Western Whip Snake (Coluber viridiflavus).

Click to enlarge but be careful it does not lunge out of the screen at you...

There are two species of snake at Le Port, the Viperine Snake Natrix maura which lives in and around the river where it is mistaken for a viper and consequently stoned by ignorant visitors in summer when the river is low. The other is the much larger Western Whip Snake Coluber viridiflavus. This can be seen, or more often heard, slithering away into the grass after being disturbed when sunbathing. It is very cryptic so generally will see you before you see it. One used to live in an old water pipe in one of the barns and could be seen lying on the cold earth on very hot days. The area around Le Port is ideal for this snakes as grasshoppers, lizards and insects are plentiful for the juvenile snakes and frogs, toads, and young birds for the adults. Today this snake was seen on the other side of a low wall sunbathing and was crept up on for five minutes. This one is about a meter long, possibly a few centimeters more.