I've just found a snake in my compost heap.

[Caligula]

Yuk. A brown one about 12 inches long and skinny. What is it? A grass snake?

its a turd

A slow-worm

cool. sounds like a garden snake. where is it now. it may need to be relocated.

is it dead?

Freak out. i don't even like worms :(

Hi Cal, could be a slow worm or a grass snake harmless really... adders (poisonous but not aggressive) have a diamond pattern on their backs so don't worry means you have a very welcoming heap!!

Grass snake will have a bright yellow collar behind its head. Sounds like a baby one so hate to tell you that there may be more . . .

Have to say this makes me shudder and is one reason I would never dig over our old compost heap (have the bin-type things now). We had baby grass snakes in the garden 2 years ago and the bl**dy cat kept mauling them and bringing them in. Now that really was yuk!

Crikey - are you somewhere exotic and foreign?

I found a brown slow worm in my compost heap last week. About a foot long, plain brown and very narrow. They are harmless, I'd leave it alone.

I'd throw it over next doors...

Fek, I would have kacked myself.

Think slow worms are a protected species. Not worms really - reptiles).
slowworms \link{http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/281.shtml\here}

pmsl feistybird

is it just a stick and you're over reacting?

you're right pooka, my mother was told by the R.S.P.C.A that she could not move or kill hers...I think they are cool!!!don't kill it!!!

It wont help you but i used to have to throw cheselogs over the neighbours gardens at my nannies. Oh the days of cheselog throwing and hoping the neihgbours werent in the garden.

Hmm I mowed a slow worm once. Was not paying attention until I noticed the half of it in the garden )-:

Got DP to scrap the mower clean underneath 0-:

My three year old playing in the garden just ran in to say he had found a mouse ...nope a HEADLESS squirrel

It definitely moved and had eyes and a head.

Might be a slow worm. But it was definitely brown

What pray, is a cheselog?

I've been wondering too Caligula! Visions of edam being thrown over the fence.

yuck

I'm phobic of anything that even reminds me of snakes

I even do long detours from snake like twigs

yeesh

cheeselogs = woodlice

woodlice are called 'cheesy bugs' or 'chuckie pigs'....

ok?

:o