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Smooth Snake comeback: rare reptile thrives in Devon reintroduction project

Conservationists are celebrating a breakthrough in protecting Britain’s rarest native reptile, the Smooth Snake. Once restricted to Dorset, Hampshire, and Surrey, the species has gained a strong foothold in East Devon thanks to a 16-year reintroduction programme.

At Pebblebed Heaths National Nature Reserve, numbers have grown from 17 snakes in 2009 to 39 recorded in the most recent survey—a 25.8% rise on the previous year. Experts credit large-scale heathland restoration, careful vegetation management, and the tireless work of trained volunteers, who have contributed thousands of hours to ongoing monitoring.

Although elusive and difficult to spot, Smooth Snakes are now breeding and gradually colonising new areas. Conservationists say this success proves the value of collaborative habitat management and offers hope that one of the UK’s most endangered reptiles can recover from centuries of decline.

Read the full story here.

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