There are four kinds of wild snakes in England – not the three as previously believed, scientists have revealed.

The barred grass snake, Natrix helvetica, is now recognised as a species in its own right.

The other three snakes in England are:

  • The common or eastern grass snake (Natrix natrix)
  • Adder (Vipera berus)
  • The smooth snake (Coronella austriaca)

Only the adder is venomous, while the smooth snake is extremely rare.

Both grass snakes can be found in the lowland areas of southern England.

Grass snakes, which grow to more than a metre (3ft) in length, live near water mainly feeding on amphibians such as frogs, toads and newts.

A common grass snake.
A common grass snake.

The barred grass snake is greyer in colour than its olive green cousin and lacks its most striking feature, a bright yellow collar.

Along the body are dark bands that are much more pronounced than they are in the common grass snake.

It used to be thought there was just one overall species of grass snake plus a number of subspecies that varied in appearance.

Professor Uwe Fritz, from the Senckenberg Research Institute in Germany, who led the international team of researchers, said: "We studied two areas where different genetic lineages of the grass snake come into contact.



"Thus, the number of European snake species has increased by one."

The scientists looked at the genetic identity of more than 1,600 grass snakes, including many specimens in museum collections.

Grass snakes in two "contact zones", where different genetic lineages of the animals met, were studied in more detail.

A barred grass snake.
A barred grass snake.

One zone was in the Rhine region while the other extended from central Germany to the southern Balkans.

The scientists found evidence of reproductive barriers that indicated the barred grass snake was a separate species.

The discovery, described in the journal Scientific Reports, could have implications for grass snake conservation, said the researchers.

In the UK, the grass snake is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, making it a criminal offence to injure or kill the animals.
