
The 2 meter long Aesculapian snake lives in warmer regions of Europe.
Simon Bartosz/Alamy
There are only three native snakes in the UK, but a fourth species, the 2m long Aesculapian snake, has grown wild in at least three locations, taking advantage of the warmth of buildings and compost heaps. It is bred in
Tom Major and his colleagues at Bournemouth University in the UK are tracking these newcomers to understand how they survive in this exotic habitat.
“They seem to be using buildings as shelters and vegetation for spawning…