Despite being Britain's largest native snake, grass snakes are completely harmless to people. They don't have venom, and if threatened they'd much rather escape than stand their ground. If they can't get away, they have a few rather unusual tricks. They might hiss loudly, flatten their heads to appear bigger or even roll onto their backs and pretend to be dead. Some even release a particularly unpleasant-smelling liquid to persuade predators to leave them alone.

One thing we've learnt over the years is that grass snakes are often unfairly feared. In reality, they're shy, secretive reptiles that would much rather avoid us altogether. Spotting one in the wild is considered a real privilege by many wildlife enthusiasts.

Grass snakes also have an unusual way of reproducing. Unlike many reptiles, they don't bury their eggs in sandy soil. Instead, females often lay them inside warm compost heaps, piles of rotting vegetation or manure heaps, where the natural heat helps the eggs develop. It means your compost heap could become an unexpected reptile nursery.