A grass snake measuring more than two feet in length gave a woman the shock of her life when it slithered into her kitchen.
Instow resident Julie Harding spotted the reptile at her home on Sunday morning and initially feared it was an adder - the only venomous snake native to Britain.
Only after coaxing the reptile out of her home did Julie, 58, discover that it was in fact a non-venomous grass snake.
"I came into the kitchen and there it was," said Julie.
"I moved very carefully as at first I thought it could be an adder.
"The door at the back of my house had been open as the weather was so hot on Sunday and I think the snake must have sneaked in then.
"I panicked a bit and then tried to use a flip flop to usher it out.
The grass snake
According to the Wildlife Trust, Britain's largest snake, the grass snake, is particularly fond of wetland habitats, but can also be found in dry grasslands and in gardens, especially those with a pond nearby.
During the summer, grass snake can be spotted basking in the sun near their favourite ponds or swimming in the water.
They hunt amphibians, fish, small mammals and birds.
Females lay 10 to 40 eggs in rotting vegetation, such as compost heaps, incubating them until they hatch in early Autumn.
Like all reptiles, grass snake hibernate, usually from October to April.
"It took over 10 minutes to get it out through the hall and past the front door.
"The snake dived under everything and was very stubbon.
"It was around 30 inches in length and had quite a hiss, I'm just glad that I didn't come across it in the night.
"I could tell that it had been all around the kitchen because there was snake poo everywhere."
The grass snake is usually greenish in colour, with a yellow and black collar, pale belly and dark markings down the sides.
Females are bigger than males, with the snakes measuring between 90-150 cm in length.
"After speaking to some people who are in the know I'm told that the snake would have come in looking for water," added Julie.
"It's been so hot and dry recently I think it was just hoping to somewhere suitable."