Govind Tekale
A surprising discovery in Welsh homes has caught scientists’ attention: Europe’s largest snakes are moving into attics. These Aesculapian snakes, stretching up to 2 meters long, aren’t just passing visitors – they’ve established populations in Wales and London.
In the 1970s, these snakes escaped from the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay. They’ve adapted to Britain’s cold weather by finding shelter in our warm houses. Scientists tracked 21 snakes using radio transmitters to study their behavior. It turns out these snakes frequently enter buildings, using attics and wall spaces as warm shelters during cold months.
“Aesculapian snakes are perfectly harmless and can just be picked up – even if they bite, the worst consequence would be some very minor scratches,” says Professor Wolfgang Wüster, who studies these creatures. The snakes eat mice and voles, keeping to small prey no bigger than a large mouse.
The male snakes especially favor buildings, while females prefer staying in nearby woods. Many homeowners don’t even know they have these snakes as neighbors. The snakes stay hidden in attics or in garden compost bins, which they also use to incubate their eggs.
Roads pose a serious danger to these snakes. During the study, three female snakes died after being hit by vehicles. Local animals like cats, stoats, and buzzards also pose a threat – one snake’s tracking device was found in a buzzard’s nest 100 feet up a tree.
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Climate change plays a big part in this story. These snakes used to live in Britain 300,000 years ago but disappeared during an ice age. Now, as parts of southern France have become too warm for them, they’re moving northward, making the UK’s climate more suitable.
The government is considering adding Aesculapian snakes to the list of alien species of special concern, which could lead to their removal. But scientists like Tom Major from Bangor University suggest these snakes might help us understand how animals adapt to changing temperatures around the world.
If you find one of these snakes in your home, contact the RSPCA. While having a snake in your attic might sound concerning, research shows these animals have been coexisting with local wildlife and human residents without causing problems.
