Smooth Snake (Coronella austriaca) - large(st?) female
Just back from an amazing experience having been very kindly invited to look at Norwegian smooth snakes by the country's two leading slettsnok scientists, Beate Strøm Johansen and Pål Sørensen. Very different from 'our' smooth snakes, being at least 50% longer and heavier, and usually found basking in the open, for example on rocky ledges along fjords. This individual is probably the largest ever recorded, being expertly measured by Pål Sørensen, who has studied Norwegian smooth snakes for forty years. She measured 92cm and weighed not far off 180g - almost a fifth of a kilo!! Photo by kind permission of Pål Sørensen.
Smooth Snake (Coronella austriaca) - large(st?) female
Just back from an amazing experience having been very kindly invited to look at Norwegian smooth snakes by the country's two leading slettsnok scientists, Beate Strøm Johansen and Pål Sørensen. Very different from 'our' smooth snakes, being at least 50% longer and heavier, and usually found basking in the open, for example on rocky ledges along fjords. This individual is probably the largest ever recorded, being expertly measured by Pål Sørensen, who has studied Norwegian smooth snakes for forty years. She measured 92cm and weighed not far off 180g - almost a fifth of a kilo!! Photo by kind permission of Pål Sørensen.