# Britain gets a new species of snake



## Brian G Turner (Aug 7, 2017)

Apparently, a supposed variation of the grass snake was discovered to actually be a new species: New grass snake discovered in the UK - BBC News


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## Alexa (Aug 8, 2017)

I don't like snakes of any kind, so I'll avoid looking for them in UK .


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## Danny McG (Aug 8, 2017)

Tastes like chicken


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## J Riff (Aug 8, 2017)

Do not smoke the snakes, they are working for scale.*


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## Alexa (Aug 8, 2017)

dannymcg said:


> Tastes like chicken



I prefer chicken.


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## vonHelldorf (Aug 8, 2017)

As long as it's not poisonous we're golden


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## BAYLOR (Aug 9, 2017)

You know whats going to ultimately happen , those snakes are going start demanding the right to vote. Just like the Gray Squirrels.


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## anno (Aug 10, 2017)

So, I like snakes and as an free lance ecologist often survey for them, however the paper that is available online gives the full story.
Biologists are forever updating these things - google cladistics, but sometimes these splits,wether backed up by DNA profiles or not, are sometimes short lived...
I've handled many a grass snake (they produce a bad rotten egg smell when stressed) but never noticed this in the field.
Anyway as I said to my other Herp buddies get it ticked and on the list!


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## Cathbad (Aug 10, 2017)

Okay, now if you can keep those _Patrick the Invader_ types out of there, you're good!


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## Overread (Aug 10, 2017)

Anno its actually getting really complicated now with DNA and a lot more science going on. I recall there's something like 4 or 5 different Latin based classifications for birds used over the majority of the EU itself; and its often a case that subspecies are a hotbed of debate as to what does and doesn't count. 

I was reading an interesting bit on another site about cervine species in Africa and how one or two key early papers have been rehashed and almost become a de-facto status even though several subspecies are highly suspect. When you start to, almost, be splitting hairs one has to wonder when its just natural variation within a species and an actual sub-species.


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## Vertigo (Aug 11, 2017)

BAYLOR said:


> You know whats going to ultimately happen , those snakes are going start demanding the right to vote. Just like the Gray Squirrels.


Seeing as how we're talking about the UK here, that would be grEy squirrels


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## Dave (Aug 11, 2017)

Overread said:


> Anno its actually getting really complicated now with DNA and a lot more science going on. I recall there's something like 4 or 5 different Latin based classifications for birds used over the majority of the EU itself; and its often a case that subspecies are a hotbed of debate as to what does and doesn't count.


Yes, lots of debate possible as populations naturally show a lot of variation (insects rarely look like their guidebook photographs) and bird and fish species will interbreed (which at o level biology I was taught was the very definition of a species.) In addition, climate change and pollution and habitat changes mean that variation is encouraged even more.


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## BAYLOR (Aug 13, 2017)

Dave said:


> Yes, lots of debate possible as populations naturally show a lot of variation (insects rarely look like their guidebook photographs) and bird and fish species will interbreed (which at o level biology I was taught was the very definition of a species.) In addition, climate change and pollution and habitat changes mean that variation is encouraged even more.




Dave , I have yet to see a an animal that is Bird/fish Hybrid.


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## J Riff (Aug 13, 2017)

Apparently, the spider people don't want any more species. 30 thou is sufficient, thenkew.*


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