‘Snakes frequently took shelter in human features of the habitat, and compost heaps, vegetation piles, and buildings represented long-term shelter for female snakes.
Researchers said in their paper: ‘We observed Aesculapian snakes actively seeking and returning to use inhabited buildings and… climbing large structures to access the attics and wall cavities of houses.’.
The areas where there are known to be populations of the large snakes are around London Zoo in Regent’s Park (although the zoo says they are not responsible), near Bridgend in South Wales, and around Colwyn Bay in North Wales.
Using radio trackers to snakes in the Colwyn Bay population, researchers monitored where the snakes went and how they spent their time, with updates twice a day.
The results found that male snakes showed a ‘distinct preference’ for buildings, while female snakes preferred woodland.
