Adder at Aston Upthorpe Downs ?

Malcolm Brownsword writes:

At Aston Upthorpe Downs on 28 May, we found what we first assumed to be the sloughed off skin of a young adder. Subsequent research the next day suggested otherwise.

Adders are viviparous, producing about twenty young snakes each surprisingly about 17cm long. This is the approximate length of the one in the photograph. This suggests that it could have been born dead last summer. Also, when the outer skin which is sloughed off it is fairly transparent. Our sample contained the ribs and also what looked like remnants of the zig zag pattern that the species is known for. Any more theories?

Malcolm Brownsword 31 May 2023

Since Malcolm wrote this post, Will Atkins, Chair of the London Essex and Hertfordshire Amphibian and Reptile Trust (LEHART) has been in touch to say that the photo looks very much like a dead male slowworm (Anguis fragilis). We defer to his authority. (October 2023).

(The full report of the trip to Aston Upthorpe can be found here.)