well (or so he thought!). It was quite an unnerving sound but it (she says hopefully!) can't get into the main living areas!

I saw one slinking vertically into a tiny slit in one of our little stone out-houses. It emerged behind the vine that grows against the wall, straight up and into a tiny crevice about a metre or so up. Clever little so-and-so, but quite freaky to watch.