A snake that was first sighted in the outdoors half a century ago has started reproducing in the wild, according to researchers.
The Aesculapian Rat Snake, which may grow up to six-foot long, maintains a steady population in North Wales' Colwyn Bay region.
It was previously a native species of Britain before the Ice Age. According to Metro, the snake looks to be returning after a 10,000-year absence.
The snakes were transported from Italy to the Welsh Mountain Zoo in the mid-1960s. They are often found in the southern Mediterranean and Balkan nations.
TOKYO, JAPAN - JANUARY 20: Gohan the hamster and Aochan the rat snake inside their cage at Tokyo Mutsugoro Animal Kingdom on January 20, 2006 in Tokyo, Japan. Gohan, meaning "meal" was placed into the snake's cage, intended as food in October last year, after Aochan refused to eat its normal diet of frozen mice. Instead of indulging on Gohan, the snake decided to make friends with the small rodent.
Researcher Finds Rat-Eating Snakes Breeding in the UK After 10,000 Years
Tom Major, a Ph.D. student at Bangor University, has been researching the non-venomous snake for five years and says it is afraid to cross roadways, limiting its range and making it difficult to obtain prey.
"We found a snake yesterday that was born around September 2018 and that weighed eight grams in 2019," Tom told North Wales Live.
"Three years later, it weighed 15 grams - about the same as an HP pencil," he added.
Even with the six months of hibernation every year and the milder environment, he noted that this is a highly slow pace of development.
It appears to have eaten only once or twice in the previous three years.
Baby snakes were discovered on the zoo grounds in the early 1970s, and their yellow coloring led to the assumption that they were grass snakes.
They had already started multiplying and spreading beyond the zoo when experts identified the species as Aesculapian snakes.
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What Are Aesculapian Snakes
These snakes were initially native to Britain before the last Ice Age and are not considered dangerous, according to Ladbible.
A smaller colony was discovered surviving on rats along Regent's Canal near London Zoo in 2010. A third population was recorded in Bridgend just two years ago, but confirmation has been challenging.
Aesculapian may grow up to two meters long in southern Europe, making them one of the continent's biggest snakes.
Tom believes they will not develop much above 1.5 meters in the cooler, rainier North Wales. Nonetheless, they are the UK's longest snakes.
Should People Worry About This Rat-Eating Snake?
Some people may be concerned about finding enormous rat-eating snakes in rear yards. Still, Tom said in a Daily Star report that there is no need to be concerned. He explained that snakes coexist with all other species, including badgers, stoats, and domestic cats in the region.
Regardless, the snake is a Welsh Management Priority Species. The North Wales Wildlife Trust said that they have been monitoring its population in Colwyn Bay since 2004.
Tom began his research with field surveys funded by the Welsh Mountain Zoo. He began radio tracking nine snakes last year and planned to do it again this summer.
They discovered they had a restricted range, moving up to 500 meters every day, and are frequently hampered by objects like highways," he explained. The snakes, according to Tom, hide for lengthy periods in hay bales and building walls.
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