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conservation: Smooth Snake Comeback in Devon Marks Major Success

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29 September 2025 
By James Hamilton

Smooth snake, basking in heathland, Dorset. By Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)

​Sixteen years after conservationists first reintroduced Smooth Snakes to a heathland in East Devon, the elusive reptiles are thriving. A record 39 individuals were counted in 2024 – a 25% jump from the previous high of 31 just a year earlier.

The milestone is being hailed as proof of what can be achieved when charities, land managers and volunteers pull together. The RSPB, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC), Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Trust and Clinton Devon Estates have all played a role in restoring this rare species to its historic range.

“It’s vital that we work together to look after our heathlands and the wildlife that relies upon them,” said Toby Taylor, RSPB Aylesbeare nature reserve manager. “Once common across the UK, heathland is now a rare habitat, with less than 15% remaining today.”

From local extinction to recovery
​The Smooth Snake – a slender, non-venomous species that grows up to 70cm – hadn’t been seen on the Pebblebed Heaths for half a century before the reintroduction began in 2009. Seventeen snakes were carefully relocated from Dorset onto the National Nature Reserve. Since then, their numbers have steadily climbed, with juveniles spotted in recent years, a sign that the population is breeding and spreading across the heaths.

Monitoring the snakes is no easy feat. Known for hiding in dense vegetation and rarely basking in the open, they are difficult to spot. Licensed volunteers like Roger and Liz Hamling have been key, spending 15 years surveying the Devon snakes and identifying individuals by their unique crown-shaped head markings.

“It’s just lovely to see how much the heath has positively changed over the years thanks to all the volunteers,” said Liz. “And the Smooth Snakes are beautiful; it’s such a privilege to be looking after them.”

A team effort on the heath
​Behind the snakes’ success is a huge effort in habitat restoration. Over the last five years, RSPB volunteers have dedicated more than 3,200 hours to managing the heathland. Tasks include painstakingly removing bracken and bramble by hand to keep the habitat balanced – small-scale work that’s crucial for creating the right micro-habitats these reptiles need.

Similar efforts are paying off across other RSPB reserves too. At Arne in Dorset, 35–40 snakes were recorded in recent counts, including juveniles that confirm breeding populations.

Nick Moulton, ARC’s reptile conservation officer, says the Devon project shows what’s possible when expertise and community support align: “The reintroduction has been a success – the animals are present, breeding and slowly colonising new areas of heath.”

Why it matters
​Smooth Snakes are entirely dependent on heathland – a habitat that has declined by 80% in the UK since the 1800s. With threats like wildfires, habitat loss and fragmentation still pressing, conservationists say protecting these landscapes is vital for the snakes’ long-term survival.
For now, though, the return of the Smooth Snake to Devon is being celebrated as a rare good-news story for UK wildlife.
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More than 13,000 people currently volunteer with the RSPB, contributing to projects like this. To find out how to get involved, visit: rspb.org.uk/volunteering.

Smooth snake, adult coiled up after being found under a piece of tin for a survey. By Fabian Harrison (rspb-images.com)

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