Although he had been offered some compensation, Linton believes the situation should warrant more since the snake was a risk to the vulnerable relatives that lived with him, including his disabled son and his mother-in-law. “It’s just not good enough — the implications for us if it had [gotten] out in the house are huge,” he said. “Plus, I’m phobic of snakes, so there’s the emotional impact of that, too.”
What Kind of Snake Was It?
According to Linton’s son, Donovan, 41, a specialist from the Dudley Zoo said the creature was a young ladder snake. Although they look scary and can deliver a nasty bite, they are not venomous. They are commonly found around Europe, including Spain, Portugal, and parts of Italy and France. They like temperate habitats with a lot of low shade such as hedges, forests, vineyards, rodent burrows, hollow trees, orchards, and boulders. Ladder snakes tend to be solitary, aggressive, and defensive in nature. They ward off attackers by snapping their sharp fangs and releasing a foul odor. Despite being carnivores, they don’t go after humans. Instead, they feed on rodents like mice and rabbits, birds, spiders, lizards, and insects. The broccoli-invading reptile now resides at the Dudley Zoo.
However, herpetologist Dr. Steven J. R. Allain identifies it as a viperine water snake, which is fortunately less dangerous. “Having reviewed the [actual] photo of the snake in the broccoli, I am not sure the zoo identified the species correctly,” Allain said. “To my expert eyes, the snake is in fact a viperine water snake (Natrix maura), which is a harmless fish-eating species found throughout southwestern Europe and northern Africa.”
Continued on next page
