A SNAKE species that escaped more than half a century ago is breeding in the wild of the Colwyn Bay area.
The Aesculapian Rat Snake, more commonly found in the in southern Mediterranean and the Balkans, is a non-venomous snake that has been the subject of study for Bangor University PhD student Tom Major.
The species typically hunt rodents (hence their name) and a re reluctant to cross roads, reaching up to 6ft in length.
With a stable population in the Colwyn Bay area, this has allowed for the easy study of the species.
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Their growth rate is incredibly slow, growing just a few grams in weight across multiple years to suggest some may eat just a few times a year.
The Colwyn Bay colony is thought to be the UK’s largest, with Mr Major estimating their numbers to be made up of up to 70 adults and 120 juveniles.
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Despite growing up to two metres in length in on the continent, the colder, damper North Wales climate is expected to limit growth to just 1.5 metres.
The Aesculapian Rat Snake arrived in Conwy during the mid-1960s when Robert Jackson, founder of the Welsh Mountain Zoo, imported reptiles from Italy.
In the 1970s, juveniles were found in the zoo grounds and were initially thought to be grass snakes due to their yellow markings.
Some conservationists have welcomed their arrival as a “returning” species – they were once native to Britain before the last Ice Age, and are not considered harmful.
Although they do not avoid humans, they often co-exist with a variety of different species, being known to inhabit gardens with dogs, badgers and other animals peacefully.
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Despite this, the snake is a Management Priority Species for Wales, with the Colwyn Bay population monitored since 2004 by the North Wales Wildlife Trust.
Tom Major, whose research is sponsored by the Welsh Mountain Zoo, began with field surveys before expanding to radio tracking last year, which he will undertake again this summer.
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